A MESSAGE THROUGH TIME PART 3
BY JAN
"Why are we here?" asked Janine has she, Jackie and Sam left the airport in Florida.
"I just thought it would be a....nice...trip." replied Sam.
"Pretty long trip, Uncle." huffed Janine. "What I don't understand why you brought Jackie with us?"
"I'm not with you." said Jackie. "I'm just on my hols to. I thought I'd travel with you."
Janine didn't buy that answer. "Fine. OK. Sure. Whatever."
Sam and Jackie ignored the sciatic teenager for the rest of the journey. They were heading for Jackie's Grandmother's house.
"Jackie-Leigh, sweetheart how are you?" asked Jackie's Grandmother.
"Fine Gran." Jackie took hold of Janine's hand. "I've got someone to meet you. Do you remember Lizzy?"
Gran smiled. "You mean the girl with the cat's eyes?"
Jackie laughed. "Yes Gran. Well, this is her daughter Janine."
"Oh!" cried Gran. She give the young woman a hug.
"Nice to meet you." was all that the young woman could speak.
Gran then spotted Sam. "Who is this young man?"
"This is my Uncle Jonathan." spoke Janine.
"Gran, I need to ask you a favor. Could Janine stay at your house until we return. We've got some business to sort out."
"Where are you going?" asked Gran.
"Albuquerque." replied Jackie.
"New Mexico?" asked Gran then shrugged. "Do you have a number incase of emergencies?"
Jackie looked around the room. "Well you see Gran, we don't know here we're going to be staying yet. But we'll let you know."
"It would be a pleasure to have this nice young woman around the house." smiled Gran.
Janine began to get worried. "I can't understand her." she whispered in to Sam's ear.
Sam just laughed. He spent the last couple of days trying to understand her. But now it was her who was have the trouble understanding.
"Oh!" cried Janine. "Thanks for the understanding support."
"If I go on another plane I'm going to scream. I'm just fed up of it." said Jackie.
"It doesn't matter now we're here." said Sam.
"Thank goodness!" said Jackie. "Now, we're suppose to meet them at the hotel lobby in one hour. So we don't have long."
It took Jackie and Sam forty minutes to get to the hotel they were to meet the security staff.
"I must tell you Sam, that I've got butterflies in my stomach. I hope this goes well."
After twenty minutes of waiting, two men walked towards them.
"Dr. Marie Hill?" asked one of the men.
"Yes," said Jackie. "I am Marie Hill. This is my assistant Mr. Summers."
Jackie got out some papers and handed them to the two men.
Sam give a confirming nod.
"Ma'am, we are to escort you to Stallions Gate." said the second man.
Jackie give them both a professional face. "I understand, we will depart now if you don't mind."
Over hills, through dusty roads and underneath the hot sun. Jackie and Sam were beginning to get very nervous. They pulled up outside of a mountain with what looked to be a cabin.
Jackie and Sam got out of the car with the two security men following them. The two men walked in front of them and opened the door for them with there swipe cards. All four of them entered.
"If you would step this way." said the first man. "This is just to check that you haven't brought any explosives with you. This is just routine."
Both Sam and Jackie were checked through. Then they were putting into the elevator and sent underneath the ground.
"If you would both wait in here for a minute, I'm sure the Admiral won't be long.
The door shut with a bang behind them. Both Sam and Jackie were nervous.
"I can't believe I'm here." whispered Jackie.
"Neither can I." agreed Sam.
The door then slid open again. A young man entered.
"I'm sorry that we kept you waiting. We had to check that you are who you say you are."
"We understand. Don't we Jonathan?" smiled Jackie.
Sam nodded.
"Thank you." said the short man. The man looked like he was part of security. "Would you please follow me. Admiral Calavicci would like to see you."
"Of course." said Jackie.
All of them were silent as they made their way to Al's office. Sam's eyes where darting all over the place as in remembering everything again.. His fondest dream had come true.
Finally they arrived at Al's office.
The young man knocked on the door.
"Enter." said a familiar voice.
All three of them entered. The man had his back to them.
"Sir." The young man cleared his throat. "This is Dr. Hill and her assistant."
The man turned around and faced them.
Sam became very lightheaded.
Al smiled at them. "OK, you may go now." He said to the young man.
