PROLOGUE

Samuel Beckett found himself in flux once again, surrounded by the familiar blue, electrical haze while he awaited his next assignment. He could never be sure how long he dwelled in this realm beyond normal space and time: sometimes it felt like days, but usually seconds did not even begin to count the length he was held there. The sensation of healing and being empowered prepared him for the leap-in that he was feeling about to happen.

As usual, the sudden impact of re-materializing left him somewhat confused, and he found himself in a laboratory. Sam looked around, seeing test tubes, filing cabinets, and a few computers. He was dressed in a white lab coat that covered some rather unexciting clothing, all much too oversized for him. "Great, an overweight scientist," Sam though. Further inspection of the room revealed to him that it was night-time by the bright moon shining though the skylight, and that he was alone except for a fellow scientist at the opposite end of the lab. The somewhat uncleanliness of his workspace, all too familiar to Sam from his desks of college years and studies afterward, led him to believe that he was in a research laboratory dedicated to archives and filing information.

Sam stared down to the desk in front of him and saw a folder with the words "DNA Research" written neatly across the top. He picked it up and held it close to verify what he read. "Oh, boy," he muttered quietly, and dropped the dossier down on the desk in exasperation.
 

        PART ONE

July 17, 1990

Melbourne, Australia

In May 2001 at Stallion’s Gate, New Mexico, deep within the Project Quantum Leap complex, Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci was getting prepared to enter the Imaging Chamber to communicate with the time-traveling quantum physicist. He stood impatiently by the doorway of the empty Control Room, waiting for somebody to show up, and tapping his foot to the beat of his favorite jazz tune. Donned in a purple fedora, gold-colored tie, and a red sports jacket with a canary shirt and matching pants, the admiral adjusted the circular amulet with a glowing star in the middle that he attached to his coat from time to time. Suddenly, Doctor Tina Martinez-O’Farrell, the pulse technician of the project, popped up from behind Ziggy’s main control panel. "Sorry, Al," she began, "but Zigster here won’t let me start up the radium acceleration ring."

Al hated it when Tina had to apologize for Ziggy, but he still took his intolerance out on the technician. "Well fix her, Tina. We don’t have all day, here," he ordered in a hurried tone. She grimaced, slumped into a near-by chair, and began digging into the parallel hybrid computer’s main program files. After a few seconds, Tina jumped back almost as if she was afraid to go anywhere near the console. It startled Al, and he decided it was time to face the temperamental computer. "What’s the problem, Zig?" he asked the sparkling orb on the ceiling firmly. There was no response. "Ziggy, answer me," he continued. Once again, no reply. "Tina, what’s wrong with her this time?" demanded Al, getting more impatient by the nanosecond.

"I’m not sure, Al," Tina answered, still a little taken aback by the information she saw on the panel. "She was, like, working fine until Doctor Beckett landed. She’s insisting that there is something terribly wrong with this leap, but I can’t find anything. When I looked into her main programming algorithms, she kinda locked me out and threatened to shock me!" Tina ran her fingers through her reddish hair nervously and blew a bubble of her gum while she waited for Al’s displeased response.

The Admiral’s face scrunched up at the answer. "I don’t care what her ego dictates, get that Imaging Chamber running now! Call in every technician and programmer in the complex and rebuild the pile of scrap metal if you have to!" he barked, and left the Control Room. 

Fuming, Al headed to the cafeteria to grab himself a coffee. To his dismay, it was packed full of nurses and research scientists on their lunch break. At this point, he really needed some quiet time to simmer down. The angry Admiral poured the black liquid quickly into a cracked mug and hustled out, deciding that his private office would be the best place to get some peace.

Immediately after Admiral Calavicci departed from the Control Room, Tina had to hunt around collect the other high-level programmers and technicians, since Ziggy’s intra-complex communications were offline. They followed Tina back to the Control Room as she re-explained the situation every time somebody joined the group. "All right, guys, we need to get Ziggy running again. She’s on, like, a strike sort-of, and won’t fire up the radium ring. So we’ll need to, like, do it manually," she explained with a frustrated tone. Everybody hopped to their duties at the end of her sentence, twenty hands flying across keyboards and rearranging circuitry.
 
 

PART TWO

The dossier Sam opened was full of paper, ranging from colorful sticky notes to legal-size white sheets. He was startled when a short, portly woman spoke up from her end of the room. "’Aven’t you started typing that stuff up yet?" she demanded, a brisk Australian accent predominating her voice. "I asked you to start that over twenty minutes ago." She stumbled out of her chair and walked over to his desk, perplexed by his blank face. "Sean, are you okay?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah… yeah, I’m fine. I’m just not sure where to begin with these notes," Sam replied, a little thrown off by her accent.

The woman’s expression changes dramatically. "Maybe you’ve been working too ’ard, Sean. These are your notes, you said you ’ad them in a mess and I want you to type them up chronologically. Doctor Kovanah wants the report by Friday."

Sam got the feeling of false stupidity, mistakes that he can not help to make due to his ignorance of the situation. "Oh, right. I’ll get to it now." He pointed at the computer monitor as he replied in an attempt to be rid of her. She shook her head and waddled back to her terminal.

Turning back to the folder, Sam looked through it. "None of this is dated," he muttered under his breath. He glanced at the watch on his left wrist; the leather band too large for his wrist and he spun it around to read the face. It was a digital watch with the display reading "7:23 P" in larger text and "90-07-19" smaller underneath. "Nineteen-ninety?" thought Sam to himself. He looked at the notes again and began to sift through them, an endless nightmare of paperwork.

A little under ten minutes, success broke through. "There! It’s up!" yelled Tina. "I have the radium ring activated."

"Ahem, a joint effort, Doctor," piped up Ike Bentenhoff, the head of imaging control. Small applause came from the other technicians and the programmers gave her the thumbs up. 

"Ziggy, hon, could ya tell Admiral Calavicci to report here, pronto?" Doctor Bentenhoff made a noise of disgust and dismissed himself from the Control Room, muttering about being under-appreciated.

"Doctor Martinez-O’Farrell, I refuse to aid in this leap at this point in time," she replied coldly. "When there is sufficient assurance that my existence will not be wiped out, perhaps I will return to normal parameters." 

Tina sighed and ordered one of the programmers to retrieve Al. Within the minute, the Admiral charged into the room, the technician following whilst trying to catch her breath. Al nodded at Tina, his gesture for congratulating on a job well done, and picked up a handlink from the control panel. The Observer lit a cigar and puffed it once, then opened the Imaging Chamber door and stepped through, thankful that the lock had already been established on Sam. "No swirling to make me blow chunks this time," he muttered. He immediately found himself in a laboratory with two scientists working. "Sam?" he asked as he surveyed the room. 

