Quantum Leap: The Master and Doctor Beckett
"Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished.
He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so, Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."
Sam Beckett felt the familiar feeling of leaping like he usually did. He had put right what once went wrong countless times and was never thanked, but then again a hero isn't looking for gratitude, just the satisfaction of a job well done was good enough for him. Sam felt the world materialize around him. He saw an odd looking room. It had a console in the middle of it. He looked down and saw what he was wearing, a low-cut white blouse with a pattern on it, a pair of high-waisted pink shorts and a pair of white flats.
"Great, I must be on one of those science fiction shows, like Captain Galaxy and Future Boy... With a lower budget. Oh boy." Sam said, digging in his pocket and found a mirror. He looked at his host's face intently. She was a pretty girl, probably about college age.
"Hubba, hubba! Who's the girl?" a voice asked. Sam turned around to see Al Calavicci, his holographic companion.
"Me!" Sam said. "Or at least who I've leaped into."
"Actually, her name is Perpugilliam Brown. Peri for short." Al said. "And here's the crazy part, she disappeared from her home in the 1980's. But that's not what we're here to change!"
"Then what are we here to change?" Sam asked.
"Ziggy's not sure yet. All we know is that you're not on Earth right now." Al replied.
"Not on Earth? How is that possible?" Sam asked.
"Not sure. Might have something to do with this place." Al replied.
"That reminds me, where is this?" Sam asked.
"Not sure. Though when the girl showed up in the waiting room, she started to shout for the TARDIS, whatever that is." Al replied.
"TARDIS, is that an acronym for something?" Sam asked.
"Well, whatever it is, we can't get anything on it. We're sending out to other government agencies for information. We've already gotten a response from the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce." Al said. "Apparently they know about it, but they're not letting us know what it is! Damn bureaucracy!"
Suddenly, a door opened and a young man, younger than Sam was, walked out, he was dressed in a cricket outfit, and had medium length blonde hair. He smiled when he saw Sam.
"Ah, Peri!" he said. "You're dressed! Good, let's go find ourselves an adventure!"
"Right," Sam said.
"Sam! Ziggy got a lock on this guy! We have one record, from... 1925! This guy's a doctor, Dr. John Smith and he played in a cricket match, guess that explains the weird looking suit." Al said.
"You're one to talk." Sam muttered under his breath.
"Peri, you're unusually quiet today. Are you feeling all right?" the man, the Doctor, asked.
"I'm fine, Doctor. Just thinking to myself." Sam said.
"Great! So where to? Past, present, future? A distant planet? Where do you want to see?" The Doctor asked.
"Distant planet?" Sam replied.
"Distant planet it is, that is if the TARDIS gets us there all right." The Doctor said.
"Oh yeah, the good old TARDIS." Sam said.
"Good description of the old girl. She really is wonderful." The Doctor said. "Anyway, let's go find ourselves a distant planet!"
"Sam! You've gotta get some info about this guy, and I'm going to go check on any messages from UNIT." Al said.
Al left the imaging chamber and out into the control room.
"Gooshie! Any info yet?" Al asked.
"You... could say that, Admiral." Gooshie replied, revealing a man behind him, in full military uniform.
"Hello there." the man, who had a mustache and proper English accent.
"Hi, Admiral Albert Calavicci." Al said, putting the handlink down.
"Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart." the man said. "I hear that you've had a confirmed sighting of my old scientific advisor."
"Oh yeah, that doctor guy." Al said. "Dr. Beckett is with him."
"Doctor who?" The Brigadier asked.
"Sam Beckett. Head of Project Quantum Leap." Al said.
"Anyway, tell us what you do here at Project Quantum Leap." The Brigadier said.
"Where do I start?" Al started.
Sam walked around the console room of the TARDIS and watched The Doctor as he operated the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled as the TARDIS made a strange "Vworp" sound.
"Well, here we are Peri!" The Doctor said.
"Where is here, Doctor?" Sam asked.
"The distant planet of Uwdrion!" The Doctor shouted. "It's a mega-store planet, even bigger than the Maldovar Market."
"Maldovar Market?" Sam asked.
"I'll have to take you there one day, but let's go look around!" The Doctor replied.
"Uh, sure Doctor." Sam said.
They walked out of the doors, and Sam turned around to see a blue box, with the console room inside of it.
"Wow." Sam said.
"This place is wonderful, isn't it?" The Doctor asked.
"Yeah, this planet's pretty amazing." Sam replied.
"Take a look around, Peri! I'm going to check something in the TARDIS." The Doctor said.
"Okay, Doctor. Shouldn't be too hard to remember where we parked. No one else has a space traveling blue box, after all." Sam said.
"That is correct, Peri." The Doctor said, returning to the box.
"I guess I can look around and hope Al shows up again..." Sam muttered to himself as he walked away from the box and towards the stores. He didn't notice a man with a beard watching him as he walked away.
"Oh, Doctor. You shouldn't have left your companion alone. My dear Perpugilliam Brown, you will soon be my prisoner." the man said. "Disobeying me was foolish. Soon, the only one shouting will be me."