The man left.
Al kept his smile. "Dr. Hill it's very nice to meet you. I'm Admiral Albert Calavicci."
Jackie smiled. "Dr. Marie Hill." She then gestured to Sam. "This is my assistant Jonathan Summers."
Al shook his hand. Sam's face began to get very white.
"Is Mr. Summers OK? He looks like he's going to faint."
Jackie looked over to Sam. "Well, Admiral. Mr. Summers and I have been traveling all day. I suspect he is very tired."
Al looked concerned. "Are you sure we shouldn't have our doctor take a look at him?"
"No need for that Admiral." Sam said slowly.
Jackie sighed with relief. "Glad to see you're back in the land of the living, Jonathan." she whispered into Sam's ear.
Al began to look strangely at Sam/Jonathan. "Have we met before?"
Sam shrugged. "Maybe we have. I've traveled around the world until my brother died."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Well, you are both here to help with the retrieval program. I've read that you are very good in solving problems with programs, Dr. Hill?"
Jackie nodded. "That is correct Admiral."
"Good. Do you object in starting work tonight?"
Both Sam and Jackie shook their heads.
"Good."
"What happened to you in there?" asked Jackie.
"I'm sorry Jackie but it was the first time in thirteen years that I could shake my best friend's hand."
The imaging chamber opened. Al stuck his head out, saw that they were alone and pulled his entire body out.
"Is Jackie here?" asked Al to Sam.
"Yes over here Al."
Al walked over to her and pretended to sit next to her.
"There was something I remember you saying about the retrieval program about their being too much power. If that helps."
Jackie looked thoughtful. "It would be like a yo-yo effect. If you put too much power into the program, there must be somewhere for the power to go. The power that is left pushes the program into reversal and looks like it wouldn't work."
"But the extra power is needed." added Sam. "Without it the program would be useless anyway.
"I'd need to see the designs and program variable lists to see if there is away around it."
"What if there isn't?" asked Al.
"Al, there isn't a program that I've seen that can't be by-passed."
"You haven't seen the program." whispered Al.
"Well if you thought that then why did you ask for my help?" snapped Jackie.
"I'm not doubting your abilities....." began Al.
Jackie took a deep breath to calm down. "Look, Al. I'll try. I will honestly try my best."
Al nodded silently.
"Right," began Jackie. "First things first. I need to see the variables to see if there is any power that can be cut off."
The night was very long. Neither going to sleep until the problem was found.
Sam nudged Jackie.
"Umm?" she replied without looking up.
"Are you a Leaper?"
The question made Jackie freeze. "What makes you say that?"
"Your knowledge. Your understanding. But you haven't answered my question."
Jackie looked Sam in the eye. "No." She then looked back at her work. "No Sam. I'm not a Leaper. I just hope that one day we will learn from our mistakes."
Sam smiled and nodded.
Jackie began to grin. "YES!!!" she screamed.
Sam fell off his seat. "What???!!" asked Sam. "What is it?"
"I've found the place where I originally found the problem. I can't believe that
I found it so quickly. But there it is in black and white."
Sam began to look at it. Then they both looked at each other and give each other a hug and started to laugh.
The imaging chamber door opened very quickly and Al popped his head out of the door.
"How's the work coming on?" asked Al.
"Al!" cried Sam. "I'm glad you're here we've got great news. But I'll let Jackie tell you."
"Hiya Al!" smiled Jackie. "We've found away into sending Sam home using this accelerator."
Al listened for a hour. Every detail, every move of the eye. Copying the information on to the handlink.
"That's great." said Al but then the handlink screamed.
"What is it?" asked Sam.
Al shook his head. "Ziggy's sulking. She doesn't understand why she did have
the idea.
Sam started to laugh. "Tell her it's OK and not to be down."
Al sent the line to Ziggy, then Al smiled.
"She says Thank you."
Jackie walked up to the men. "I think it's time to get this show on the road!"
Al ran down the ramp at a seventy mile speed. "Gushie how long will it take to feed the new programs into Ziggy?"
"Not long Admiral. Maybe a couple of hours."
"That's perfect. Tell me when you are done."
Jackie was given a wrist link to Ziggy. "Ziggy?"
"Yes Dr. Hill. What can I do for you?"