Sam jumped at Al’s gravely voice. "Al, what took you so long?" he queried with annoyance. "I’ve been sitting here for…" Sam stopped. 

"What, what is it?" Al was looking at him with an amused expression on his face.

"Sam, don’t you know who you’ve leaped into?" he asked with a smirk, knocking off a few ashes from his Chilvello.  "No. That’s what you’re here for," whispered Sam. Then he pointed toward the exit with his head. "Let’s go," he said quietly, standing up.

"Where are you going, Sean?" the corpulent woman demanded, overhearing Sam’s side of the conversation.

"Uh, just to the bathroom," he replied.

The other scientist broke out a smile. "Now’s a strange time for a bath," she said through retained laughter.

"You’re in Australia, Sam! Just say toilet," Al chuckled and took a puff of his cigar.

"I mean toilet," Sam corrected, feeling that stupidity again.

"You’ve been ’anging around with that American mate o’ yours too much," she joked.

Sam brushed off her comment and walked out the door, closing it tightly behind him and allowing Al the pleasure of walking right through it. "Okay, Al, who and where am I?" he asked, the normal question that Sam asked when the Observer showed up. 

Al smiled again. "You really don’t know who you are, do you? Have you looked in a mirror?" Sam’s response was a silent glare. "Well, I’ll tell you then. Your name is Sean Alsterson and you’re in Melbourne, Australia. Hey, another international leap! The date is…" Al began, but Sam cut him off.

"July nineteenth, nineteen-ninety," the leaper piped up.

"Right," Al said, eyeing him slyly.

"Al, I looked at my watch for the date. Why am I here?"

"Well, your Swiss-cheesed brain doesn’t remember, but when we were looking for funding we went as far as traveling to other countries that might be willing to help us out. While you were here in Australia trying to convince the Ministry of Science to grant some money, I was in Britain doing the same…" Al started, again being stopped short by Sam.

"Wait, Al, I recall being in this building to meet with a committee. They ended up rejecting us, but that's not now, is it? And I don’t remember Sean at all. How would I know him?" Sam stated, wonder in his eyes as he looked at the Observer.

Al studied his friend a moment before answering. "He went to M.I.T. with you. He was your roommate. He actually visited you in the States a few months before the time you’re in now," Al replied, prepared to be interrupted again.

Sam shook his head in awe and quickly turned back to the task at hand. "Anyway, what do I have to fix here? Should I try to convince the ministry’s committee…" This time Al butted in.

"No, Sam, otherwise the project would end up in the Great Sandy Desert. That's not why you're here. In fact, we’re not sure why you’re here. We’ve been having some, uh, troubles with Ziggy."

"Aw, great... What now?" asked Sam.

"She says there’s something wrong with this leap and she refuses to participate. Thank God she isn’t stopping us from getting to you, anyway," Al explained. He punched some keys on his handlink, getting little information from it. "All she told us was your name and location from Verbena’s interview with the Visitor, then shut us all out. Uhhh… oh, keep your eye on Doctor Markson there, Sean always said her bite was words than her bark," he grinned. 

Al punched some keys on the handlink to open the door. "I’ll go back and see how Tina’s coming along," said the tired Observer as the Imaging Chamber door opened. "G’day, mate," smirked Al in a phony accent as he departed, causing Sam to smile wanly as he re-entered the laboratory.

The Leaper sat down at his desk again, trying to figure out what to do with the folder of notes. The watch now read "7:31 P". He glanced up as Doctor Markson approached him, now wearing a heavy coat. "C’mon, Sean, quittin’ time." Sam stood up, collected and filed the papers in a briefcase, and put on a jacket that was draped over his chair. The two scientists made small talk as they walked through the corridors, with Sam’s general answers being yes, no, or a chuckle, and they eventually came to a back exit of the building. "Good night, Sean," she said with a touch of sadness in her voice, and shuffled to her car.

"Good night, uh, Doctor Markson," Sam replied, a little confused by her gloomy tone. He slowly made his way around the parking lot, searching for the license plate number printed on Sean’s copy of the automobile insurance that was kept in his wallet. Luckily, most of the vehicles were gone and he discovered the beige mini-van shortly before eight o’clock. Sam found his home for this leap relatively easily, something that was not lost in his memory full of holes. He was about to knock on the front door, but rapidly stopped himself and turned the knob. Sam paused in the front hallway for a moment, then removed his jacket and placed his briefcase on the elegant bench that stood behind the door. "I’m home," he said casually, all that came to mind.

"Daddy!" a young male voice called out as a little boy popped out from around a doorway. He skidded to a halt in front of Sam, eyes huge. "You’re not Daddy, you’re Doctor Beckett!"

Sam looked at him with bewilderment. "No, James, I’m Daddy…" he started, trying to think up a justification of his appearance to tell Sean’s son. "I’m just in disguise like Doctor Beckett. It’s a secret project down at the ministry, and only you can see it," Sam lied to the five-year-old lad in a conspiratorial tone.

Sean’s wife Gwen appeared behind James with a smile. "Don’t be so silly, James. That’s your father, just as he left this morning. ’Ello, ’oney," she said sweetly. Sam instantly covered the shock he felt when he saw that she was obviously very pregnant. He noticed James looking at him skeptically.

James gave Sam a strange look, but pretended to believe him. Sam picked him up and tickled him playfully. "Isn’t it bedtime for you?" he asked with a snigger. The young boy giggled as Sam’s fingers nudged his ribs. 

"Yeah, ’e should be in bed but ’e wanted to wait up for you," Gwen explained.

Sam smiled at her and carried James upstairs to his room, and after almost fifteen minutes of explaining the 'disguise' to the boy, the doctor returned to the front hall and spied Gwen in the living room. She patted the couch cushion beside her. "You’ve ’ad a long day, love." Sam sauntered over and sat down with satisfaction and, seeming the right thing to do, kissed Gwen’s cheek. "’Ow was it, anyway? Did you scientists figure out your new two-eighty-sixes yet?"

Thinking of how advanced Ziggy was, Sam almost burst out laughing at the thought of a computer with a 286 motherboard in it. "Oh, they’re about the same as the old ones," he said with a grin.

She looked at him curiously. "What exactly are you up to down there?"

"Right now, I’m doing some, uh, DNA research. Why do you ask?"

"I thought maybe you’d be in on that time-travel project you were talking about before. Aren’t you meeting with Doctor Beckett tomorrow?" She asked innocently, not realizing, after all, whom she was actually speaking to.

Sam’s eyes widened. "Oh, yeah, I am. We – we’re supposed to talk about some fundamentals of quantum physics," he said, hoping that was the correct subject. It was, as far as his memory could recall.

