Chapter 9

The senior officers, Radar and Sam all gathered in Colonel Potter's office for a briefing. Colonel Potter looked at Sam as he was still a bit confused but understood that somehow Radar was in danger.

"Exactly what are we involved in, Captain?" asked Potter.

Margret confessed, "He's not really a captain."

Potter looked for an explanation.

She admitted, "Radar and I faked his file." Margret saw no reason to keep deceiving her friends now the project had been exposed.

Sam added, "At the orders of an Admiral. Al is a Rear Admiral and in charge of the project I created. Let me start from the beginning. The project is called 'Quantum Leap' and Al represents the Department of Defense. This is a military project in quantum physics. I was pressured to prove my theory of time travel or lose funding. I took a risk and went into a device called the quantum accelerator. It worked but I have no control over it and Ziggy, the computer that is supposed to control the project has limited control. My only hope of returning back home is to complete whatever task I am given in hopes that I will leap back. In this case, Radar who has very unique mind has connected with Ziggy on a subconscious level and has completely taken over the project." He looked at corporal, "Radar. You are best chance at getting home. You have the power to send me home and disconnect yourself from Ziggy but you it's locked away inside your sub consciousness."

Radar asked, "I have the power to send you back home, Sam?"

Sam nodded, "You're my best shot at it."

"What happens if I can't?" he asked.

"I stay here as I am," he informed.

Radar asked, "You would never get back home then?"

Sam shook his head, "No but Al thinks if they can disconnect you from Ziggy that I would start leaping again and that would at least give me the chance at getting home. But, that is very risky and could cause significant brain damage to you."

Radar looked about, "I don't know how to undo this. I didn't mean to do any of it."

"I know you didn't," assured Sam. "We need to work on you being able to control this."

"I don't know how!" huffed Radar.

Sam asked Potter, "Colonel, as you know this is a top secret military project gone very wrong. It's possible that Radar could gain control if we use hypnosis to open his subconscious mind. But, I don't know how to do that and you need someone you can trust who is very good at hypnosis. Is there anyone you know who can help us?"

The colonel looked at the other doctors for their thoughts.

"Sidney," stated Hawke. "He's the only one I would trust with Radar's mind."

BJ nodded, "I agree. Radar is in serious trouble," he looked at Sam, "And so are you, Sam. You need to get out of this project that you are trapped in and go home too."

Charles huffed, "I cannot believe you all are buying this. This is a fake…It's some sort of joke. Time travel is not possible."

Margret huffed, "I was there. I was in nineteen ninety-nine. I read our old files. I got to see things to do not exist yet. I know it's possible…Believe me."

Charles stated, "Perhaps it was a dream or a hallucination, Margret."

She countered, "When I was there I could touch Al. He was solid to me. Here, I can't touch him because he is in the future." She instead, "It was real. I spent two days there and I saw Sam's project. It's real…I even saw the accelerator and we cannot build anything like that yet."

BJ stated, "I believe Sam is from the future."

Charles asked, "Why would you believe that, Hunnicut?"

He explained, "Radar does have a unique gift for seeing things before it happens, Margret would not make something like that up and after seeing Al and your arm go right thought him in the mess tent…I believe him."

Margret added, "Being that Sam's project is top secret, we have to keep this as top secret too. We cannot tell anyone what happened."

Charles still skeptical rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't phantom trying to explain this to anyone."

The colonel stated, "I will bring in Sidney to help. Until then, Radar you just try to keep calm and relaxed, son. Dr. Beckett…You're fine surgeon. We will keep your cover as Captain Beckett and you will remain here. I won't file a report until this is resolved. We all would like to go home, Dr. Beckett. I see no reason to prevent you from going home too."

"Thank you, Colonel." nodded Sam. He asked off hand, "Could I have my own tent for my stay here?"

Colonel Potter asked, "What's the matter with the Swamp?"

Sam made a face.

Margret started to laugh, "Oh come now, Sam. Al told me all about the people you leapt into and how you lived in some pretty rough places. I'm sure you can handle the Swamp."

Sam looked at Radar, "Can you have me and Margret leap again. She can live in the Swamp and I can stay in her tent."

"No!" pleaded Margret wide-eyed.

Later

Major Winchester still wasn't sure about Sam Beckett or the project as he tended to his duties in the camp. As he made his way to the recovery ward Corporal Rizzo, the company mechanic with the eye for business came running up to him. He suddenly started walking with the Major as he chomped on a fat cigar.

"Major," the Corporal greeted.

"Corporal," stated Winchester annoyed.

"I was wondering…You know Dr. Beckett pretty well, right?" he asked.

Winchester rolled his eyes, "I merely associate with him."

"Well," Rizzo continued, "seeing as the good doctor is from the future and all and he's in your tent I was wondering if perhaps you could give me some stock tips."

Major Winchester came to a halt and huffed, "First of all, Corporal…I highly doubt Captain Beckett is from the future and secondly that is the most unethical thing I have ever heard."

"I was just wondering…"

Winchester huffed, "Go!" He pointed behind the man, "Now!"

"Yes sir," Rizzo walked away disappointed.

The Major stood and pondered, "If Beckett is from the future he would know what stocks to buy." A crooked smile crept across Winchester's face. "Maybe he's from the future after all?" he pondered.

As Major Winchester stood in the middle of the camp pondering his next move the imaging room door opened and Al appeared not far away from the Major.

Al huffed, "Center me on Sam," he then hit the device and gave a disturbed face for Ziggy no longer had the ability. He looked over at Winchester, "Do know where Sam is?"