"Can you tell Admiral Calavicci to meet us in the office?"
"Yes Doctor...................................................
(Five minutes later....)
"Yes, Dr. Hill. You wanted to see me about something?"
Jackie smiled. "Yes. Jonathan and I need to work on the accelerator it's self."
Al looked a bit edgy. "I'm sure if that would be possible."
Jackie smiled even more. "It would help with my programming for a sub-retrieval program. It would be a great help."
Al couldn't resist Jackie-Leigh's beautiful smile. "OK, but only this once. After you must tell me what you found out."
Jackie nodded. "Of course."
Sam and Jackie entered the control room.
"Phew, Gushie's not here. That message should keep him bissy for a while."
Sam was shocked. "You must of put something in that message that was appealing. As I remember Gushie rarely leaves his post."
"It had the right things in don't worry." smiled Jackie.
"Right we must disconnect the signal to Ziggy that tells her that the accelerator as been activated. Otherwise she'll tell everyone and we'll have an even bigger problem on our hands."
"I agree." said Jackie.
Sam typed in a code. "Deactivated."
"Right," said Sam. "We've got three minutes until Ziggy will be back and she'll be angry. But in two minutes the future accelerator will be ready. I better get ready."
Jackie nodded her head slightly, with a brief smile.
Sam turned to Jackie. "I'm deeply in your debt. I cannot thank you enough. I will never for get you."
Jackie smiled again. "I know. I'm just glad to help you. I believe that I was put on this earth to help people."
Jackie and Sam smiled at each other. Jackie broke the lock.
Jackie looked down at the console. "It's ready."
"Jackie," started Sam.
Jackie looked up at him. "Go!" she cried.
Sam ran into the accelerator and was engulfed by the blue and white light. As Sam disappeared another figure appeared. It was the real Jonathan Summers. He collapsed on the floor.
"Everything is going to be fine." whispered Jackie into Jonathan's ear. "Good luck, Sam."
Lights flickering.
Smoke.
Nobody about.
Fear.
These were not things that Sam remembered about control room.
"Al! Tina! Gushie!.....Donna!" Sam screamed Sam as memories came flooding back.
Sam ran out of the empty control room. He ran around the corner and officers ran past Sam with hoses putting out the fires. Sam moved past them.
"Sam?" screamed a woman. Sam looked down the corridor. It was Tina.
"Tina!" Sam ran towards her.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Tina, it's me. It's Sam."
Tina took a deep breath. "Is it really you?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes it is me. Where's Al, Gushie? Where's Donna?"
"They're in the infirmary. They got...." Tina took another deep breath. "I think
that you better come with me."
Tina led Sam through the corridors into the small infirmary. They pushed the doors open and ran in.
Inside was two nurses talking quietly to each other. They stopped when Sam and Tina ran in.
"Where are they?" Sam asked Tina.
"Dr. Beckett!" cried a small voice.
Sam followed the voice and saw Gushie.
"Gushie!"
Sure enough there was Gushie, Verbena and of course Donna. Sam embraced the all. He did then give Donna a longing hug and kiss.
Sam then remembered something. "Where's Al?"
Donna, Gushie, Tina and Verbena looked around nervously and sad.
"Al's been hurt." said Verbena.
Sam's eyes opened wide. "How bad?"
"We're not sure." Verbena replied. "He was near the control panel when it blow up. I was in the office with Donna. Tina was on her way there and Gushie was on the other side of the control room. He was the one who went for help."
At that moment the doors flew open. A young doctor came out.
"Dr. Ellesee?"
Sam and Donna turned around.
"Dr. Beckett!" the doctor exclaimed.
"How's Admiral Calavicci?" asked Sam.
"Well sir," flustered the shocked doctor. "It's not good."
"What are his chances?"
The doctor shook his head. "Dr. Beckett, Admiral Calavicci has got server
internal bleeding.
Sam started to shake.
He sighed. "The internal bleeding is in more than one place and we can't stop it. I'm sorry."
Sam gulped. "May I see him?"
"Of course." The Doctor lead Sam through the doors to where Al was laying.
Sam moved over to Al's bed and sat on the chair next to it.
"Al?"
Al's eye's opened slowly. Then blinked.
"Sam?"