Gwen looked at him with moist eyes. "Sean, I’m so proud of you," she whispered and kissed him soundly on the lips. Sam did not object and merely accepted the kiss, feeling somewhat guilty about it. He did not know why the remorse was felt, and that bothered him. When she broke their embrace, she arose, straightened her grape-colored dress, and said with a smile on her lips, "I’m going to get a bite to eat." Sam nodded, and lay back on the white sofa, trying to remember why this seemed familiar and why such guilt was built up inside of him.
 
 

PART THREE

Project Quantum Leap

Stallion's Gate, New Mexico

Al and Tina were wracking their brains along with a few programmers over Ziggy’s attitude. "Come on, Ziggy! Co-operate with us," Al stated, trying to sound pleasant while Tina tweaked with some of the main console’s hardware.

Ziggy hummed a bit, all of the displays in the Control Room grew bright, and the entire area was filled with white light. The seven in the room covered their eyes until the illumination ceased. "I can not create any projections until I have accessed some mainframes in Sydney. I currently have insufficient data on the city, let alone the country that Doctor Beckett has leaped into. It will take me another five point three hours."

Al breathed a sigh of semi-relief and patted Tina on the shoulder. "At least we got her talking," he murmured. Then a thought hit him. "Ziggy, call Doctor Elesee to the Control Room."

Reluctantly, the computer obeyed and the wife of Sam Beckett arrived in a quicker period of time than Al had figured it would take. "What is it, Al?" she questioned with interest.

"We need your experience. When you and Sam were in Australia in nineteen-ninety, you worked on the government’s information network in Sydney, right?" She nodded in response. "Ziggy needs some of your pass codes at once," he said urgently.

"Sure thing." Donna smiled as she approached the main console. Her hands were almost a blur as they manipulated the buttons and keys on the control board. "There, I managed to get Ziggy into some medium-security mainframes," she said to Tina.

"Ooo, you know how to push my buttons, Doctor," said Ziggy in a playful tone.

Al rolled his eyes heavenward.

"How long until you can figure out a reason for Sam to be there, Ziggy?" Tina asked. 

"I am now able to access most national records at this time, and since I am accessing more and more mainframes as I search, I would estimate nine point two four minutes," she purred in response.

"Okay everyone, take ten," Al announced to the Control Room. Everyone but Tina and Donna hastily departed. He looked up to the glowing orb on the ceiling. "What made you change your mind, Zig?" Once again, silence was her response. The three friends exchanged tired looks and left the room for the cafeteria.

Al fetched himself another coffee, while Donna prepared a pot of tea for herself and Tina. They had just sat down at a table as Doctor Elizabeth Calavicci entered the room. "There you are, Al! I’ve been looking all over for you," she announced in a jovial tone.

"Hey there, sweet thing," he responded, waving her over. She kissed him on the cheek and sat beside him, holding his hand lovingly.

"Hi Beth, care for some tea?" Donna asked of her friend.

"No thanks, I just wanted to get a location on my hubby," she said happily. "Ziggy wouldn’t respond to me. By the way, how are things with Sam?" she asked all three.

Tina explained Ziggy’s odd protest, Al told her about Sam’s chubby colleague, and Donna mentioned the hacking she had to do. Once they got to chat, Ziggy’s ten-minute timeframe flew by. Donna’s communication bracelet emitted the silken voice of Ziggy. "I have completed evaluating all databases on the systems I could access. All senior personnel report to the Control Room."

Once many of the superior staff at the project assembled in the Control Room, Ziggy began explaining what Sam had to accomplish. "I predict that Doctor Beckett must save the Alsterson family from a house fire that will occur in the early morning. I give an eighty-four point seven percent chance that Doctor Beckett will leap after successfully rescuing Sean and the family from the blaze. Also, as my instincts told me, something will happen if the fire is prevented. Sean Alsterson was to meet Doctor Beckett that afternoon." She paused to make sure the humans in the room absorbed her statement, noticing shock on a couple of faces. 

Doctor Samantha Josephine Fuller spoke up. "What will happen if Doctor Beckett meets himself in the past, Ziggy?" she questioned with concern.

"If Doctor Beckett acts just as Doctor Alsterson would, there should be no problem. However, I can not foresee the illogical actions of a human meeting a younger version of themselves," Ziggy answered, still an irritated tone to her voice.

Al started toward the Imaging Chamber, pulling the handlink out of his jacket pocket. "Is the hologram still running, Tina?" he asked.

"Yeah, it sure is, Al," Tina responded.

"Good, get me centered on Sam," demanded Al as the door to the Imaging Chamber opened.

Sam could barely see Gwen behind the pile of potato chip bags and other snacks. "Uh, lemme help you with that," he said to her while getting up from the couch. He started to gather the various bags and boxes.

"Thank you, Sean," Gwen replied as she handed over all of the packages in her arms, causing Sam to fall back to the sofa. "I just find myself eating and eating these days." 

Sam pushed himself up again from the white sofa and spread out the snacks on the coffee table. "That’s quite a bit of junk food here," he stated plainly.

"It’s common with women who are six months pregnant, darling." She smiled at him while nuzzling his neck and chewing on some sort of liquorice. "I love you," she whispered just as the Imaging Chamber door opened.

"Whoa, what’s going on here, Sam, a party?" Al said cheerfully, his eyes dancing around at the food as the door closed. 

Sam ignored him for the moment before pulling himself out from under Gwen. "I gotta go use the bathroo-, errr, toilet," he said to her and left the room. Once he was upstairs in the bathroom, he closed the door and turned to Al. "Why’ve you been so long?" Sam asked with irritation. 

"Well, like I said, Ziggy was on a strike so it took a while for us to access Australian records. But there’s a big problem, Sam. Early tomorrow morning, a fire breaks out in this house and everyone perishes," Al reported sadly, watching Sam sit on the toilet lid in despair as he shook his head. 

"How does the fire start?" Sam queried.

"Ziggy says the cause of the blaze is never determined, so you gotta prevent it or save them or something. Are there any matches or lighters around the house?"

"Not that I’ve seem. Maybe once everyone’s in bed I can take a look around. What happens when I save them, Al?"

"Ziggy said there’s an eighty-four point seven percent chance that you’ll leap outta here once they’re saved," Al answered.

"Does Ziggy know about Gwen?" asked Sam in reference to her unborn child as the Observer punched some keys on the handlink. 

"She’s six months pregnant. Sam, don’t wait. You should start searching now." 

Sam nodded in response and he left the washroom with Al in his tracks. They split up, and Al searched the lower story and found nothing that could start the fire. Upstairs, Sam found a locked door at the end of the hallway, but no key. He made a mental note about that fact, and descended the stairs to discover Gwen still in the living room, snoring on the couch, with Al watching her with amusement. "This’ll make things a bit easier," whispered Sam to Al. "Where did the fire begin?"

"The whole house was burned to the ground by the time they could put out the fire, all they found was… ugh, the charred corpses of Sean and Gwen in the living room," he answered with a shudder, the handlink squealing noisily in the background. 

