Numerous Complex Ideas.

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Nick Michalak

Guest
Well, there's one trilogy story I started writing in the early days of the Virtual Seasons. Three stories with three different leapers in each. It's laid dormant, more or less, for a couple of years now, and I doubt I'll ever finish even the first chapter of the trilogy (entitled 'Shades of Gray I: Scales Unbalanced'). Basically, Sam leaps into an F.B.I. Agent in October, 1983 Oregon. He and his partner, Agent James Owens, have been working the case of a string of brutal murders that are only linked by the fact that they have all been committed within a vast forest preserve. Sam takes notice of Owens' strange and erradic behavior while trying to unravel this case which never had a single suspect. Eventually, Sam discovers that his partner is actually another Leaper named Jack, but he's not at all evil. Nor is he part of another PQL-like project. Jack is very vague about the origins of his leaping, but says that he's dedicated to putting the wrong things right in the world. Ultimately, the two discover that the one behind these murders is an Evil Leaper that Jack has crossed paths with before (and will again). The second installment (Shades of Gray II: Time And Time Again) has only the opening scene with Jack leaping out of 1983 Oregon into a private detective who gets rouged up by the Chief of Police in the Chief's office (plays out kinda funny, truly QUANTUM LEAP-like).

Originally, Jack was to be an 'equalizer leaper,' but I realized how ridiculous such an idea is. A leaper doing both good and evil to strike a balance between the two just sounds like a go-nowhere idea. But that idea explains the 'Shades of Gray' title as things would not be as black and white as Good Leapers and Evil Leapers. Jack would eventually be pitted against Sam in one leap on the side of evil, and be pitted against both Sam and the Evil Leaper in another chapter. Somewhat interesting, but a real complicated mess to sort out. Instead, Jack now has more of a link to who and what Stawpah was in "Mirror Image" than as a leaper part of a science experiment. Straight forward? Jack, a split second before his death by gunshot, was given the chance for redemption by a higher power by righting wrongs within his own lifetime - he accepted. He has an actual guardian angel guiding and accompanying him on his journeys. Jack also leaps in an aura of pure white light.

Some very interesting and complex ideas, but they pale in comparison to the new pair of stories I'm developing. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get through the submission process. They are heavy on the paranormal and supernatural than anything ever explored in QUANTUM LEAP, and it's very deadly serious stuff. Think of a deeply, deadly serious episode of ANGEL, and you'll get what I'm focused on. Plus, Sam gets the closest he's ever been to direct answers regarding GFTW, and they aren't all very rosey. Simply put, it would have deeply impactful and irreparable implications on everything QL if it was allowed as part of the Virtual Seasons. Showing that there are much larger forces in existence in the world than what we've known in QL up to this point.

Whatever the case, I have the whole summer to work on these two new stories, and I know I can churn them out if I stay dedicated, determined, and focused on them. Sure, they're going to be far-fetched, and stand a difficult chance of being accepted into the Virtual Seasons, but they'll be extremely intriguing stories involving characters and storylines, totally independent of QL, I've been developing for a very long time.

-NJM
 
It actually sounds much more thought out than what some other people posted for their ideas. Unfortunately, I think I already sort of beat you to it.

I've already created a new character named Maxwell Connors who is designated as a "Rogue Leaper." He is neither good nor evil. The best way to describe him is a time-traveler who is against time-travel. He's devoted to restoring history back to the way it was BEFORE Sam or the evil leapers changed it (sort of like a self-appointed "time-cop"). Think of him as the stereotypical scientist: he does not believe in a higher power, such as God, and sees Sam's acts as a greater danger to the timeline. In essence, he is a wild card that will have a huge impact on ALL of the leapers.

So far, I've only written the initial 2-part story that introduced Dr. Connors, "Second Genesis," which takes him and Sam back to the pilot episode, almost creating a time paradox in the process. My plan was to bring Connors back a few more times next season, leading into a major shake-up that would last for a short while. (When I first conceived the idea, I envisioned it as a multi-episode arc with a specific cliffhanger and conclusion.)

Also, Brian Greene wrote a 3-part follow-up to "Mirror Image" last year called "Mirror Expression," in which Sam leaps back to Al's Place and finds out more about the Bartender, the truth behind the "dead" leapers, the reasons for Sam leaping, etc.

Your ideas sound very interesting though. Even if they might not "fit in" with TVS continuity, you should still try to write them. I would suggest peeking at the season summaries to get a good idea of what kinds of stories have already been done. Out of the more recent stories from the past year, I would recommend:

"The Final Solution, Parts I & II"
"Eeny Meany Miny Mo, Parts I & II"
"Second Genesis, Parts I & II"
"Guinea Pig, Parts I & II"
"Four Minute's Warning, Parts I & II"
"Leap to the Rescue, Parts I ? III"
"Lifetime: Future's End"
"Lifetime: Past's Prologue"

Those should get you up-to-date on recent developments and changes concerning the plotlines. Hope that helps! :)
 
Even if it doesn't quite "fit in" with the continuity of TVS, we could also place it on the alternate stories part. That's not a problem. :)

I'll have to go back and re-read your post. Lately, it seems that everything is meshing together and my brain isn't functioning first thing in the mornings any more....

Thanks,
MJ
 
I can't believe it was four years ago I posted this here. Five years before that, I started writing this story. Well, I'm back at it now. Though, screenwriting has been my chosen writing form since late 1999, and so, I've gone to adapting it into a script. It's just what's most familiar to me, and best fits my current style of writing.

Sorry to see TVS is on indefinite hiatus as I would've hoped to see this as part of the continuity, maybe with someone adapting it to a standard narrative short story format. I'm basically writing it as a standard hour-long television episode with act breaks and such.

In 'Shades of Gray II,' Jack Seaver leaps into a private detective in 1975 who has to save a young lady from an abusive, older boyfriend. It's vaguely inspired by what happened to the girlfriend of my now estranged best friend, before they met each other. Again, things are complicated further when the unnamed Evil Leaper leaps into the boyfriend, intent on killing her. Sam coincidentally leaps into the same time and place, but for a completely unrelated reason. And it is only by coincidence that Jack & Sam get involved in each other's leaps.

The third and final part is meant to have all three men leap into the Mojave Desert during a blistering hot August in 1970. Sam & Jack go along separate paths, not knowing where they are meant to end up. Though, Jack is there, partly, to save a lost and lonely woman from committing suicide. The rest is uncertain at this time. I have a few ideas in mind, but I'm not sure which way to go with them right now. Still, it'll be some time before I start writing this one anyway. Despite anything going on with TVS, I'll gladly make them available for any and all Quantum Leap fans that are interested. Hopefully, I can stay on top of it all, but lately, QL is all I've spent my free time thinking about. Wish me luck.

-NJM
 
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