Sam nodded and embraced him.
Al yelped in pain. He helped Al lay back down.
"Yvonne was right, you did return home."
Sam smiled. "I could of told you that."
Al looked at Sam. "The doctor told me what's happening to me. I know it's
not good"
Tears started to streak down Sam's face.
"Hey!" Al grunted. "Don't start."
"I can't help it." Sam whispered.
A tall blonde female nurse came over to the two men.
"Are you comfortable Admiral?"
Al give the young nurse an unhappy look. "Not really. Could you pull the
covers up for me I'm so tired.
"Of course." she moved forward put the cover in her hands and pulled it towards Al. At the same time the young nurse's chest came closer and closer to Al until she got the cover up.
"Is that better sir?"
Al smiled at her. "Thank you for making an old man very happy."
She smiled and walked away.
Sam giggled and shook his head. "You haven't changed abit."
"Why should I?" smiled Al. He then yelped again in pain.
"Try not to move." smoothed Sam. "You'll just make it worst."
"How can it get any worse?"
Sam ran his hand over his face. When he moved his hand away it was wet with tears.
"What did I just say?" Al closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I need you to be strong for me."
"But how can I continue without you?" Sam whispered.
"You'll find away, you're a survivor, just like I was."
"Am." corrected Sam.
Al cocked his head to look at Sam better.
"I want to say thank you for what you did for me when we were on the Starbright Project."
"No." protested Sam. "I should thank you for saving my life countless times. Also thank you for saving my brothers life."
Al smiled. "Glad to be of service." Al took a deep painful breath. "At least I got to say goodbye to my best friend Dr. Sam Beckett."
Tears kept rolling down Sam's face. "No! Al please don't leave me!"
Al began to look peaceful. "I'm glad you got home." The heart monitor slowly went to a line.
"Al!!!!!!!!" screamed Sam. "NO!!!!!!!!!!!"
The others heard Sam's screams and rushed in.
Donna gasped, Tina busted into tears, Gushie went white, Verbena froze and Sammy-Jo had tears running down her face.
Donna moved towards her husband. She put her hand on his shoulder. HE took hold of it stood up and hugged her. By now they were both crying.
Sammy-Jo moved towards them.
"Father, I'm so sorry about Al."
Sam opened his eyes. He looked at the young woman. He started to remember.
"Sammy-Jo?"
Sammy-Jo nodded and the hugged.
When they let go of each other they looked over to where Al laid peacefully.
It was three in the morning when Donna and Sam finally fell asleep.
All of a sudden an alarm went off. The emergency link to Ziggy went online.
Donna sighed. "What is it Ziggy?"
"There has been an unauthorized activation in the control room."
Donna turned over. "Let security handle it." Donna snugged up to Sam, but Sam was gone!
"Dr. Ellesee, it is Dr. Beckett who is the control room."
Donna jumped out of bed. "Tell the others to meet me there immediately!"
Donna ran towards the control room. When she saw a light in the room which they placed Al's body. Donna walked in very quietly.
"Sam?"
Sam stood there at the foot of Al's bed. Sam was dressed in his fermi suit.
"Sam?" she repeated. "What are you doing?"
"Telling Al I'm going to help him." replied Sam.
"Sam, Al is dead. There's nothing you can do about it."
Sam grinned. "Maybe there is. Al's only dead her in this present time.
"What do you mean?" asked Donna secretly knowing the answer.
"I'm going to leap!" and with that he walked briskly out and there was Gushie,
Tina Verbena and Sammy-Jo. He pushed past them.
Donna ran after him. "No! Sam! You can't do this to me again You cannot
leave me!"
Sam turned to face her. "Donna because of me my best friend is dead. How
am I to live with that? I was selfish and inpatient to get home at any cost." Sam give
her an determined look. "But I won't let that happen again." Sam ran into the control room and locked the door.
Sam looked around unsure of what to do next.
"Hello, doctor." said a female British accent.
Sam spun around and faced a woman with black hair and green emerald eyes.
"Who are you?" asked Sam
"I'm Dr. Melissa Hudderfield. You know my cousin Jackie-Leigh and my daughter Janine Summers."
Sam's mouth was wide open. "Have we met before?"