Sam sighed at the response and continued the search. There were foot-long matches beside a grand fireplace in the family room, so Sam gathered them up and placed them inside the hearth. The investigation of rest of the first floor came up empty-handed. Sam proceeded to the basement. There was an ancient lantern hanging just inside the cellar door along with a small lighter. "No electricity in the basement?" muttered Sam.

"Guess not, better find a flashlight and look around down there," Al suggested. There was a hand-held flashlight on the kitchen counter and the two entered the basement. It was mainly used as a storage area and nothing noticeable could they find. 

When they were back in the kitchen, Sam placed the dimming flashlight where he had found it and took the lantern and lighter. "I could put this in the fireplace as well, I suppose," he mentioned to Al.

"Sure, good idea Sam." After the Leaper finished with that, he noticed a back door. He slid it open carefully, noticing a barbecue. "Aha," he whispered. A barbecue lighter was lying on a patio table on the deck. Sam took it, placing it with the rest of the possibly-dangerous items. He also checked that all doors and windows were closed and locked. "If it was arson, nobody’s getting inside now," he said to Al with a yawn.

"You’d better get some sleep, pal," the hologram suggested. "Uh, oh! Sam, you still haven’t saved them. Ziggy says the fire still happens. Maybe you should forget sleep and keep watch for tonight."

Sam sighed at the prospect. "Can’t you do that while I rest?" he pleaded as he sat down on a brown chesterfield in the family room, facing the fireplace. 

Al gave him an unhappy glance. "I gotta get some shut-eye too, ya know," sighed the Admiral while getting a guilt trip from Sam’s facial expression. "Don’t give me that look… Saaaam…" Al paused. "All right! I’ll do it, but you owe me one," he said, narrowing his eyes.

A smirk crawled across the exhausted Leaper’s lips. "Thanks, Al," Sam murmured sleepily as he lay on the auburn couch, glanced at the antique clock and closed his eyes. "Ten twenty-three…" escaped his lips.

Al studied the antique clock, enjoying the ticking sound of the pendulum swaying back and forth. "Hey, my dad had one of these, Sam. He always kept his safe deposit key in the back of it so nobody could find it." He turned back to Sam and saw he was already deep in slumber. Al felt it was going to be a long and unexciting night, and started to prepare the handlink to recount something to entertain him.

Over the next five hours, Sam Beckett got his first restful sleep in ages with Observer Al watching over him the whole time. Since nothing eventful happened in that period, the extremely bored hologram decided to investigate the house again in search of what could have possibly sparked the inferno. He ascended the stairway by way of holographic manipulation, and walked around the second floor until he came upon a white, locked door. "Sam didn't mention this," he mumbled to himself as he approached it. By a strange coincidence, the electricity went out when he got close. He poked his head through the door, literally, and could barely see some equipment with the slight moonlight that shone through the blinds. "Sam, get up here quick!" he yelled. After a few seconds of no response, Al hollered, "Sam! Hurry up!" The Admiral sighed. "Tina, center me on Sam!" he ordered. In a blink of his eye, he was back in the family room. "Sam, wake up! The lights are out…" the Leaper continued to sleep. "And nobody’s home," finished Al. Then a grumble escaped Sam’s mouth and he opened his eyes. "Welcome back, sleeping beauty. Now get up!"

"Huh, what’s going on?" Sam asked wearily, rubbing his eyes.

"I don’t know, but I have an idea. The locked door upstairs? Well there’s some kind of machinery in there. Maybe it started the fire."

"I couldn’t find the key. Would Sean hide it?"

Al’s eyes brighten up with understanding. "In the clock!" he exclaimed, thinking back to his father’s trick. "In the back of the clock, Sam!"

"What are you talking about?" Sam questioned as he stood up.

"In the back of the clock!" Al shouted while pointing the handlink at the ancient timepiece. "Open it up!"

Sam approached the mantle and turned the clock around, spotting a little latch holding a slab of wood onto the back. He opened it cautiously and saw the small pendulum swinging, entrancing him. Placing the backing on the pine mantle, Sam fingered around inside for anything. "I think I found it," he said in a soft tone as he pulled out a key big enough to fit a deadbolt. It shone in the moonlight, supported between two of Sam’s fingers, as smiles showed on the faces of the two men.

"Quick, Sam, we gotta find out what’s in that room upstairs," said Al hastily as he waved the weary Sam Beckett toward the staircase, who tip-toed up each step with the Admiral watching from the bottom. Once he reached the top of the flight of stairs, Al popped up beside him, causing Sam to jump a bit and skip a beat of his heart. "Don’t hesitate, Sam, unlock that door!"

A little annoyed with the Observer’s continuous angst, Sam took a slow pace over to the deadbolted door. The key slid into the hole with little difficulty, and Sam turned it. To his surprise, as well as Al’s, the electricity came back on as the door opened. "Must’ve been a broken transformer or something," Al theorized.

A small room was revealed to them, with a large computer console lined up along the entire perimeter. Sam approached what looked like a control panel, but before he could study it closer, a whining sound started and got louder exponentially, causing the two to cover their ears with their hands. The noise ceased and left a ringing in Sam’s ears as he turned to the Observer to say something. However, the time-traveler just drew in the breath to speak when an explosion sounded from all around them as the entire computer system was engulfed in a blaze. Sam was forced out of the room by the intense heat while Al stood amongst the flames. "Get Gwen and James out of the house, Sam!" hollered the Admiral.

Sam dashed to James’s room and spent no time tearing off the covers and lifting the boy out of his bed. Holding the boy closely, Sam felt the boy's arms hug his neck tightly. The fire was spreading rapidly, so the Leaper hurried down the stairs to wake Gwen. She was sleeping soundly on the sofa in the front room, just as Sam had seen her last. "Gwen! Wake up!" he screamed.

The pregnant woman was startled and looked at him with surprise. "What’s going on then?" she asked, concerned but confused by sleep.

"There’s a fire, we have to get out of here!" Sam replied anxiously, getting a firm grip on her arm as she arose from the couch. His grasp was not strong enough, since Gwen slipped free and fell back on the sofa. Sam set down James and helped her up again. 

"Sean, how did it start?"

"The computer console upstairs exploded after the power came back on," he answered as the woman with child got up on her feet. In the corner of Sam’s eye, he saw Al approaching them. "C’mon, hurry it up!" the Observer exclaimed.

The four scurried to the door, and Sam turned the knob. "It won’t open!" he yelled. In his panic, he had forgotten that he locked all of the doors and windows earlier.

"It’s locked, Sam," Al uttered, disappointed but understanding. He looked up to see James staring into his eyes with awe. The boy blinked a couple of times, like he thought he was dreaming. The hologram glanced behind him and realized that this boy could see him. 

