A Leap For Linka
Quantum Leap crossover and Companion to The Final Fight
The bright blue aura that enveloped Dr. Samuel Beckett between leaps had dissolved to reveal an environment that he felt was too good to be true. Normally Sam would leap into fire fights, romantic acts, space launches and even the stresses of childbirth. This time, he found himself on a beautiful beach with a minicam in his right hand. Apparently the film had just run out, and Sam's host had already pressed the rewind button on the machine. After watching the ocean scene run in reverse for a second or two, the time traveler pushed 'Stop' and began walking.
"If this is a dream, please don't wake me up," Sam sighed, taking in the landscape and enjoying the gentle wind that swept over him.
Soon, Sam had approached a series of huts and decided to enter one of them in order to get out of the sun. He never liked being in the path of the hot rays without sunscreen, and he didn't know if his alter ego had applied any before venturing outside. Not knowing which hut was his, he peeked inside the open windows and one by one determined which one he was to enter. The first housed a bed with a pink floral bedspread, a dresser with brightly colored stuffed animals on it, and a desk with a computer that displayed a screen saver showing birds in flight. The second window revealed a bed with a baby blue star print bedspread, several posters showing ocean scenes, and a collection of snowball globes on the night stand. The third hut was home to a bed with a gray spread, African tapestries on the walls, and some gardening manuals on the dresser. The forth hut contained a bed with an Indian print spread, wildlife posters on the walls, and an herb garden in a box underneath the opposite window.
"Wheeler, what are you doing?" asked an attractive blonde
with bluish gray eyes and a thick Russian accent.
"Oh, Boy," Sam mumbled under his breath.
Noticing the look of confusion worn by her companion, Linka shrugged and looked directly at Sam. "If I did not know better, I would say that you are lost."
Leaping at this opportunity to save face and find his own cabin, the leaper improvised, "I . . . I got a little too much sun, and I got turned around . . . can't seem to find my hut . . . guess that's what happens when you forget to wear sunglasses."
"You lost your sunglasses the last time you went jet skiing," Linka laughed. "Come on, Yankee, I will help you find your way home."
When the pair reached the only hut that had not been checked, Sam politely asked if he could be alone so he could take a nap and recover from the touch of sunstroke he claimed to have had. This hut had a bed with a yellow striped bedspread, a computer displaying a screen saver that showed dancing flames and a tall bookcase that was used as an entertainment center.
When Linka stepped away, the time traveler closed himself into the room in order to settle in and await the appearance of his holographic guide, Albert Calavicci. Curious to see what his current host looked like, Sam laid the minicam onto the top shelf of the bookcase and stepped into the bathroom and braced himself for what he would see in the mirror. Many times he found the reflections of women, old or overweight men, or even a chimp. This time, however he was pleasantly surprised to see he had replaced a handsome, young man who had wavy red hair, piercing blue eyes, and a fair-skinned freckled face.
Admiral Al Calavicci had materialized on the beach, and he began to reminisce about how many women he had taken for long, romantic walks along the shores. He lifted his multi-colored hand-link and ordered, "Gooshie, center me on Sam." He then popped into the hut where Sam was and sneaked up on his buddy who was admiring the reflection in the bathroom mirror.
"With a face like that, you should be a regular chick magnet," the hologram commented as he cracked a childish smile.
"Al!" Sam spun around with a start, knocking a red plastic drinking cup from the counter, "do you have to sneak up on me like that!
Sorry, Pal, I couldn't resist," Al laughed, his dark eyes sparkling with the youthful look that was characteristic whenever he was in one of his goofy, fun loving moods. "I suppose you want to know why you're here." Seeing his partner's nod, he continued as he stepped into the bedroom, "your name is Jesse Wheeler, and you're . . . a planet . . . planet . . . "He whacked the side of the hand link, which gave off a squeal before showing more LED characters. "You lucky dog! You're a Planeteer! They're a group of environmentalists who travel around the world and fight to make the Earth a better place to live . . . sort of what you do, only they combat pollution instead of time traveling and changing lives one at a time. Man, they have those cool rings that control the elements of the Earth and are used to call Captain Planet . . . yours is fire. Ha Ha, I always thought that was the best one."
