Cowboy Bebop and Quantum Leap are not owned by me. This fanfic was created for the soul purpose of practice and enjoyment. I hope to get more written as the time goes by.
For Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, every day was a day of search and wonder as she sat in front of her computer searching through the massive computer networks that ran through the solar system.
Today on this day, Edward or just simply Ed was going through some servers that were left on Earth as she sat in the main room of the Bebop. These servers were from many decades before. Long before the gate accident.
"Hmm, what has Ed found today?" She said to herself as her fingers moved gracefully as she manipulated cyberspace.
As she hacked through server after server. Ed came across something that not even her hacker-mind had encountered.
"Ed found something new, let's see what Ed can do!" She grinned widely as her fingers and mind began to work in that unique way of hers.
Several images flash across her goggles. One of them was a for an old United States Government supercomputer. Its name was Ziggy.
Cowboy Bebop and Quantum Leap and their respective characters are owned by their respective owners. No money was to be made from this. Thank You
June 4, 1983
Inside of a Quick-Mart in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Sam Beckett was smiling as he swept the floor inside the convenience store. He had just prevented a robbery and got the person he had leapt into a promotion to night manager. He was expecting to leap any time now.
"So Al," Sam said as he went into the backroom of the convenience store. "If everything is done why haven't I leaped?"
Standing beside Sam was a man dressed in garish clothes with a smoking in one hand and a handlink in the other. He was Al Calavicci. Sam's connection to Project Quantum Leap and Sam's best friend
"Ziggy, isn't sure" Al said as he punched in commands. "There could be a dealy or lag problem. Whoever is doing this probably had to make a nature call."
"You think that Al?" Sam asked as he dumped some the sweepings into the trash can.
"Well, Sam I'm in the dark as you are about this. Besides it's just a joke, lighten up." Al chuckled to himself. Just as he was chuckling, the handlink began to make a noise it had never made before. It caught both Al's and Sam's attention.
Sam dropped the broom. "What's going on, Al?"
Al feverishly punched in commands and started hitting the handlink like he usually did. "I've got no idea but Ziggy is acting weird."
"How weird?"
"A weird that I haven't seen before." Al showed the handlink to Sam and instead the usual computer activity. There was something else. The handlink screen had little circles all over it. Circles with happy faces.
"What the-? Al asked
Suddenly a red light enveloped Sam and just as it came over his field of vision. He leaped.
When Sam came to, he found himself standing on the sidewalk. A lit cigarette was in his mouth but while Sam didn't smoke he didn't spit the cigarette out. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Sam looked around and notice the buildings that reached the sky but not only was the city that fascinated him. It was also the fact he was looking at a red sky. A red sky that had ships flying through the air. Sam just stared at himself until he looked down. He noticed he was wearing an odd suit. It was blue but it didn't have the normal lapels. Not to mention he was wearing a black tie with a yellow shirt, a shirt whose collar was up instead of down.
That's when Sam slowly turned and saw who he was in the mirror. What looked back at him was a man. A man in his mid to late 20's. He looked normal enough except for the large almost afro like hair and that it appeared green and black. Plus the eyes which were a color Sam had never seen not to mention they were two different colors.
Sam stared at his reflection as the cigarette burned. He could only think of one thing to say.
"Oh, Boy!"
Leap Bebop
August 17, 2071
Sam couldn't even believe what he was looking at. Not only was the clothing strange but it was the eyes of the person he leapt into. They were haunting not to mention somewhat disturbing. His mind was having a hard time understanding what he was looking at. Not to mention the fact he was in a time he couldn't even imagine.
While he was looking at his face, something in his jacket began to ring. Sam looked to where the chirping was and cautiously reached in his pocket. He pulled a rectangular, almost brick-like object. He instinctivly pressed down on the button.
"Yo Spike!" A gruff deep voice called to him
Sam didn't know how to response and nwo he guesses his nick-name or name for that matter was Spike.
"Yeah?" Sam asked sheepishly.
"Spike" The voice shot back. "Any idea on Archer?"
"Who?"
"Oh come on Spike don't tell me you forgot. There's a five million bounty on this guy. Even you would pay attention to this Spike."
Sam didn't know how to respond so he relied on his instinct which hopefully had him the right words.
"I would it's difficult to find Archer. I'll keep looking around."
"Good, but make sure you come back to the Bebop soon enough I'm making dinner."
Sam had no idea what the Bebop was but his curiosity kept him going. "What's for dinner?"
"Simple," The voice told him "Bell Peppers and Beef"
For Al and Gushie. This was the worst disaster ever faced during the project. Personnel were moving at a rapid pace to understand what had just happened. First Ziggy had been overtaken by what appeared as many different smiley faces and that they had lost contact with Sam.
"Do we have any idea where Sam could be?" Al asked Gushie
Gushie tried to keep pace with the admiral. " We're doing the best we can. It appears that Doctor Beckett had jumped far outside his own lifetime."
"Well that's happened before. How is this different?"
"The fact is Admiral, those leaps were connected to a family bloodline. As from what we can tell the person has no connection what so ever to Doctor Beckett's family."
"What about the person in the waiting room?"