Winchester smirked, "He's in the Swamp teaching the boys how to use a still." He walked over to Al.

Al asked, "Where do I find the Swamp?"

"I'll show you," offered Winchester. He started to walk with Al in the direction. "So, Admiral…I never got a chance to formally introduce myself. "I'm Major Charles Winchester the Third."

"Admiral Allen Calavicci," he gave a nod as he walked. Al certainly wasn't used to having to walk about to imaging room just to find Sam but with Ziggy losing control to Radar, the computer could not find anything inside the camp.

Charles stated curiously, "I'm rather skeptical to be honest. Time travels sounds so…Obscure. Are you really from the future?"

Al nodded, "The year is nineteen ninety-nine."

Winchester asked, "What is the future like?"

Al shrugged, "Some things have changed from nineteen fifty-three but most remained pretty much the same."

"Ah," Winchester played it cool. "Any companies on the horizon that make a big splash?"

Al pondered the question, "Computers become big." He then asked, "Why are asking?"

Winchester shrugged, "Just curious."

Al bit on his cigar and became suspicious as he explained, "Sam is not leaping through time to make people rich. He's leaping through time to correct what went wrong. He's saved hundreds of lives. He never asked for anything in return. He just wants to go home."

"Don't we all?" asked Winchester. He arrived at the Swamp, "You will find my good friend Sam in here, Admiral." He gave a nod.

Al walked right through the door and into the tent.

Charles stood and nodded, "If this is not some prank I could make a lot of money." He turned and went back towards the recovery room debating what a computer is and how it could change his future.

Al had walked right into the Swamp through the solid door. Needless to say the image of a loudly dressed man walking right through a solid door made Hawkeye and BJ both do a double take.

Hawkeye stated, "Well, it appears I'm losing my mind faster than I thought."

BJ added, "That can make anyone go crazy."

Al rolled his eyes, "This is why no one is supposed to see me." He looked at Sam who was busy adjusting the still. "Sam!"

"Just a minute, Al." he replied finishing up. He stood up and wiped his hands off, "That should do it. What is it, Al?"

"I'm getting ready to go speak to the committee in DC. They have called an emergency meeting. They are gonna wanna pull the plug."

Sam shook his head, "They can't. Pulling the plug could kill me and Radar both."

Al agreed, "I know…But they are talking about cutting their losses before it gets too far out of hand. They don't like the idea of a lowly Corporal having complete control over Ziggy and the project. I thought you should be aware of what is going on."

"They can't pull the plug," insisted Sam.

Hawkeye asked, "What do they do to 'pull the plug'?"

Al explained, "Cut all power the shut the whole project down."

BJ stated, "You said earlier if they shut everything down and started back up that Radar could lose his mind. It would be stripped from him."

Al nodded, "It could or Radar's mind could be disconnected and left intact."

Hawkeye shook his head, "No, no…We're not playing with Radar's head like that." He insisted, "You just tell your committee to wait until Sidney gets here. Let Sidney disconnect him though hypnosis."

BJ agreed, "I think Sidney is Radar's best chance."

Sam sighed, "I hope he's as good as you say because…He's Radar's only chance." He sat down on the cot, "You know, Al…I could easily let them shut it all down if it was just my life on the line. But Radar is just a kid and I'm not letting them risk his life or his mind like that. Tell the committee we have a plan on how disconnect Radar from this end. They just need to give us more time. Right now, I'm not leaping anyplace and I will remain in the 4077th until we can disconnect Radar from Ziggy. Just buy us some time, Al."

"I will do everything in my power, Sam." agreed Al. He then looked at the hand unit for it made a beep. Al made a face.

"What is it?" asked Sam.

Al sighed, "Major Charles Winchester the Third. His future has changed."

BJ asked, "For the better?"

"For the better for him," stated Al. "Why did I say anything?" he kicked himself mentally.

"What?" asked Sam concerned.

"Ziggy can't center me on you anymore Sam so Winchester walked me to the Swamp. He asked about the future and I mentioned computers become a big thing. He buys stock in all the major computer companies and becomes a billionaire."

Sam asked, "Does he become a nice billionaire?"

Al shook his head.

Hawkeye asked, "Are you serious? Just like that Winchester becomes a billionaire?"

BJ suggested, "It must be like a domino affects. One thing leads to another."

Hawkeye huffed, "So, I live another twenty years and suffer from shell shock and Winchester becomes super rich? No offense, but that just doesn't seem fair."

"It's not," agreed BJ. "How do we stop him from becoming a billionaire?"

Al huffed, "He won't make the investments until the sixties. He plays his cards right. Damn, I never should have said anything. This is why no one is supposed to know."

Sam asked, "Any other unintended changes, Al?"

Al started scanning the unit, "Yes."

"What?" asked Sam.

"You stay here, Sam." he reported.

"And?" he wondered.

He hesitated, "You um…"

"What Al?" he asked.

"You marry Margret Houlihan," he informed. "That didn't happen the first time. She was supposed to stay in the Nursing Corps and retire a Lt. Colonel."

"Sam stays and Margret marries him?" asked BJ.

Al nodded not too enthused for unknown to Sam, he was already married and his wife was in the control room of the project. Sam had no recollection of her and if he stayed his memory would remain full of holes.

"She now marries Sam and goes to medical school and becomes a doctor," he informed.

Hawkeye stated, "I'm glad she becomes a doctor but honestly, I'm not too happy about your upcoming nuptials."

Sam winced, "Oh boy."