Melissa nodded. "Yes we have seven years ago to you. But to me nineteen years. It was on Jackie's twenty-third birthday."
Sam had a flash back. "Oh my goodness I do remember you!" he cried.
"I know but please just call me Ellen.
Sam blinked and moved closer.
"What are you doing here Ellen?"
"I'm here to help you save Admiral Calavicci." replied Ellen.
"But you're too late." said Sam. "He's dead."
"I know but I had to come here to find you."
"What do we have to do?" asked Sam.
"My time has told me that YOU asked me to help you."
"How did I do that?"
"I can't tell you that." said Ellen. "However what I can tell you is that we are
going to save him."
Ellen started to breath slowly, then grabbed Sam's hand and yelled "Leap us out!"
Before Sam could say anything, he found himself flying throught the sky.
He could feel the presence of someone holding his hand guiding him, but he couldn't see anyone.
He flew over trees, hills, mountains and buildings. He began to slow down. He started to circle a mountain. Sam recognized the mountain.. It was the mountain that Project Quantum Leap was under. He began to swoop down uncontrollably faster and
faster towards the mountain. Faster and faster until he hit the mountain with a bang.
Sam opened his eyes with a shudder.
"Nurse are you O.K?"
Sam turned to see Melissa.
"Yes, thank you."
Melissa smiled at him and touched his shoulder. "At last I've found you!"
"Ellen?" whispered Sam.
Ellen nodded. "I've been here for hours. I guess you've just arrived?"
Sam nodded.
Ellen then took hold of Sam's hand. "We've got until that they realize that your brainwaves are here. In my time they've put a special force field around your brainwaves ever so slightly that they won't realize you're here."
Ellen pulled Sam out of his and began to walk down the corridor.
"Right," began Ellen. "In five minutes Dr. Fuller will be here. She will have a sprayed ankle. You must tell her to stay there all afternoon."
"Why?" asked Sam.
"Because you must take her place and start shutting down the programs. You must also make sure that it appears to be broke and that it will not work, that the theory was wrong. Did you get all of that?"
Sam nodded.
Ellen and Sam quickly went back to the nurses station.
"Where are you going?" asked Sam as Ellen walked away.
"A meeting with all the staff. A meeting Admiral Calavicci requested." replied Ellen.
"But I thought you said, there wasn't much time?"
"I know but, everyone as to believe that I'm Melissa. If I don't turn up then people may have suspicions."
Sam agreed. Ellen went to the meeting.
"Nurse could you help me?" Sam turned around to see his long forgotten daughter. Tears threatened his eyes.
"Yes, Dr. Fuller." Sam helped her to a chair.
Sammy-Jo breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure went off from the pain.
"What happened to your ankle?" asked Sam, knowing the answer.
"I slipped in the corridor on my way back to the living quarters." replied Sammy-Jo.
Sam reached down to touch the swollen ankle.
"I don't think you've broken it. I think you've just sprained it. You'll have to stay here all of this afternoon. and rest that ankle.
"Bern, Isn't there anything you can do? I've really got to work today."
Bern? Thought Sam.
"I'm sorry Doctor. But that ankle needs rest."
Sammy-Jo nodded. Sam helped her to a bed.
"Try and get some rest." smiled Sam.
Sammy-Jo smiled. "Oh Bern! You'll need to tell the Admiral that I'm here."
Sam smiled. "Of course."
Sam walked out of the room and looked into a mirror. His host had medium length hair, which was very thin and dark. She had the eyes to match her dark hair. Quite a young woman. She was tall and had a very full figure.
Quite attractive thought Sam.
He then read his identification card. It read 'Ensign Bernadette Wales.'
Sam walked back to the nurses station to contact Ziggy
"Ziggy, where is Admiral Calavicci?"
"Admiral Calavicci is in the control room." replied Ziggy.
Sam began to walk there, until he walked into someone.
"Ensign?"
Sam began to smile. "Yes sir?"
"You seem to be in a hurry." Al smiled back at the Ensign. She was a new and nervous person.
Sam couldn't stop smiling at him. "I was trying to find you actually, sir."
Al waited for the rest of the message. "And why was that?"
"Dr. Fuller has sprained her ankle and she needs to rest it."
The smile still remained as Al nodded. "It's a shame that she'll miss the action this afternoon."