The quantum physicist fumbled with the lock, and burst the door open. He took Gwen and James to the sidewalk before running to the next-door neighbor's house. Sam pounded on the door, shouting, "Call the fire department!" 

After a few moments of waiting and a couple more pounds on the door, an elderly woman answered and opened her door. "Sean, what’s the matter?" she asked, and then noticed the flames shooting from the Alstersons’ roof. The white-haired lady hurried to her phone and returned within the minute. "They’re on their way, Sean. My Lord, I’m so sorry," she whispered.

Sam merely frowned and thanked her, then trotted back to Sean’s, or temporarily his, wife and son. "Thank God we all got out safely," Gwen whispered.

"Yeah, thank Him and Sam Beckett," Al replied to her statement. Gwen began to cry softly on Sam’s shoulder, and he held her comfortingly with one arm while holding James’s hand with the other, not noticing that the small boy still had his gaze fixed on Sam’s holographic aide.
 
 

PART FOUR

The fire-fighters fought the blaze valiantly, with practically the entire neighborhood watching. Al stuck around, occasionally feeding Sam information about the future of the family he just saved from death. He did not, however, let him know about Sean losing his job in a week. 

Under a few hours, the inferno was quenched, and a great cheer arose from the crowd. Most of the house was still intact, but almost a fifth of it had been burned away by the fiery touch of the explosion. Looking away from the structure, Sam glanced at Al. "Why haven’t I leaped yet?" he whispered.

Al fiddled with the handlink and looked up. "Sam, it’s almost seven o’clock. You’re supposed to be at work at eight thirty for an… important meeting," Al announced suddenly, not quite answering the question. "Since Sean didn't make it in the last timeline, maybe that's the problem."

The response Sam gave was a simple glance as he looked at 'his' family. He noticed the hesitation in Al’s voice, but brushed it off as he turned to Gwen and said, "I have a really important meeting this morning. Would you and James be okay if I went?"

An emotional response, the one Sam almost expected, erupted from her in a fountain of tears. "I – I think so, Sean," she sobbed as she hugged him tightly. "Mum and Dad are driving down from Geelong to take me and James to their place." She released her grip on Sam and looked into his eyes. She noticed a hint of green in them which, mixed with her feelings, caused her to shudder a bit.

Sam remembered the trying conversation Gwen had over the elderly neighbor's telephone with her mother, someone whom he guessed had some sort of hearing disability. He wiped a tear from Gwen’s cheek and whispered, "Everything’ll be all right, we’ll get through this." Sam kissed her forehead. "I’ll be back before you know it."

She watched him forlornly walk to the car, and embraced her silent son who just could not take his eyes off of what he thought was either an angel or a ghost with poor fashion sense. 

Sam opened the driver door of the beige mini-van and climbed in, his Observer floating up through the passenger door. Turning the ignition and backing out of the laneway, Sam left totally unprepared for the meeting he was about to attend.

Little James waved tentatively at the receding van, open mouthed, wondering if his Dad-in-disguise knew he had a passenger.

Even though he looked quite disheveled, Sam entered the Ministry of Science building and to Sean’s office by his mental map. He was greeted by Doctor Markson, who immediately began a question period, her tone quite annoyed. "Sean, where have you been? How come you’re so late? Why do you look so terrible?"

Sam let out a sigh. "My house caught fire, Doctor Markson. But I know how important this appointment is, so here I am." His manner was quite melancholy as he stated his reason for being behind schedule.

Her demeanor of intolerance quickly changed to that of sympathy. "Your home? Fire?" she asked, a bit confused. The portly doctor shook her head and placed a firm hand on his shoulder, her gaze meeting his. "I’m really sorry, Sean. Are you certain you can still meet with Doctor Beckett?"

At the mention of his own name, Sam’s jaw dropped to what felt like the ground. He had figured that that it was himself he was meeting with, and looked at Al, who remained expressionless. "Must be a coincidence," thought Sam, the stress of the fire just now dissipating into weariness. "Yeah, but I should probably clean up a bit," he replied.

"Well, you know where the showers are. I’ll go grab your extra set of clothes from your desk," Doctor Markson said as she entered the lab that Sam was in a mere twelve hours ago.

"What a coinkidink, eh, Sam?" Al said lightly, bouncing on his toes. "Someone with your last name who’s also a doctor. But there can’t be any relation, I mean, we’re in Australia here," Al said, hoping that the time-traveler's fragmented memory forgot the exact time he had spent here in the previous timeline.

"Didn’t you say last night that I was here before, in this building, and that I knew Sean? And Gwen said I had a meeting today with a Doctor Beckett. James even sees me as me. Could I be about to meet myself?" asked Sam, his curiosity rising as some of his Swiss-cheese holes filled in. Al began to fidget. He avoided Sam’s question by playing with the handlink, which was now squawking and screaming. "What’s wrong with the handlink?"

"Oh, nothing. Remember, Ziggy’s acting up. She’s just…" Al lied as he hit the side of the device with his fist. Then he noticed the 'I-know-you’re-keeping-something-from-me' look in Sam’s expression when the Admiral raised his eyes to meet his friend. "What?!" exclaimed Al with guilt. The Leaper maintained his gaze, circling the hologram. "All right, I’ll level with you. Sam, you are about to come in contact with you eleven years ago. Ziggy says you can’t say or do anything that would make you, the past you, think you’re not Sean," confessed Al, his face getting a little screwed up as he tried to explain the complex situation. "That’s how come Ziggy was all blewie earlier." Sam had no time to reply as Sean’s colleague returned with the clothing.

"Here ya go, Sean. Take all the time you want, I’ll keep your friend Doctor Beckett company if he happens to show up early. He said eight thirty, right?" Doctor Markson asked as she came out of the laboratory and handed Sam a pair of slacks, a gray dress shirt, socks, and a white lab coat. He verified the time and thanked her as she went back into the room. 

"Why didn’t you tell me before?" Sam demanded once Doctor Markson was out of sight. "This is crazy, Al. If you had given me warning, I could’ve thought something up to avoid this meeting." The Observer squirmed a bit in his spot. Sam shook his head and changed the subject by asking, "Well, how do I take a shower here?" Al pointed down the hallway and led him to the shower room, hidden down three corridors. 

"I’m going to see what Ziggy has to say about this, Sam. I’ll be right back," Al stated uncomfortably, and exited through the Imaging Chamber door before the doctor could respond.

Sam stripped down and stepped into the shower, turning on the hot water and enjoying the sensation of the warm liquid flowing down from his head to his toes. After about ten minutes, he emerged from the stall, toweled himself dry, and put on the clothing Doctor Markson had given to him. They were a bit wrinkled, but it would have to do.