Sam walked around, looking at the signs, for places like, Stone's Armory, and Joraek's Capacitors, and saw a clothing store. He rifled through the rack idly and looked around for Al. A man's arm grabbed him and something was being pressed against his head.
"Don't struggle. Come with me, girl." the man said, dragging Sam into what appeared to be a changing room.
As they stepped in, Sam saw that the room was much bigger, resembling a darker version of The Doctor's ship. The man threw him to the ground.
"What's the big idea?" Sam asked.
"Don't act stupid, Peri! I know you remember me, I'm not in the wrong part of your timestream." the man said. "I am The Master! And you will not defy me again!"
"Well, if you're The Master then where's The Commander?" Sam quipped.
"Don't smart mouth me." The Master said.
"You're not the boss of me!" Sam said, standing up. The Master took out the thing that he had pressed to Sam's head and shot him with it, causing Sam to fall into unconsciousness.
Al stepped into the Imaging Chamber and the world materialized around him. He saw Sam, lying unconscious and tied up in a corner of The Master's control room.
"Sam! Wake up!" Al shouted.
"No, Mom. I don't want to go to school." Sam said.
"I'm not your mother, Sam! And you need to wake up!" Al shouted.
"Al? Al! What happened?" Sam asked.
"I don't know, I just got here! But Ziggy knows why you leaped, thanks to interfacing with UNIT's information with the help of one of their top brass." Al replied.
"Why am I here?" Sam asked.
"Ziggy says that there is a 98.7% chance that you are here to stop The Doctor and Peri from being murdered." Al replied.
"Murdered?" Sam asked.
"Murdered, but Ziggy doesn't know by who." Al replied.
"I think I have an idea." Sam said, struggling in the ropes. "The guy who tied me up, called himself The Master."
"Gooshie! Ask Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart about this Master guy." Al shouted. "Now you, Sam, have to get out of those ropes."
"How do I do that?" Sam asked.
"Uh... Oh! I've got it! Try that console, it looks like it may have a sharp edge." Al replied.
"Good idea." Sam said, standing up and rubbing the ropes against the console.
"It's not working, Sam." Al said.
"I know that." Sam said.
"Oh! Ziggy's got some information on that Master guy." Al said, tapping at the handlink. "According to Lethbridge Stewart, he's the same species as The Doctor, and is his arch-nemesis. He's always trying to kill The Doctor, but The Doctor always wins."
"Good, so he'll come untie me then."
"No, there's something weird going on, Ziggy's history keeps changing. Apparently, since The Doctor and The Master both have time machines, this event is in constant flux. We don't know how it happens, because the history isn't set in stone."
"Stone, that's it!"
"Stone?"
"I saw a store named Stone's, that looked like a weapons store! They'd have a blade to cut this with!"
"That's great! How do we open the door?"
"Uh... Does that Brigadier guy know?"
"I don't know, Gooshie!" Al shouted tapping the handlink. "Ask Lethbridge Stewart how to open the door to the time machine!"
"Well?" Sam asked.
"That lever over there, the one with the red ball on the top." AL replied.
"Great!" Sam said, pushing the lever with his tied arms. The door opened.
"Go, Sam! Go!" Al shouted, as Sam ran out the door. He ran out of the store, running into The Doctor.
"Peri! There you are!" The Doctor said.
"Doctor! The Master is here!" Sam shouted.
"I know. Where's his TARDIS?"
"In that changing room."
"Be right back."
The Doctor ran to the changing room and returned after a few minutes, grinning with his hands in his pocket.
"Well, he won't be a problem, I've already seen the end of this fight. Problem with being a time traveler, doing things in reverse." The Doctor said.
"But he's going to murder you! He told me he was!" Sam said.
"Come on, Peri! I've fought him before, I think I know what I'm doing." The Doctor said, as they walked back towards the TARDIS.
"Doctor! You're not leaving so quickly." The Master said, hopping out from behind a trashcan.
"Stay back, Master." The Doctor said, holding his hand out.
"One more step and I shoot, and you and your companion are dead where you stand!" The Master shouted.
"Sam! This is it, this is the defining event!" Al shouted.
"Don't come near us!" Sam shouted.
"Miss Brown, don't interefere. You may regret it." The Master said.
"I think you'll regret this!" Sam shouted, kicking the Master in the face. The Master winced in pain. Sam punched him in the face. The Master fell back, and hit the ground.
"TARDIS, now!" The Doctor shouted, as they ran towards the TARDIS. "A little bit harsh, don't you think?"
"It was that or death, and I think I chose wisely." Sam said.
The two reached the TARDIS and walked inside. The Doctor got to the console and closed the doors, hitting a few buttons and the "vworp" noise started up again.
"So, who are you?" The Doctor asked.
"Doctor, it's me, Peri!" Sam replied.
"No you're not. I've known since we landed." The Doctor said.
"Uh oh, Sam." Al said.
"The Master was an unwelcome addition, but the reason that I let you go off alone was to see what you'd do. But it seems that you're just impersonating Peri. Why?" The Doctor asked.
"Uh..." Sam started.