Sam nodded. "Sir, I must return to the nurses station."
"OK Ensign, thank you."
Sam give Al a salute, Al returned it.
Sam walked briskly away towards the control room.
"The meeting was short." Ellen walked along side Sam. "We must work
together. I got a message that we've got to do this together."
Sam began to worry. "What would happen to Bernadette and Melissa if they
get court?"
Ellen sighed. "Sir, everything will be fine. Trust me."
Soon Ellen and Sam arrived at the control room. There they saw Gushie working his hardest.
Gushie looked up, down, then back up again.
"Hello Doctor, Ensign."
"Hello." said both Sam and Ellen.
Sam remembered about Gushie never leaving his post. He could stay there for days without sleep.
Ellen walked over to where Gushie was working.
"Gushie, don't you think it is time you had a rest?"
Sam came up behind them. "Sir, I think it would be best for you to rest and also I think that Admiral Calavicci would appreciate it."
"If I'm not to going to get any peace until I rest then OK. But for only for fifteen minutes." Gushie got up and faced Ellen.
"Melissa, keep everything together until I get back."
"Well that would be better than nothing." smiled Ellen.
Gushie got up and left the control room.
As soon as Gushie left. Ellen ran to the control panel.
"Sir, please disconnect the extra power supply."
Sam started pressing buttons.
"Access denied!" shouted Sam. "Voice command only!"
"This is Melissa Huddersfield, security code 1:- T - 1 - 7- 8 - 2 - 3!" shouted Ellen.
"I'm in!" shouted Sam. Sam then began slow down the program, so they it would disintegrated.
"I've disconnected Ziggy from this panel. She can't call security. I've made it read out as a minor problem no threat."
Ellen then noticed that the wire was still connected to the panel and pulled.
"Right, that should do it!" cried Ellen. "Lets go!"
Sam and Ellen began to walk out of the control room when Al and Gushie entered. Sam and Ellen hid themselves.
"I thought that you said Melissa was in here?" said Al.
"She was Admiral. She was with Ensign Wales."
Al noticed the disconnected wire on the floor.
"Oh no!" whispered Ellen. "I forgot to pull it form the power supply." Ellen gasped. "If he touches it, he'll get an electric shock of twenty thousand volts!"
Al went to pick it up.
"No! Al!!!" screamed Ellen as she ran across the room, from where she was hiding to grab the wire from Al."
Al jumped back in shock as Ellen ran towards him.
Ellen grabbed the wire from Al and froze as she got the full force of the shock.
"Ellen!" screamed Sam as he watched Ellen's body slide to the floor.
Al was on the floor, as Ellen knocked him down when she grabbed the wire
out of his hands. He moved towards her body.
"Melissa?! Melissa?!" she didn't respond.
Al jumped up and touched the control panel. "Ziggy call Dr. Winters to the control room immediately."
"Admiral, she's dead!" yelped Gushie.
Sam checked Ellen's pulse, it was very faint. "She's still alive!" he cried.
"Doctor?" said Al.
Al, Gushie and Sam looked at the woman.
"Al?" she said.
"Melissa, hold on the doctor's coming. I'm sure you're going to be fine."
Sam moved to her ear. "Ellen?"
"Who? I'm Melissa."
Sam's eyes opened wide. Ellen was gone. She sacrificed her life for someone
else.
A medical team then rushed in. "Nurse, we could use your help."
Then Sam leaped.
Sam opened his eyes. He was laying down on a bed!
"Al! Ellen! Anybody!" shouted Sam. He had no reply.
Then a young woman entered she looked about twenty.
"Where am I? Where's Ellen?" demanded Sam.
"Dr. Beckett, don't you recognize me?" Smiled the young woman.
Sam stood up. "Ellen?"
The woman nodded. The woman was dressed in a futuristic fermi suit. All in
white with sliver strips. She had long dark brown hair and deep dark brown eyes.
Sam moved forward and embraced the young woman.
"I thought that I would never see you again!" exclaimed Sam.
"I know but we couldn't just leave you there!"
Sam had another look at the young woman. "If you don't mind me saying, you
look quite young for 38."
