New Faces, New Places, Part One
Once he was alone again, Sam opened the laptop and put the earbuds on. Ziggy´s voice seemed strangely... sad.
"Dr. Beckett, we have a few hours now. I will inform you as best I can."
"Ziggy, where´s Al? What happened to Project Quantum Leap?"
The answer took a while.
"I am not completely sure. I have been able to reconstruct part of the events, but my own memory is, as Admiral Calavicci would say, ´swiss cheese´. I have no direct record of events after a certain point."
"Tell me what you can." Sam wrote, worried.
Archive images were shown on screen, while Ziggy talked. "September 13, year 2000. A cataclismic explosion destroyed the Antarctic ice. The South hemisphere was almost destroyed by the resulting tsunami or the water´s rising level, or the wars that came later. The planetary axis changed its angle, resulting in a drastic change of the weather patterns. At this point, PQL had lost track of you, Doctor Beckett, and there was little hope to find you again, your body was in a deep coma."
Knowing Al´s loyalty, surely he had been terribly worried.
Ziggy continued. "Just before Second Impact, there was a leap. We managed to identify the person, and his probable place and time of origin, but we couldn´t contact you."
"Gendo Ikari?"
"Correct, Doctor Beckett. While we were trying to locate you, Second Impact hit. My systems were overloaded, I don´t remember anything after that, until my hardware was reactivated as part of the MAGI system, a triunvirate of computers that manage this NERV base and the surrounding city, Tokyo-3."
Sam nodded.
"I have been an observer through the events that ended in Third Impact. This caused the complete elimination of mankind as independent entities." The images on screen showed a series of persons, including NERV staff, dissolving into an orange fluid. "At the end, there were only three entities left. Young Ikari, an anomalous and titanic version of Rei Ayanami/Lilith, and the third Evangelion pilot; Asuka Langley Soryu, the Second Child, assigned to Unit-02. She will arrive to Tokyo-3 in a few months. " Sam watched the images, horryfied.
"This result was contrary to my programming, and to your own mission, Doctor Beckett. I am not sure of when I acquired the capacity, but I leapt back in time, to a point just after my reactivation as part of the MAGI system. I must conclude I am no longer an artificial inteligence only, as only a sentient mind has been able to leap through time. I admit my statistical samples are limited to you, Doctor Beckett, Admiral Calavicci, the people you have leaped to, and the counterparts to you and Admiral Calavicci."
After a long pause, Ziggy continued "I can´t confirm or refute it, but I do believe I have either acquired or developed a soul of sorts."
"I am in contact with my counterpart in the future, although it lacks any iniciative or personality as you would understand them, it is useful for complex calculations that don´t require creativity. Since my leap, I have waited for your arrival to this time and place. I myself cannot influence events directly, as I´m limited to places with wireless communications or computer networks the MAGI can access."
"Finally, you arrived yesterday. You know the events since then."
"I have no access to events that happened while I was offline, beyond what I can retrieve from other computer systems; however, it is clear that Project Quantum Leap was cancelled and the instalations dismantled. However, there are good news; I have been able to locate your closest collaborators." Sam straightened on the bed. "Admiral Calavicci went back to the Navy, now controlled by the UN, and he is the supreme Commander if the Pacific Fleet. Techs Gooshie, Tina, and Sammy Jo are working in the Second Brach of NERV, in Nevada. I have been unable to find any mention or image of Doctor Samuel Beckett after Second Impact." Sam felt sick and relieved at the same time. The images of both Second and Third Impact had been a shock, but the knowledge his friends had survived was encouraging.
"Do you know what will happen? In detail, I mean."
"I know part of the sequence of events that will result in Third Impact. I don´t know all the details, as some events were not registered, or happened outside the range of NERV´s cameras and sensors. Plus my own swiss cheese memory."
"We can´t have everything, Ziggy. We´ll have to do our best and hope."
The night promised to be a very long one.
At 8:27 am of the next day, Sam awoke. For a moment, he thought that the previous day had been a weird dream, until the pain on his left foot confirmed it had been real. The Angel attack, the titanic cyborg, a future where the whole human race had been reduced to an orange sea, and two pathetic, hopeless survivors.
He rubbed his face, and noticed the strange scars he had on the palms; idly, he wondered if they meant that he was now able to find the Ark of the Covenant. Probably not. He would be missing the other side of the medallion.
He wasn´t feeling any rested, and he would have liked nothing better than wrapping himself in the sheets and sleep until spring. But that wasn´t possible anymore, Second Impact had left behind an endless sumer. Well, he couldn´t fix that, a problem he didn´t have to worry about.
He opened the laptop again, putting the earbuds on. "Good morning, Doctor Beckett. I took the liberty of sending a message on your behalf, obeying Doctor Akagi´s instructions. You are on sick leave today and tomorrow." After a pause, Ziggy continued. "Shinji is already up, with Captain Katsuragi, and he wants to speak with you."
´Well,´ Sam thought, ´here we go.´
"Thanks, Ziggy," he wrote, and closed the laptop. On the table was a small remote control, with only one button. Sam pressed it, and a few moments later, a young nurse entered the room. "Commander, good morning. Do you wish to have your breakfast? Dr. Akagi left instructions for you to take your medicines after eating."
"Um, yes, thank you. Could you tell me about another patient? His name is Shinji Ikari."
"Your son? He´s fine, he only has some sympathic burns, nothing serious, they are more psychosomathic than real. He will feel a little sunburned for today, but will be as new by tomorrow. He asked to see you when they brought him in, do you want me to send for him?"