"Al, Will you please tell me why I'm here?" Sam grunted in disgust.
As more info scrolled across the tiny screen, the observer continued to read, "According to Ziggy, you're 27 years old, and it's April 21, 2002 . . . and. . . Uh-oh . . . My God . . . "
What is it, Al?" Sam cringed as he heard the vocal inflections that were as dark as the expression on the hologram's face. "What happens?"
"Sam . . . You're here to . . . prevent a chain reaction that will put a permanent end to the Planeteers."
"What do you mean?" Sam blurted out, not liking what he was hearing.
"In about an hour, one of your- uh wheeler's fellow Planeteers . . . "He consulted his hand link for the name. "Linka Piatikova . . ."
"I think I met her," Sam remembered as he strode to the open window and looked at the blonde sitting on a swing outside one of the other huts and reading a book. "She sure is beautiful-"
"Oh, boy," Al groaned, "looks like you picked up some residuals from this Wheeler character."
"Al, you said 'uh-oh' . . . does that mean something happens to her?"
"I'm afraid so, Sam . . . she . . . dies in a nuclear power plant that is ultimately destroyed by someone named Duke Nukem . . . some nozzle that thrives on lethal doses of radiation like it's food-"
"That's impossible, Al!" Sam interrupted, "how can anyone feed on radiation?"
"I don't know, Sam, but somehow this duphis does . . . . Anyway, he attempts to get to the plant's core, and when Linka tries to stop him . . . "
"She dies trying to stop him . . . "" Sam guessed.
"No . . . it's worse than that. . . Wheeler accidentally causes her death. Apparently, they come up with some sort of plan to trap Nukem in a lead volt while they and Captain Planet work to clean up Nukie's mess. While the other Planeteers evacuate the building, Linka and Wheeler stay behind to execute the plan. Linka volunteers to lure Nukem into the volt while Wheeler is supposed to make sure she gets out, closed the door, and seal him in." Tears began to well up in Al's dark, brown eyes. "According to Ziggy, Wheeler has to stand in a hiding place where he can't see what's happening in the volt, and he thinks Linka has already gotten out when he . . . "
"He traps her in with Nukem." Sam sadly concluded, hanging his head.
"not long after that, the plant collapses and bursts into flames. A day later Linka and nukem's bodies are found in the rubble. The details . . . are pretty groosome, and I don't think you want me to go there."
Suddenly, a question popped into Sam's mind. "Al, how does Ziggy know the details of Linka's death . . . I mean how does she know that Wheeler inadvertently causes it?"
Al gulped before somberly stating, "It's uh . . . it's in Wheeler's suicide note."
"Suicide!"
"He's gonna off himself in about three days. He leaves his note on Linka's bed, locks himself in his hut, and burns it to the ground while the others are at Linka's funeral."
"My God . . . He blames himself that much?" Sam gasped as he flopped onto the bed.
"Not only for Linka's death, Sam . . . . According to an emergency worker's report, they're gonna retrieve Linka's ring. It turns out it's permanently contaminated with radiation. Wheeler not only blames himself for the tragedy, but he holds himself responsible for the destruction of the wind ring. Without it, they can't summon Captain Planet . . . not even if they are able to find someone to take over for Linka."
"What can I do to make sure that Linka stays alive; that Wheeler doesn't kill himself; and the ring is not ruined?" Sam asked, overwhelmed by the gravity of this leap and the dire consequences of the original history.
"Ziggy says that if Wheeler could see whether Linka's still in the volt, there is a 92.5 chance that she could escape, and they could still trap Nukem in there," Al answered, clearly spelling out how Sam could complete his mission and leap again.