Ellen played with her hair. "I know. It's because I've got a chip implanted in
my spine. I know I don't physically leap but it is so my body does not age while I'm
gone. It is also that this time as a lock on me if they need me back and it's to keep me
young until my time as a Leaper is up!"
Ellen came closer to Sam. "I must tell you Dr. Beckett, we've put one in you
to keep you active and young until you return home."
Ellen then produce a handlink. "I'm afraid I must study for my next
assignment."
"Where are you going?" asked Sam.
"They are sending me to 1966. The host they have chosen for me is Amanda
Summers my great-great-great-grandmother. That is Melissa Huddersfield Summers'
Mother. I've been told that the sixties was a very interesting time for everyone."
Sam smiled and nodded. "Yes the sixties was an interesting time."
At that moment several young women came in.
"Ellen, I'm leaving now!" said one of them.
Ellen put the handlink back in to her lab coat pocket and give the woman a
hug. "Where are they sending you?"
"They are sending me to the countryside during World War Two."
Ellen went white. "They've checked the area out?"
The woman nodded. "Are you coming to the accelerator with me?"
"Of course" Ellen looked over to Sam. "Dr. Beckett would you like to come?"
They all looked at Sam. "Sure."
The accelerator was ten levels below ground. Through lead and rock. After several minutes they reached the accelerator.
"I thought I would never see one of these again in my life." whispered Sam.
A controller came to the young woman's shoulder. "Elizabeth, it's time to go.
Are you prepared?"
"I've been preparing myself for the last six months." replied Elizabeth. She
moved up the ramp and she then turned to look at everyone. "Goodbye, Ellen.
Goodbye Dr. Beckett." She then entered.
The accelerator was the activated and Elizabeth leaped.
For three seconds her body froze then collapsed. A doctor rushed over.
"Put her into the stasis chamber!"
Two men in uniforms put the young woman on to stretcher and quickly carried
her off. Ellen and Sam followed.
They entered a sliver room, with door on the walls. The host was still
unconscious. The two men opened one of the doors and pulled out a bed. They then
placed the young woman on to the bed and then locked her in. One of the men then
typed in a date onto the timer on the door. On it, it read: 23/10/2153.
"When this date comes we put her back into the accelerator and send her back.
Stasis is the best way to do this. It would like just a long sleep of pleasant dreams."
Sam's eyes then opened. He forgot something or someone. "Where 's Al and
Jackie?"
"They are fine." she reassured him. They left the stasis room.
They soon returned back to Ellen's study room. The room was decorated in
different shades of blue and covering the blue walls were pictures of different times,
special times in history.
Sam sat down on a white sofa.
"I'm telling you the truth, Dr. Beckett. They're fine." said Ellen as started to
study. "I need some music." Ellen walked over to a control panel and began to type a
number. Then music came out of the speakers. The music was twentieth-century and
early twenty-first century.
"mmm, lalalala" hummed Ellen has she read through the information on the
handlink.
"You must not start singing that song in the 1960's!"
Ellen grimaced. "I know. I could of seriously altered history, giving away the
future." Ellen tossed down the handlink on the sofa next to Sam.
"What am I doing, I shouldn't be here! I shouldn't be a Leaper, not if I make
mistakes like that!"
"We all make mistakes Ellen, we are after all only Human."
"I understand what you are saying Dr. Beckett but mistakes like that should
not be taken lightly. I should be punished for what I could of done."
Sam shook his head. "You did nothing wrong. You saved my best friends life
and was willing to scarce your own to save me and I thank you for all that you have
done for me."
Ellen who was sat down looked up and smiled. A single tear moved slowly
down her face. Sam moved over to where Ellen was siting and wiped the tear with his
hand.
"Thank you, Dr. Beckett." she whispered.
"Please just call me Sam" he whispered back.
They moved closer, closing the gap between them. There lips met.
Time moved so slowly that it seem an eternity had past when they broke apart.
Ellen opened her eyes. "I can't believe that happened. I've adored you has my
idol since I could read. Yet I've just shared an intimate experience with you! I don't think that anything else I do now will top what as just happened."
Ellen's wristlink suddenly blipped. She went to her video phone. "Dovedale
here sir."
An old man looked at Ellen and then Sam. "Ellen Dovedale, I'm pleased to tell you that you've won The Platinum Universal Leaper Award."