"Yes, and Captain Katsuragi too, if she´s here. I want to talk to her." Remembering Ziggy´s comments about Gendo Ikari´s behaviour, he left it at that.
A little while later, Captain Katsuragi entered the room, pushing a wheel chair, occupied by a smiling and reddish Shinji Ikari. "Really, Misato. I can walk by myself!"
"Hospital rules, Shinji. Only until they release you officially."
"Fine, but stay within the speed limits." Misato huffed, but she swallowed her response as she realized she was in the presence of her superior officer.
Sam could not contain a smile, it seemed like Shinji was already coming out of his shell. "Captain Katsuragi, Shinji; I have seen the recordings from yesterday´s battle, and I must say I´m impressed. And very proud of both of you. You did great."
Shinji went even redder, he wasn´t used to any praise. Misato straightened up, "Thank you, Sir."
"I want a complete and very detailed analysis of the battle, the Angel´s capabilities, and how to face any similar situations in the future. I´m sure you already have some suggestions."
"Urm... yes, Sir. The attack revealed some weak points we can reinforce immediately."
"Good. I leave it in your hands, Captain. I will be absent today and tomorrow. Use that time to make your inform, we shall go over it when I return." Misato nodded. "Have you eaten yet? I can ask for something extra." Shini nodded enthusiastically, Misato seemed a bit surprised, but accepted the invitation.
´For hospital food, this is not bad at all,´ Sam thought, finishing his second piece of toast with strawberry jam. The conversation flowed easily, although everybody kept to irrelevant subjects. Sam was already getting a very good impression of the young captain. A plan started to form in his head. ´Well,´ he thought, "let´s see if I´m right." He pushed the table away.
"I think it´s time to talk about serious bussiness." Shinji and Misato paid attention. "Shinji, have you decided if you want to stay as an Evangelion pilot? You did a great work yesterday, especially for a first time."
The boy thought about it for a moment. "Yes, Father. At least until another pilot arrives. On the way here, we saw Ayanami being wheeled to another room on a stretcher. I cannot leave her alone, like that." Shinji didn´t mention that he had waved shyly at her.
Misato intervened. "Finding another pilot could take months, potential pilots are few and might be found in places far away from here. We were very lucky to find you on time. The Second Child is in Germany, and we don´t know if she can even synchronize with Unit-01. Her training and synchronization with Unit-02 are very good, but bringing an Evangelion from Europe will take time."
"Good, then it´s decided. I´ll get you an apartment here in the Geo-Front. Don´t put that face, son, I´d rather have you with me, but it´s not possible because of security reasons." For a moment, Shinji looked melancholic again, but the explanation seemed to satisfy him.
"Er, Sir?" Misato said, "The Geo-Front is a bit far from school, and I have a free room in my apartment. Shinji could be my room-mate."
Sam smiled inside. Without showing his approval of the captain´s idea, he pretended to hesitate for a moment. "Shinji? What do you say?"
"I don´t want to be a bother..."
"Not at all!" Misato interrupted. "Both of us could use some company."
Shini hesitated for a moment longer, but accepted.
Sam smiled. "Of course, you will get a monthly stipend. A part will be deposited in a fund for your education, another will be administered by Captain Katsuragi for as long as you both live at the same place, and the rest witll be deposited weekly on a debit card for your personal expenses."
Shinji´s face lit up, he had never had any personal money. Saving up for his chello had taken a long time, doing little jobs for his neighbours.
Right then, the nurse came back, pushing a little wheeled table, full of little bottles and medical equipment. "I´m sorry, visiting time is up. Time for your medicines, Commander."
"By your leave, Commander."
"I´ll see you later, Father."
"See you, son. Take care. Captain, I expect your report."
Both went out, smiling.
Before the nurse started, Misato opened the door again.
"Sir? I apologize for the interruption. Shinji would like to visit Rei. To say hello and see how she is. What should I tell him?"
Sam looked at the nurse. "Do you know if Pilot Ayanami can have visitors?"
"Yes, she can, Commander. No more than five minutes, authorized by Doctor Akagi or yourself."
"I authorize it." He looked at Misato. "Captain, Rei is in a bad shape, don´t agitate her, and obey the instructions of the medical staff."
"Yes, Sir!" Misato almost ran back out. She had left Shinji by the lifts.
The nurse was about to start, but Sam stopped her, raising a hand, and waited for a few seconds, smiling. Just as he expected, Misato appeared again a few seconds later. "E-excuse me, which one is her room?"
"Third Level, Room 16. I´ll call the nurse in charge and an orderly will escort you." The nurse answered.
"Thanks! And sorry about the interruption." She closed the door carefully.
Author Notes:
I loved the premise of Quantum Leap, especially during the first seasons. It had clear rules, and they stuck to them. However, in later seasons, the rules changed in ways I really didn´t like. So, I will stick to the rules as laid out in Season One. Only Sam´s mind leaps, he exchanges bodies with the person he has leaped to. So, for the moment, he is stuck in Gendo Ikari´s body.
However, for this story to work, I have to ignore another rule, and put Sam in the middle of a big historic event.
And last, I haven´t forgotten about Donna, it´s just that I feel she got a very bad deal at the end of the series, and I kinda prefer to give her a happy ending; so, instead of marrying Sam, one of her previous relationships went better than Sam would have liked, and she was happily married before meeting Sam.
I also have plans for Al, he´s still around, and will visit Japan in a few months, story time.
