April 28, 1984
I've had close encounters with women in my six years of leaping. About two years ago, I even leaped into a man having sex with his fiance. But this...
Dr. Sam Beckett still stares at the boy in the mirror. He notices the woman- still naked- approaching from behind him.
"What's wrong, Joey?" asks the woman.
"Uh, I got to go home."
"You said your mom was working late at the casino...wait, it's about 8:30 now. I forget. It's not like someone your age can just hang out in casinos."
"Of course."
The woman throws Sam some clothes. "Better put these on."
The leaper notices Levi's jeans and a wool sweater as well as undergarments. He quickly dons them.
"Okay," he says. "I...I'll be going home now." He starts towards the door.
Oh no. I don't know where I.. this Joey lives.
"It's uh, late," says Sam. "I think I need a ride home. I mean, since it's night time and all." Another idea arises in the quantum physicist's mind. "and, do you have a copy of today's newspaper?"
"Newspaper? Oh, of course for your civics class."
"I need to study."
"I got the weekly Tribune here," she says, handing Sam some newsprint. The leaper reads the newspaper.
Tahoe Daily Tribune Week of April 20, 1984
"Thanks," says Sam.
"I'd better give you a ride home. And you'd better put this on." The woman hands Sam a jacket.
Sam puts it on. It feels light and comfortable. He leaves through the front door . He can feel chilly air. He looks and notices he emerged from a small cabin. He notices very tall trees rising from the ground, practically surrounding the neighborhood.
"That's your bike there, right?"
Sam looks and the woman is standing next to a bike rack, where one bicycle is attached. The leaper pulls a key out off the pocket of the Levi's jeans and uses it on the bike lock. The lock is unlatched.
"You still want a ride home?"
"Yes, yes, I do."
"Well, I suppose I can do this. You gave me a good time."
"I'll bring the Jeep out."
Seconds later, a red 982 Jeep CJ drives out onto the street. He sees a bike rack attached to the grill, so Sam secures the Schwinn bicycle to the rack. He then hops into the front seat and fastens his seat belt.
The woman starts the gasoline engine, puts the Jeep in gear, and pulls out. Soon it reaches a main road, with plenty of cars with their headlights on.
The leaper can see tall buildings in the distance. It becomes apparent, as the Jeep slows down due to the traffic, that these buildings are hotel towers. He notices the High Sierra and Harvey's on his right, and Caesar's Tahoe and Harrah's on his left.
The Jeep stops at a red light right where Harrah's and Harvey's are, and continues on, and the hotels and casinos abruptly stop. Past the light, there are a row of motels and gas station and convenience stores.
"I wish I could take you to the Stateline casinos here," says the woman.
About five minutes later, the woman makes a left turn onto a side street, and then makes a right turn. She soon parks the Jeep.
"I'll walk you to your apartment," she says. "I'll have to keep my distance of course."
Sam unfastens his bolt, unlocks the bike from the Jeep's bike rack, and heads to an apartment. He unlocks the gate with his host's key, and he and the woman walk in. Sam notices a bike rack and locks his bike.
The woman stands near the door. The quantum physicist retrieves Joey's keys from then pocket, inserts the key into the keyhole, and turns it.
The door unlocks and Sam pulls the door.
"I wish I could kiss you, Joey," says the woman. "I wish I could take you to the clubs here, or even down in Reno."
"Good night," says Sam, entering the apartment and shutting it.
He turns on the lights. The apartment looks like a typical apartment, with a small living room and a dining room to the left and a mini-hallway in the back. A coffee table in the middle of the dining room, and there are some magazines. The leaper picks up one of the magazines, a bridal magazine.
Looking at the label, Sam notices that it was mailed to a Brenda Schultz in South Lake Tahoe, California. Going to the back of the apartment, he opens the doors and finds one bedroom and a bathroom.
If that's his mom's bedroom, where does Joey sleep?
The leaper finds the answer when he sees a room divider partitioning a corner. Going around, he unfolds part of the divider and sees a small, narrow bed.
Sam yawns. He figures he is still exhausted from spending hours doing stunts as Bruce Lee. He soon falls asleep on the small bed.
Ooooooooooo
Sam stirs awake. He walks over to a clock hanging on the wall in the apartment's kitchen. The time is around 8:30.
I've been asleep for over ten hours!
"Mom!" calls out the leaper.
He hears no response. He opens the door into the apartment's bedroom, and finds that the room is still empty.
I guess I have to fix breakfast myself. I wonder how often Joey did this.
Sam pours himself some Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Minute maid Orange juice. He soon bites into the cereal, feeling the texture of the corn flakes and tasting the sweetness of the sugar coating.
"Just a cold breakfast, Sam?" he hears.
The quantum physicist looks and sees Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci, the project observer from the future, whom Sam is able to see and hear via brainwave transmissions from about seventeen years in the future. He sees him wear a bright silver jacket.
"Al," he says.
"I'd better fill you in," says the observer. "You're Joey Schultz, a 13-year-old junior high student living in South Lake Tahoe, California, with his mom."
"Brenda," says the leaper. "Brenda Schultz."
"Today's date is Sunday, April 29, 1984- more or less seventeen years in my past."
Sam notices Al's subdued tone of voice.
"Is there anything wrong? What happens to Joey? I don't think his future looks to bright based upon what I've seen since I leaped in last night."
"It's Gooshie. He's dead."