"We haven't spoken to him yet because of what's been going on with Ziggy."
Al stopped moving in front of the door that allowed him into the waiting room.
"Okay continue trying to fix Ziggy while I go and try and figure out who has Sam leapt into."
Gushie nodded and rush back to where Ziggy was as Al punched in the codes that let him into the place where the people Sam had leapt into waited.
Al walked into the stark blue room and noticed something standing where Sam had once been. Al looked and saw Sam stand in the middle wearing a jump suit. But Al knew that the person standing there wasn't Sam.
"Where am I?" Spike Spiegel asked
"You're in the waiting room, my name is Al. What's yours?"
Spike struggled. " I don't know" Spike went over and grabbed Al by the lapels. "I can't remember."
Spike looked down and saw the reflection was not of his own. He was espeically caught off guard by the fact that the face that reflected back at him had the same colored eyes.
"That's not my face! Where am I? Where's Archer?"
Al shook himself free. "Well you're in an experiment it causes memory loss. It's known as the swiss cheese effect. And you're what's known as the waiting room."
"Well I don't see any magazines here."
"It's not that kind of waiting room." Al went and changed the subject. "Now who is Archer?"
"Who?"
"You said where's Archer? Can you remember anything about that?"
Spike closed his eyes and struggled. He was unsure of where he was and who he was. This is the first time he felt unsure of himself. This wasn't supposed to happen but of course that was life and he had to accept it.
Spike's demeanor calmed down and a slight smile appeared.
"Would you happen to have a cigarette?" Spike asked
"First who is Archer?"
Spike sighed and continued thinking about this although he knew he had a long time to think about this.
Sam couldn't figure out why he was in a place like this and why he leapt hear. Someone had sent him here and it wasn't a fluke. There had to be a reason, there had to be.
Sam continued walking along the streets and felt a strange feeling of familiarity. He felt he had been here before. It was that same force that somehow led him to a certain street where a certain large red elongated ship sat on the street.
Just before Sam could get any closer a heavy arm was put onto his shoulder.
"Spike!" The deep voice called from behind his ear. "What happened? You said you'd be at the Bebop hours ago?"
Sam turned around and despite all he had seen this was something new. Standing behind him was a tall, bald man with a beard. He wore a jumpsuit and what appeared to be a piece of metal under one of his eyes. Not to mention the fact he also had a fake arm. Sam's mind was at a blank as to what to say next.
"Spike, have you found anything?" The man asked him
"Have I found anything?"
"Right, on Archer. Let's not forget you got us into this mess, not even Faye wanted to get involved in this one.
"Faye?"
"She's out again who knows as to where she went. But she'll be back she always is."
The man lowered his bald head and put his fake arm against it. He appeared to be in deep thought.
"Hey Spike," The man called to him
"Yeah" Sam asked
"Be careful on this one okay. Try to come back."
Sam looked at the man and heard the emotion in the man's voice. That's when suddenly with no explanation a name came into his head. It had been due to the swiss-cheese effect and that his mind occasionally merged with the one he leaped into.
"I will be, Jet." Sam said the name strangely but somehow it felt familiar.
Jet walked off leaving Sam to stand by his ship. Soon enough Jet disappeared and Sam turned to look at the ship. It had been the same thing that led Sam to call the man he just met Jet.
Sam walked around the ship looking at everything. He noticed the ship was somewhat old judging from the dents and scraps it had encountered.
"What is this?" Sam asked as he kept walking around. He even looked to see if Al was there. Still no sign. He hoped where ever he was Al would come by soon.
Al came rushing into the control room. He had been inside the waiting room talking when Gushie came in and told him the news.
"So do we have an idea where Sam is?"
Gushie looked at Al with excitement. "Yes"
"Okay where?"
"Mars"
"Don't play jokes with me, Gushie."
"He isn't joking." The computer generated voice of Ziggy called to them
"He isn't?" Al asked
"No Admiral, he is quite right. It appears Doctor Beckett has leaped into the year 2071, August 17 to be exact."
Al's eyebrows shot up. "You're kidding?"
"I never kid about this sort of thing Admiral. Apparently something has occurred within my system that has allowed Doctor Beckett to go far beyond his own lifetime."
"Then how are you able to track him?"
"That Admiral hasn't been affected. But I will note that because of what has happened my memory has been greatly expanded."
"Anything we can use?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"Because Admiral such data is too advanced for even myself. It is far beyond even my capacity. I guess things have progressed beyond me."
Al shook his head. "Don't feel bad. You're still my girl." He said with somewhat of a smirk.
"I appreciate the gesture Admiral but the fact is our focus should be on Doctor Beckett."
"Any idea why he's there?"
"Just that he's on Mars in the year 2071 and apparently has leaped into a man named Spike Spiegel whose records I fail to find."
"Keep working on it."
"Shall look into Spike Spiegel or try and fix this anomaly that has occurred in my system?"
"Both"
"Will do, Admiral."
Al turned around and headed for the holographic chamber. He at least could talk to Sam and hopefully find out why he went so far into the future.
Ed looked at the activity on her computer.
"Oh, crazy, Ed like through old files." She continued to bang happily on her computer as Ein looked on and yawned.