Ellen gasped.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you sir." breathed Ellen. She then turned the video phone off.
She then turned to Sam and embraced him.
"Good news?" asked Sam.
"The best!" replied Ellen. "I've been awarded the highest medal a Leaper can
get!"
"You deserve it."
Ellen's wristlink went off again. She went back to the video phone. It was a
woman in a lab coat.
"Yes, Mary"
"Hi Ellen, you OK?" Mary's voice was slow and on edge.
Ellen closed her eyes. "Mary if you have something to say then say it."
"The Accelerator is ready to send Dr. Beckett back to the year 2000."
Ellen breathed out slowly. "OK, we'll be there shortly." she turned the phone
off.
"Why can't you send me home?" asked Sam.
"It would mess up the timeline and we need you to keep going, because we
may cease to exist." replied Ellen.
Ellen and Sam went down to The Accelerator.
"I hate saying goodbye." said Ellen"
"I'm not to fond of it myself" agreed Sam.
Mary came toward them. "Are you ready Doctor."
Sam shook his head. "Not yet. Just give use a couple of minutes."
Mary walked away.
Sam took hold of Ellen's hand. "I will always be grateful for what you did for
Al and myself."
"I will always remember you, Sam."
By now they were both crying. Tears coming down from two brown eyes and
two green eyes.
Ellen moved her young hand up to his face and wiped away the tears from his
eyes. "Maybe we will meet again someday." Ellen turned to Mary. "He is ready to
leap now."
Ellen and Sam slowly walked up the ramp and into The Accelerator Chamber.
Ellen moved her hand away from Sam and then left the room not looking back.
"I will always remember you Ellen!" shouted Sam.
"I hope you will!" she shouted back without looking at him.
Ellen reached the end of the ramp and went to the control panel where Mary
was ready to press they button to activate the chamber.
"Let me press it." Mary nodded at Ellen and moved away. "Ready!"
"Ready!" he shouted back.
Ellen activated the chamber and Sam leaped.
"Jonathan! Jonathan!"
Sam's eyes opened.
"Jackie?"
"Thank goodness you are all right Jonathan. You hit your head pretty badly"
"I'm still here!" said Sam.
"Sam?"
Sam nodded. "It's a long story."
On the way back to Florida in the airplane, Sam told Jackie all that she should know about what went wrong.
"I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay everything as worked out fine." smiled Sam.
Sam and Jackie soon arrived back at Jackie's grandmother's house.
"I hope she hasn't caused any trouble."
"No she hasn't. She as been as good as gold!" she smiled.
"Uncle!" screamed Janine has soon has she seen Sam. Sam hugged the young woman.
"Uncle! I want you to meet my boyfriend." Janine gestured to him. A young man with blonde hair and green eyes entered. "This is Michael James."
Michael held out his hand to Sam. "Nice to meet you sir."
"You too." said Sam.
"Hey Sam they're going to have triplets!"
Sam turned around quickly around and laughed!
"Uncle you okay?"
"I'm fine sweetheart! I've got my family and friends with me and I'm
laughing because I'm happy!" Sam walked away still smiling.
"Sam are you OK? I know that you didn't get home but we will keep trying."
said Al.
"I know you will Al. I believe you because you are my best friend!"
Al looked strangely at Sam. "You are my best friend too."
"I will get home Al. I know it! You'll understand soon!"
Then Sam leaped.
Ellen sadly went back to her quarters where she was studying for her next assignment. Her video phone started to ring.
"Dovedale." she replied.
"Miss Dovedale, I need to see you in my office. It is very urgent."
The Head Of The Leaping Committee, who decides who is going to be a Leaper! What does he want with me?
Ellen started on the long trip back to the surface and to the office. She knocked on the door.
"Enter!" shouted a deep voice.
Ellen entered. "You wanted to see me sir?"
"No, I didn't"
Ellen looked confused. "But didn't you ask to see me sir?"
"No, he didn't but I did." A large metal chair turned around and there was the person who wanted to see her.
"SAM!" she screamed.
"You said we'll meet up someday!"
"But I thought that your whereabouts are secret that no-one is allowed to see you!"
Sam smiled. "Well I think that we will change things for the better!"
THE END
(or is it the beginning?)