It took Sam another fifteen minutes to shave, brush his teeth, and generally sit out for a breather. He glanced at the watch that dangled on his wrist and noticed it was almost twenty past eight. Sam donned the lab coat, leaving it unfastened, and hustled to the research laboratory. It took him thirteen minutes just to find it after getting lost a couple of times in the maze of hallways. 

Sam opened the door to the lab to find nobody inside. "Doctor Markson?" he asked with concern. Hearing no response, he searched the entire elongated room. "She isn’t here," he muttered. Then he discovered a note on his desk that he had overlooked. It read: "Sean, sorry to leave you like this but there is an emergency in the xenogenetics lab that I have to resolve. You will have to meet with Doctor Beckett on your own. – Sally"

An exasperated sigh escaped Sam’s lips as he sat down in the chair, trying not to fidget. As he waited for time to pass, he felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier from the little amount of sleep he had last night. Sam leaned back in the chair and let the slumber come to him involuntarily.

Project Quantum Leap

Stallion's Gate, New Mexico

Al stormed in the Control Room, to once again try to extract facts from Ziggy. He noticed Sammy Jo and Tina at the main control board. "How’s she doing?" the Observer asked.

"Quite well, Admiral," Ziggy answered soothingly before one of the women could. "I have concluded that Doctor Beckett is to carry out the meeting that Doctor Alsterson would otherwise be incapable of doing. Due to his coronary condition, heightened anxiety from the ordeal, and his obesity, Doctor Alsterson would have to have been hospitalized if Doctor Beckett had leaped out after saving Sean and his family. Luckily, Doctor Beckett is in better health and has endured all that Doctor Alsterson could not."

Al let out a breath. "Jeeze, Ziggy, you don’t need to write a novel for me," he said jokingly. "I’m going to take a break and be back in about twenty minutes," Al announced to Sammy Jo. She answered him with a tight nod of her head, she and Tina both concentrating on the screen in front of them.

Twenty minutes later, Al returned to the Control Room, refreshed after another coffee and a bite to eat. He walked over to Tina and Sammy Jo, the leap, naturally, still in his mind. "So, if all Sam had to do was prevent the Alstersons’ deaths, why hasn’t he leaped? Is meeting his younger self supposed to be some sort of reward?"

"We’re not sure, Al," Tina replied, he eyes still glued to the display. "That could be it, but maybe, like Ziggy said before, Doctor Alsterson can’t go through with the meeting." 

"You just watch Dad, Admiral. We can handle things here," Sammy Jo stated, her eyes meeting Al’s with a sadness that she usually unconsciously expressed when speaking about her father.

Al returned her gaze with a smile. "Sure, that’s my job," he said cheerfully, and headed back to the Imaging Chamber.

When the hologram materialized in Australia, he saw the image of Sean Alsterson, fast asleep at his desk. "I leave him for twenty minutes and he goes to sleep," Al mutters in a content manner. "Wake up, Sam!"

The booming, yet amused voice startled Sam, causing him to almost fall back in his chair. "What?!" he exclaimed, confused.

"You’re missing the meeting with yourself. It’s on the third floor in conference room four. We’re on the fifth floor. Get moving!" Al ordered encouragingly. Sam reached the conference room at eight minutes to nine and found it vacant. Al was as shocked as Sam was, letting out a little groan. "We’re either really late or the first ones here."

Sam looked at the table and discovered name placards at each of the ten seats. "I think we’re the first to arrive," he muttered as he sat down at the spot marked "Dr. Beckett". There was a clicking of the lock on the double doors and Doctor Markson entered a tad out of breath. "Sean, thank goodness I found you. The meeting had to be postponed until nine o’clock. The emergency in the xenogenetics lab required most of the people in this meeting. Uh, where’s Doctor Beckett?"

"I don’t know, I’m the first one here," replied Sam. He waved his hand at the seat with her name on it and asked with a smile, "Won’t you sit down?" 

She returned his invitation with a whole-hearted grin and accepted the chair. "You can be so charming, Sean," the chubby doctor stated jokingly as she sat. Before Sam could reply to the kidded compliment, another scientist, tall and lanky, entered the room. "Is this the Project Quantum Leap conference?" he asked uneasily.

In unison, the other two answered him affirmatively. "Oh, good. I sure hope the rest of the committee is as enthusiastic about this as I am," he stated timidly as he sat beside Doctor Markson.

For the next few minutes the three made small talk, Al standing by the door nervously in apprehension of the eleven-years-younger Sam Beckett’s arrival. Precisely at nine o’clock, five people dressed in a range from lab coats to formal business wear walked in, single file, and took seats. Still, the two chairs on either side of Sam were empty. A white-haired woman sat at the head of the table, wearing a gray ensemble. "Very conservative," Sam thought, trying to size her up. 

They waited idly for a couple of minutes and the door opened. From his seat, Sam could not see whom it was, but Al’s dropped jaw was enough to hint to him that his doppelganger had arrived. The Observer stepped back a bit with his eyes still fixated on whomever was entering the room.

"Please, come in, Doctors," the white-haired woman stated as she stood up and went to the door. The rest of the people around the table also got up on their feet as the thirty-seven-year-old Sam Beckett entered the room with a beautiful woman with long, dark, curly hair following behind. 

Sam, under the guise of Sean, realized that he should also be standing, but he was too mystified by his double, and the accompanying woman, to move. He knew her from somewhere, but just could not place her exactly. But Sam was more concerned with his past self; he looked so young compared to the last time he saw his own reflection. 

The younger Sam and his partner shook hands with the white-haired woman, and both walked to their seats, he going over to Leaper Sam. "Sean, it’s great to see you again," he said, extending his hand. Leaper Sam stood up and shook it uncertainly, and then finally noticed that he was sitting in the place marked for his younger self.

The younger Sam sat in his rightful seat and everyone fell silent. The woman at the head of the table stood again and addressed everybody. "As you all know, I am Doctor Kovanah, ’ead of the quantum physics department of the Ministry of Science. You should also know that we ’ave a great mind with us today who came all the way from the States to share ’is idea. I will now turn over the floor to Doctor Beckett." 

At first, Leaper Sam had the impulse to stand and had to give himself a shake as a reminder of how he is being seen by the rest of the world right now. 

The young Sam thanked Doctor Kovanah and stood next to a white board. "Hello everyone, my name is Sam Beckett. I am here today to discuss Project Quantum Leap, which is a time-travel experiment. Now I know that some of you may be skeptical, but my theories will work once I have the funds to build the required equipment." He paused and looked to the woman that had accompanied him. "Donna, could you start the projector please?"

As the enchanting woman arranged the projector, Sam couldn't help but wonder who she was; she was so very familiar in a lot of ways, but he didn't recall coming to Australia with someone else. Sam's train of thought was distracted by the images displayed on the white board. Each slide was described in great detail by young Sam and, occasionally, by the woman. Leaper Sam recalled almost everything that he saw on the wall; his best friend also remembered going through the same routine in England with Beth at the British scientific ministry. 

