Sam dutifully followed Troi to the couch. He glanced at Al to make sure the hologram was by his side. More specifically, Al was by Deanna Troi's side, looking appreciatively and longingly at the way she filled out the tight uniform. He let out a sigh Sam was all too familiar with, the frustrated sigh bemoaning his holographic form. Troi's head abruptly swung towards Al, as though she had heard his sigh, startling both men.
Troi focused her attention once again on Sam. "I know you're not Commander Data. What have you done with him?"
Sam swallowed hard. "What makes you think I'm not Commander Data?" he returned.
"Good, Sam," Al encouraged. "Make her answer the questions."
Deanna Troi was willing and prepared for Sam's challenge.
"First of all, the real Data never uses contractions, which you have used incessantly since I arrived."
Sam and Al exchanged a worried glance. "Um, tell her it's an experimental program. You're supposed to be a machine, after all," Al suggested.
Troi ignored Sam's excuse as she continued ticking off reasons on her fingers.
"Secondly, you showed a great deal of hesitation when Captain Picard ordered you to your station. It seemed to me you didn't know who or where you were."
Al shrugged helplessly at the stricken Sam.
"And finally, I can sense you empathically--something I could never do with the real Data."
The scientist in Sam overcame the front he had to maintain. "Sense empathically?" he repeated.
Deanna nodded triumphantly--at least she'd proven he wasn't Data. "Piece of evidence number four," she smiled. "Data would know I'm half- Betazoid. That means I can sense emotions. For an emotionless android you're certainly feeling a great deal of anxiety."
Sam stared at her in horror. He'd never been found out so quickly by an adult. What would she do now? He envisioned spending the rest of his life in the brig. Next to him, Al was staring at Troi with virtually the same thoughts tearing through his mind. As if she could sense the turmoil (which she can, thought Sam), Troi graced Sam with a reassuring smile.
"I'm not going to harm you. I just want some answers. My name is Deanna Troi. I'm the Ship's Counselor. And you are?"
"Sam, be careful," Al warned. Sam nodded in acknowledgment.
"My name is Sam Beckett," he responded warily.
"Hello, Sam," said Deanna with a soothing smile.
"Sam, she's trying to get you to drop your guard so you'll spill your guts. Watch yourself. Remember, she's not only a shrink, she's an empath!" chastened Al. Troi's eyes flicked towards Al again. He abruptly pressed a button on the handlink and popped behind her. How was she locating him? This woman needed to be handled with caution.
"Now tell me what happened to Commander Data," she continued.
"I can't. All I can tell you is that he's safe," Sam answered.
"Sam, in order to help you, I need you to help me. I promise I'm not going to turn you in. Your secret will be safe with me. How did you get here--in Data's body? And where is he?"
Sam looked pleadingly at Al. "I don't know, buddy. Are you sure you can trust her?"
"I don't have a choice, Al."
"What?" asked Deanna. She glanced around the room again.
"Counselor. Have you ever heard of a twentieth century experiment called Project Quantum Leap?" asked Sam. Al moved to Sam's shoulder in support.
"No, should I have?"
"No, but there may be an entry in your computer's historical banks. It was top-secret, so there probably won't be much."
Troi crossed to the computer station. "Computer, search all files for any references to a Project Quantum Leap or a Sam Beckett." Within seconds the computer had a response.
"There are six references to a Sam Beckett," said the electronic voice.
"Cross-reference with Project Quantum Leap," said Troi.
"Sam Beckett, born in 1953, a Nobel Prize winner and esteemed scientist. Dr. Beckett played an important role in Project Star Bright. He directed Project Quantum Leap, a top-secret project of the late twentieth century."
"Stop," ordered Troi. "Details of Project Quantum Leap."
"Reportedly, Quantum Leap was an experiment allowing one to travel through time. Dr. Sam Beckett disappeared in 1995, leaving his partner, Admiral Albert Calavicci, in charge of the project. Admiral Calavicci maintained the position that Dr. Beckett had succeeded in Leaping through time, and convinced the then-United States government to continue funding the project."
"Damn straight!" interjected Al.