"I've got an idea." Al said, opening the door to the Imaging Chamber and running out.
"What's wrong, Admiral?" Gooshie asked.
"The Doctor knows that Sam isn't his companion. And things are about to go downstream fast." Al replied. "Brigadier, can you contact The Doctor?"
"That Doctor? Well, it may be tough, but I've done it before. Give me time to contact UNIT back in London." The Brigadier said.
"Well, do it fast!" Al said.
Sam stood in the TARDIS as The Doctor stared at him intently. The Doctor pulled a few levers on the console.
"Who are you?" The Doctor asked.
"I'm... Uh... Oh boy." Sam started, when a beeping interrupted him.
"The space-time telegraph, looks like the Brig needs to see me." The Doctor said, turning knobs and pressing buttons on the console and it began to land, making the "vworp"noise once again. "I'll deal with you later."
The Doctor began to walk out of the TARDIS, walking into the Quantum Leap Laboratory. The Brigadier walked up to him.
"Brigadier, what a nice surprise. What do you need?" The Doctor asked.
"Well, it appears I can explain who is impersonating your friend." The Brigadier replied. "Or rather, he can."
"Hi, I'm Al. And welcome to Project Quantum Leap. This is our head programmer, Gooshie, and our head computer expert, Tina." Al said. "And inside that box of yours, is the head of the Project, Dr. Sam Beckett."
"So it's your friend who's impersonating Peri." The Doctor said.
"Yeah. It is. And we want to ensure that you know we mean no harm." Al said. "Dr. Beckett, who is inhabiting your friend in order to put right what once went wrong. And once he's done, he'll leap out of your friend."
"So Peri is in no danger, then?" The Doctor asked.
"Absolutely no danger. Can we speak to Dr. Beckett?" Al asked.
"Of course, Dr. Beckett! You can come out of the TARDIS!" The Doctor shouted.
"You know my name?" Sam asked.
"Everyone here does, Sam!" Al shouted.
"Al!" Sam shouted. "Oh is this place a sight for sore eyes? Gooshie! Tina! How are you guys?"
"Nice to see you again, Dr. Beckett. Well, not see you exactly, because you don't look like you." Gooshie said.
"That's a cute top, Dr. Beckett." Tina said.
"Thanks, Tina." Sam said. "Al, why haven't I leaped?"
"Well, I don't know. Ziggy?" Al asked.
"Dr. Beckett hasn't leaped because his mission parameter has changed. I can predict his mission with a 96% accuracy." Ziggy replied.
"What is it, Ziggy?" Al asked.
"Dr. Beckett's mission is to lead The Doctor to the retrieval program in my main console." Ziggy replied.
"I'm coming home?" Sam asked.
"If I can fix the program." The Doctor said. "Let me take a look at it."
The Doctor crouched next to Ziggy and started to scan Ziggy's computer console.
"Ah! I see the issue, a microchip was malfunctioning. I've fixed it." The Doctor said.
"So we can save Sam?" Al asked.
"Yes, but I'd suggest waiting until we left, to activate it." The Doctor said.
"See you soon, Al." Sam said, walking back into the TARDIS.
"See you later, Brigadier." The Doctor said. "We'll meet again."
"I have no doubt in that." The Brigadier said.
"Goodbye, everyone." The Doctor said, stepping back into the TARDIS.
The TARDIS dematerialized, making the "vworp" sound, and Al put his hand on Ziggy's console.
"Activate the retrieval program!" Al shouted.
Sam and The Doctor stood in the TARDIS, as the blue light began to engulf Sam and he felt the feeling of leaping.
"Goodbye, Dr. Beckett. And good luck." The Doctor said.
Sam leapt out and Peri was returned to her proper place in space and time.
"Peri, are you alright?" The Doctor asked.
"I think so, Doctor. Can we go somewhere simple?" Peri asked.
"Of course, how about Androzani Minor, that planet has sand. Sand is simple, right?" The Doctor asked, setting the course.
Sam Beckett awoke in a bed. He jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom, looking in the mirror, seeing a face, one that he hadn't seen for the better part of four years.
"I'm home!" Sam shouted. "It's my face in the mirror!"
"Uh, not quite Sam." Al said.
"What are you talking about, look! I'm me! I look older than I thought I'd look, but hey, I'm home!" Sam said.
"Sam, you aren't home. In fact, you're the farthest you've ever been from home." Al said.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"Well, you're actually," Al started to reply, when a chime went off.
Sam walked to the door and a woman with pointy ears and a bowlcut walked into the room.
"Captain, you're presence is needed on the bridge." the woman said.
"Right." Sam said, and walked towards the door.
"Perhaps you'd like to put on a uniform first, sir?" the woman said. "I do not believe that it's Starfleet regulation to go onto duty in your pajamas."
"It's not, uh... Commander." Sam said, spying her rank insignia.
"Sam, do you want to know what year it is?" Al asked.
"What year is it?" Sam asked.
"2161!" Al and T'Pol said at the same time.
"Oh, boy." Sam said.
The End...
(But maybe I'll write that Enterprise story)