Once the presentation was over, the audience of eight applauded and Sam and Donna sat down. However, Doctor Kovanah seemed very cynical of the entire concept. Throughout the presentation, Leaper Sam had noticed her facial expressions. "Good," he thought to himself, "that means the Project will still be in New Mexico."

"Thank you, Doctors. We eight shall each compile a report and make our decision known to you on August sixth. I bid good day to you all and I shall see you two tomorrow at the meeting with the Science Minister," the conservative scientist stated as she stood and left the room. Everyone followed her except Doctor Markson, both Sam's and the lovely woman, all of who stayed behind to chat.

"So," began Markson, "’ow do you and Sean know each other again, Doctor Beckett?"

"Well, we both went to M.I.T. and were roommates. A few months ago, Sean visited me in the U.S. and suggested that I try out the Ministry of Science here for funding," the young Sam answered then turned to his older self. "Sean, are you sure you want to put us up at your place? We can always check in at a hotel," he said with a nod towards the brunette.

Before the Leaper could reply, Doctor Markson sadly interrupted, "’Is house burned down today."

"Oh, Sean, I’m so sorry. Is everyone okay?" questioned the woman, placing a sympathetic hand on his arm.

"Yeah, we’re fine, thanks," replied Sam, surprisingly shaken by the touch. There was something familiar in her eyes, but he just couldn't quite pinpoint it. He shook his head to clear the uneasiness, and quickly stood to shake off her hand. "I … I haven’t had any breakfast yet, how about we all go grab a bit to eat?" he stammered, trying to control the odd feelings he felt.

"Oh, goody, I could go for some bacon and eggs right now, with a side order of sausage and pancakes," piped up Al, bouncing on the balls of his toes. He had noticed Sam's alarm, and was trying to keep the mood light and not tip off his friend about the lovely woman.

"Certainly, Sean. Let’s call it my treat," Doctor Markson said happily. All four filed out of the room and headed for the parking lot, followed by a worried hologram.
 
 

PART FIVE

Even though Al was maintaining an ordinary appearance, inside he was worried that his friend would eventually remember who Donna was, or that somebody would mention the fact that the other Sam was married to her. He watched them have their breakfast at an upper-class restaurant, the entire meal being billed to the currently jovial Doctor Markson. To his relief, there was no mention of how Donna and Sam were associated. It took them about an hour to eat, after which they conversed, for a good half-hour. It was all a nerve-wracking experience for the Observer. 

Finally, the generous doctor stood up and declared, "Sean and I’ve both got a lot o’ work to be done, unless of course you need to be with your family. I would completely understand."

Sam glanced to Al then back to her. "M-maybe that would be a good idea. Thanks, Sally," he replied, remembering her first name from her note. As he stood up, he looked to his younger self and Donna. "What are you two up to?"

"Uh, oh," thought Al, alarm bells going off in his head. The Observer wanted to stop Sam before he could find out, but realized that it would only lead to more questions. When would he leap out of here and stop all this nonsense?

"If it wouldn’t be too imposing, I’d like to see Gwen and James again," Donna answered, giving him a half-smile as she rose from her seat. "I think they’ll need all the support they can get right now."

Younger Sam frowned a bit at the prospect, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the suggestion. However, older Sam accepted. "That’d be great, what about you, ah, Sam?" he asked, feeling very awkward.

"Well, I’ll join my wife, I think," thirty-seven-year-old Sam replied. He smiled at Donna and kissed her cheek gently. 

Al put his hands over his face and shook his head in defeat as Sam kept his knees from buckling. But the leaper did not fall; instead he mumbled, " 'scuse me," and turned around, headed to the bathroom, stumbling in a daze toward the door marked 'Gentlemen'. Sam narrowly missed knocking over an over-loaded waiter before barging into the men’s room. Fortunately, the washroom was empty as he slumped himself on the sink. Without even looking up, he knew the hologram had followed him.

"Al," he breathed heavily, "why didn’t you tell me?" He could feel his memories coming back, memories of how Donna had left him at the altar, but they conflicted with others where they were married. "Why?"

The Observer’s face fell. "I couldn’t, Sam, you know that. I was hoping you wouldn’t find out." Al’s tone was very somber as he spoke. To avoid further eye contact with Sam, he fiddled with the handlink.

"Look at me Al," said Sam with a hint of anger, but feeling mostly confused. Hesitantly, the Admiral complied, their eyes meeting, and the Leaper continued. "Why do I remember Donna leaving me but at the same time remember getting married to her?" His brow began to furrow as his memories conflicted.

Al put the handlink in his pocket with a sigh. "You don’t remember your third leap, do you?" he asked softly. Sam shook his head. "During that leap, you put Donna and her father back together, which ended her fear of commitment. Originally, she jilted you, but since you restored her faith in men and relationships, she ended up marrying you." Their gazes held the entirety of Al’s explanation and Sam ran his fingers through his hair as spoke.

"So, what you’re saying is that I changed history, married Donna, and then forgot that she even existed? Is this something Ziggy made you keep from me?" asked Sam with suspicion.

"No, not exactly," Al said, when suddenly the bathroom door swung open right through him and young Sam stepped in. Nervously, the Observer stepped over a couple spaces to watch the two interact. 

"Are you okay?" the doppelganger asked with concern, displaying the same facial expression that Al recognized from Sam the Leaper.

"Uh, yeah, just a little upset about my wife," Sam replied with a hint of jealousy, even though this was himself that he was feeling envious of. "And everything else that has happened," he added as he stood up from the sink with the help of his double.

Silently, they left the bathroom and left through the front door to find Donna and Doctor Markson waiting patiently just outside. They also kept their mouths closed in an attempt to let whom they thought was Sean Alsterson feel comfortable, and all four scientists walked to Markson’s vehicle. 

Al motioned a parting gesture as the Imaging Chamber door opened and stepped through, closing it behind him with a huge sigh. 
 
 

Project Quantum Leap

Stallion's Gate, New Mexico

Al looked around the Control Room to see Sammy Jo working alone at the main console. "Where’d everyone go, Sammy?" the Admiral asked tiredly.

"Oh, I told them to take a break about a half-hour ago," the programmer replied, looking up to Al with heavy eyelids and frizzled hair. "Ziggy is still predicting a terrible consequence if Dad doesn’t leap out soon."

Al approached her and looked over the data that was displayed on the screen, then addressed the computer. "What exactly is so terrible, Ziggy? I mean, you said Sam would leap once the conference was over."

"Doctor Beckett has succeeded thus far in this leap, Admiral. However, I do not know what is going to happen next, therefore leading me to the conclusion that something dreadful will happen," replied Ziggy.