"Well," said Troi, "at least I know you're telling the truth. Congratulations on the success of your experiment." Sam inclined his head in gratitude. Troi continued, "But you still haven't told me where Data is."
Sam drew a deep breath. "Your Commander Data is in twentieth century New Mexico at Project Quantum Leap."
Troi looked confused. "I can accept that, but I don't understand how."
"I'll give you the Dick-and-Jane version." Sam winked at Al. He picked up a length of yarn Spot had discarded and stretched it between his fingers. "Okay. This string represents your lifetime. This end is your birth--the other, your death. Tie the ends together and you have a loop. Ball the loop up, and all the days of your life touch each other out of sequence. Thus, you can jump from one point to another within your own lifetime."
"Fair enough," said Troi, "but you are beyond your lifetime--and in someone else's life."
"That's where things went ca-ca," Al said, despite the fact that Deanna couldn't hear him--or could she? Once again the dark, curly head angled towards him.
Sam grinned. "I don't really understand that myself. I Leap into someone else and they Leap to the Project. I do what needs to be done, and then Leap again--and that person Leaps back."
Troi shook her head. "I'm almost sorry I asked."
"You should be," Al scolded with mock-seriousness.
Troi went on, unheeding of Al, "But how do you know what needs to be done?"
Sam pointed to the ceiling, "He decides."
"Sam, I really think now would be a good time to stop. Even though this is the future, I'm not sure she needs to know everything," Al said.
Sam nodded, trying to ignore Deanna's questioning looks.
Deanna accepted Sam's story--it had been substantiated by the computer, and she'd sensed no duplicity from him--merely caution, which she'd expected. However, she still was sensing echo emotions from the room, although she was finding it difficult to pinpoint their exact location. They kept moving around.
"So once you complete whatever task God needs you to do, you'll. . . Leap. . . and Data will return?" she asked.
Sam nodded.
"Sam, I've got to get some more information for Ziggy. I'll be back as soon as I can," said Al. He opened the Door, and was gone in a holographic swoosh.
Troi blinked at the sudden disappearance of the echo passions. She looked at Sam again. "You've mentioned--or should I say spoken to--an Al twice. This, I assume, would be the Admiral Calavicci referred to as your partner?"
Sam responded affirmatively.
"Does he Leap as well?" she asked.
"No, he handles administrative duties."
"Then how can you speak to him?"
"Our brainwaves are linked, which allows him to center on my mesons and neurons." Sam looked out the window at the stars. "If it weren't for Al, I'd have no link with home. I'd be alone."
Troi felt warmed by the wave of deep friendship emanating from Data. Sam, she corrected herself.
"So, Al was in this room, so to speak," she asked.
"Why do you say was?" Sam asked. His eyes widened at the realization. "You could sense him, too? Of course you could. . . the neural link."
Troi nodded. "He's a very passionate man."
"He certainly is," Sam agreed.
Deanna sat at the computer station again. "May I?"
Sam shrugged.
"Computer, visual of Sam Beckett, please." The computer searched its banks and pulled up a picture of Sam. Troi looked from the hazel-eyed, brown-haired image to the man with Data's face standing before her and smiled. Sam nervously smiled back. Deanna turned back to the computer.
"Computer, visual and references on Admiral Albert Calavicci."
A photo of Al in his uniform flashed on the screen as the computer's voice resumed. "Albert Calavicci, Admiral, U.S. Navy. Former astronaut in the United States Space Program. Admiral Calavicci served in the Vietnam War of the 1960s and was reported Missing In Action in 1967. He was presumed dead until his release from a Prisoner of War camp in 1975. In the late 1980s, Admiral Calavicci became involved with Project Star Bright, where he developed an association with Dr. Sam Beckett. Admiral Calavicci accepted the position of Administrative Director to Project Quantum Leap."
"Stop," said Troi. She smiled at Sam. "Quite a life your friend led." She sensed a sudden surge of sadness in Sam. "I'm sorry. Is something wrong?"
Sam smiled wanly. "It's just that I realized. . . in this time, whenever Al goes back to the Project, he's. . . dead. I'm over 300 years in the future."

******