"Al, I don't know how I could see what's going on better than Wheeler could have . . . I mean if he was hiding in a certain spot . . ."
"You'll have me," Al assured his companion, "Beeks said that Wheeler passed out when he leaped in and that he's still out cold. He probably won't come to until just about time for you to leap out . . . seems to happen a lot with our leapers . . ."
"Al."
". . . I could never figure that out. It's weird," the shorter man digressed, "they conk out when they leap in and regain consciousness before going back . . . "
"Al!" Sam interrupted impatiently, grabbing the pillow and swinging it at the hologram. "Will you get to the point please! Otherwise, Linka's gonna die again, and nobody's leaping anywhere!"
"I'll be able to stay in the Imaging chamber throughout the entire leap since Beeks most likely won't need me in the Waiting Room."
Sam decided he needed to meet his other fellow Planeteers, so he ventured out and started for a hut that was twice the size of the five residential huts he had already seen. In this building was a common area that reminded him of the dorm lounges he had seen while living on campus at M.I.T. In the kitchen area, a black man wearing African jewelry around his wrists, upper arms, and neck was pouring some dressing on a salad that he had just made.
"Wheeler would you like to share my salad?" he offered once he noticed he was not alone in the room anymore.
"This is . . . Kwame Shaa," the observer noted as he rapidly punched the keys on his flashing hand link, ". . . comes from Africa and controls the earth power ring.
"Uh . . . no thanks, Kwame. I just came in for a glass of water," the leaper improvised. "Still got some scenes to shoot," he added, remembering that Wheeler had been filming the roaring ocean and the seagulls that flew over the blue waters.
"If that is what you want," Kwame sighed as he stirred the dressing so it covered every possible bite.
Once he poured some ice water into a large, purple Coca-Cola tumbler, Sam snapped the lid onto the cup, poked a straw through the top, and exited for the beach with Al following close behind. Along the shore, an Asian girl with short, black hair and an Indian boy wearing an armband adorned with feathers were working together to build a very impressive sand castle.
Al keyed in a couple of sequences on his gizmo and began, "The cute, little Asian girl is Gi Zang-"
Just tell me who they are without any comments from the peanut gallery," Sam hissed while shooting Al a dirty look.
"She has the ring that controls water. The Indian is Ma-ti Kwevas; he hales from the Amizon rain forest, and he has the ring that gives him the power of what they call 'heart' . . . sort of like telepathy."
"You mean like Counselor Troi on Star Trek," Sam attempted to make a comparison so he could better understand the concept of telepathic powers – something he never really believed in.
"Leave it to you to bring Star Trek into this!" Al blurted out, wanting to give his pal a good noogie, and regretting that Sam would never feel the annoying sensation.
Sam wanted to join Gi and Ma-ti in their project, but something caused him to stop in his tracks. It was a voice, but where was it coming from?
"Planeteers! We have an eco-emergency!" The voice called out, "to the Crystal Chamber at once!"
"Just play dumb and act like you don't know what's gonna happen," Al cued his partner as both followed Gi and Ma-ti to the Crystal Chamber.
Sam stood with the other Planeteers and listened as Gaia, the spirit of Earth, unfolded the horrible sinario that he had already heard – minus Linka and Wheeler's deaths. Immediately, Sam and his temporary compadres dashed for their geo-cruiser and took their seats in the plane's small cockpit. Again, Wheeler's residuals seeped into the time traveler's "swiss cheese memory", and he found himself talking Linka into going on a date with him. To his great delight, she accepted. While Sam was asking for the date and Kwame was plotting the course to the plant, Al found himself in the back of the plane reliving his old days as a Navy pilot.
When the Planeteers landed at the nuclear power plant, the original history seemed to be repeating itself. The five eco-activists donned radiation suits and cautiously made their way inside. Once again, Wheeler/sam and Linka ended up with the difficult job of getting Nukem out of the way while Kwame, Gi, and Ma-ti evacuated any scientists who had not already fled the building.