"Naturally," the Admiral sighed. "I think we should take a breather. C’mon, Sammy Jo, I’ll buy you a coffee."

Australia

Once on the road, there was still no conversation, so Leaper Sam, sitting in the passenger seat, turned on the radio and fell upon Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) by Glass Tiger. He listened for a few seconds and when the chorus began, he shut the radio off, feeling as if the song was highlighting the fact that he had forgotten his wife of almost seventeen years. 

Doctor Markson turned it back on and switched to a classical music channel. "I love Beethoven," she stated in a vain attempt to start up some chatter as Für Elise began to play. Donna only gave her a wan smile from the back seat and the silence remained until they reached the Ministry building.

"Give Gwen and James my love, Sean," Doctor Markson told Sam as she entered the building. He responded with a nod and the three waved good-bye to her, then they proceeded to the Alstersons’ beige van. Sam began driving and a sudden realization hit him: He did not know where Gwen’s parents lived. He pulled off into a petrol station and got out what looked like Sean’s personal planner. When his younger self and wife asked him what was going on, Sam replied by saying, "In all the confusion I’ve forgotten where to go." They chuckled a bit to try to lighten the mood, and Sam found the address of Donald and Susan Mallin, with 'Gwen’s parents' scrawled beside it. "Where the heck is Geelong?" Sam wondered silently as he pulled out a road map of southern Australia. With the help of Donna, who seemed to have extensive knowledge of the country, they navigated the highways and country roads to Geelong, and arrived at the Mallin residence filled with much anxiety and stress. The close interaction from Donna's acting as navigator was both distracting and distressful for Leaper Sam. All the while, he longed to hold her.

The three disembarked from the mini-van and approached the front stoop, only to have James blast open the door in happiness that his father finally arrived. His wide smile dissipated when he could hardly believe what his eyes were showing him: Two versions of Doctor Samuel Beckett standing right beside each other! "MOMMY!" he screamed in fear, running back inside.

A woman, who looked like an older, skinnier Gwen came to the door, appearing very bothered. "What in bloody blazes did you do to ’im?" she asked of Leaper Sam in a volume a bit louder than he expected. 

He shook his head and approached the porch before replying, "Nothing. I don’t know what set him off." His younger self and Donna cautiously followed in his footfalls.

"Eh?" the woman whom Sam assumed to be Susan said. "Speak up, Sean. You know m’ ’earing isn’t good."

Sam huffed and tried again. "We didn’t do anything, he just screamed and ran into the house," he repeated in a loud voice at the bottom of the steps and ascended the stairs. Susan looked at him eye-to-eye and replied, "Oh, I see. Well isn’t that a strange thing for m’ little grandson to do." She gave Sean a half grin as she adjusted her small spectacles. "I ’ope the ’ouse isn’t too badly damaged. From what Gwen said most of it is salvageable." She reached out her hand to take Sam’s. 

Her skin was very dry to the touch, but Sam found comfort with her despite her loudness and the blameful interrogation. "Yeah, but we’re not sure what we lost," he half-whispered, thinking about the computer console that started the inferno.

"There you go again! What did you say?" the wrinkled woman asked with annoyance. 

Sam had no chance to reply since Gwen appeared behind her. "Oh, Mumsy, go easy on Sean," she said sadly as she placed a loving hand on her mother’s shoulders from behind. "Now what ’appened to James?"

Sam glanced from Susan to Gwen. "Don’t know, he just sorta freaked out," he replied. "I guess somebody should go talk to him."

"Well, I think you’ve certainly done enough today," stated Susan with spite. "The poor boy’s traumatized from the fire, of course he’s going ta act strange."

Gwen let out a huge breath of exasperation of her mother’s harsh inquiries. "Mumsy, Sean saved our lives. I don’t know ’ow ’e managed to wake up, but ’e got us all out before we burned to death. You don’t want to chew ’im out in front o’ ’is friends, do you?"

"Friends?" she questioned, then looked down to the bottom of the veranda steps. "Oh, my, I didn’t even see you there. Well, come on in. Who are you people anyway?" she asked young Sam and Donna with a bit of unintentional rudeness.

Just as Donna Elesee stepped on the lowest step, a mere foot or so behind her husband, she felt a strange tingling through her body that seemed to start in her abdomen and spread quickly to all her extremities. She felt herself pause, and she blinked as the back of her husband suddenly went out of focus. Almost instantly, all she could see was a reddish, glowing light, and the friendly sounds of the people around her disappeared in a blast of static.

When she could orient herself again, managing somehow to stay of her feet, she felt cold and naked. Looking down, she saw that her clothes were gone, and she was now wearing a black, skin-tight body suit. She immediately covered her chest with her arms, and her head snapped up to take in her surroundings. She was in a small room with a reflective, bed-length table in the center. Every surface was the color of sterile white: The walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the table except for the mirrored top that Donna instinctively stayed away from for the time being.

She noticed what looked like a control panel beside the door and attempted to use it. The display requested a pass code, something Donna did not have. "Where am I?" she mused aloud, examining the room and spotting a tiny camera above the doorway. Frightened as she may be, she looked into the lens for a moment before taking another scan around the white room. "W - where am I?" she repeated with a stutter.

"Welcome to my project, Doctor," a silky male voice sounded, coming from all around and startling Donna. She took a few steps back from the door and bumped into the table.

"Who – who are you?" Donna demanded, fighting to keep a calm demeanor.

"You have no need to know that. With luck, you will not be here for long," the voice continued. "Somebody will be with you shortly." When there was no more, Donna waited in expectation of this "somebody".

A few minutes passed and she decided to take a seat on the table and examine her new environs once again. When her gaze finally came to look down on the tabletop, she gasped loud. 

It was not Donna Elesee staring back at her. The face she saw was that of a stranger; a young woman with flowing purple hair and sky blue eyes. Donna gasped in surprise, and a shiver ran down her spine. Swallowing hard, she looked into the camera again. "What the Hell’s going on here?" she demanded with newfound courage. 

In response, the voice spoke again, this time with a hostile tone. "I told you before, that is not for you to know. Now be silent or you will have to endure the consequences."

"No! Tell me what kind of trick this is and let me out of here!" she demanded, deciding to stand tough and defend herself.

"This is no trick, Doctor Elesee, this is reality. However, when you return, things will not be as they were," the voice laughed. The laughter grew until it filled the room, so loud that it made Donna cover her ears. 

Suddenly, as if somebody flipped a switch, the maniacal laughing ceased and the white door opened, revealing a young-looking, willowy woman. She took two steps into the room and looked directly into Donna’s eyes. After a moment of assessing each other coldly, the woman pulled a handlink out of her pocket. With a press of a few buttons, her eyes widened and she said to Donna, "So, you’re Beckett’s wife?" The surprised expression turned to one of devious pleasure as she whispered, "Delicious."

 To be continued...