"Stay with her, Al," Sam ordered as he took Wheeler's designated hiding place, "maybe I can't see what's happening to Linka, but you can. Tell me if she needs help or if she gets out of the volt. I won't be able to change history without you."
"I'll stick to her like glue," the holographic man promised before punching keys on his link and centering himself on Linka.
Sam squirmed and fidgeted in his hiding place, able to hear everything from Linka's initial confrontation with Nukem to her skirmish with him in the volt. Several loud crashes caused the knots in Sam's stomach to tighten, and he felt his heart spring to his throat when Al bellowed, "Sam, get the hell in here! Nukem's got Linka trapped!"
Yet again, Wheeler's residuals roared throughout Sam, and he barreled into the volt, screaming at the top of his lungs, "You're a dead man, Nukem! Nobody messes with my girl!" His lead suit should have hindered his physical efforts; however;, the drive to save the Russian coed and a heart felt vow to set everything right flooded throughout Sam's bloodstream, providing him with all the power he needed. Within a second, Sam jumped up and gave the yellow mutant a Karati kickthat got him right in the chin. Then, at a speed that would leave any lightning bolt feeling jealous, the heroic man swung at a stunned Nukem, sending him sprawling against the wall. The villain didn't expect a second Planeteer to magically appear as "Wheeler" apparently did; therefore, he didn't have time to emit any radiation. Then a lead plate, sent airborn by Sam's adrenolin powered arms made contact with Nukem's head, rendering him temporarily unconscious.
"Wheeler," was all a dazed Linka could say.
"Come on, Linka!" Sam hollered, "we gotta get outta here before nukem comes to!" With that, he grabbed her and darted out into the corridor.
Feverishly, Sam pushed against the heavy dor to the volt, but he doubted he could get it to budge. The burst of energy that allowed him to conquer the malevelant mutant had faded, and he was feeling physically exhausted. Seeing her rescuer's condition, Linka raised her right fist and aimed it at the dor. "Wind!" she burst out, focusing all her consentration on slamming the door.
Nearly collapsing when the door escaped his hands, Sam awkwardly regained his stance and aimed his right fist at the space between the door and the frame. If Linka could conjure up a gust from her ring by saying 'wind', then he could weld the door with his pyro-power. "Fire!" he bellowed before a red beam shot from the glowing crystal on Wheeler's ring. It took every ounce of Sam's mental energy to fuse the entrance to the volt.
"Sam!" Al called out as he popped up beside the pair, "you did it! You changed history. That yellow yutz goes down the drain with a bullet. Linka and Wheeler go on to live long and productive lives, and they even help to train the next generation of Planeteers. Get ready to-"
Al's last sentence was interrupted by a rumbling sound that prompted him to strike more buttons on his link. "Uh-oh . . . Sam, the plant's gonna blow in a few minutes! You'd better get outta here!"
As difficult as it was to run in heavy radiation suits, Linka and Sam managed to escape the illfated building and united with Ma-ti, Gi, and Kwame.
"Glad to see you're both safe," Gi said as her friends approached.
"No time for small talk!" Sam cried, "I think the plant's gonna blow!"
"We need a team beam!" Linka shot back, ready to summon Captain Planet.
"Kwame raised his right fist. "Then let our powers combine . . . Earth!"
"Fire!
"Wind!"
"Water!"
"Heart!"
Green, red, white, blue, and yellow beams speered through the air and met, forming a colorful swirl. All of a sudden, a thunder cloud clapped, and a blue man appeared in mid air, calling, "By your powers combined . . . I am Captain planet!"
No sooner had The hero uttered these words when the neon blue aura surrounded sam, allowing Wheeler to rejoin his fellow Planeteers and sending Sam to his next leap- wherever and whenever that would be.