Chapter 36

1984

Sam had returned to 1984 after informing her father that she had lost her watch and being informed of the other time travel program that Dr. Beckett would initiate in 1999. She felt much like Alice in Wonderland as she fell deeper into the rabbit hole. Programs that she never imagined came to light and people she assumed were just ordinary seemed anything but. She walked into the office and found young MacGyver signing insurance papers with Dom and String on hand.

She stated, "Might as well just fill him in." She instructed the pair. "I just found out the D.O.D. actually backed a time travel experiment."

Mac signed the paper and looked up rather confused, "Time travel?"

She nodded, "That last day in the power plant. You remember the guy who came into your office, got past security and gave you Dom's business card?"

He asked, "How do you know about that?" He looked to String and Dom, "I was packing up my office and this guy comes out of nowhere and give me your card. He told me to go work for you. Then he walked out and just disappeared. Only reason I know it was not a hallucination is the business card was still in my hand."

Sam grinned, "His name is Sam too and I think he's trying to help us. He sent you here."

"This guy named Sam?" Mac asked a bit baffled.

She nodded, "Dr. Beckett." She looked to String, "I was just studying his work. He will invent an accelerator that will solve the buffer issue with the engine. He gets trapped in it and is now leaping through time. It's not stable. The Admiral protecting this defunct project died last year. His wife is about to lose everything to keep the power on to his accelerator. The D.O.D. wants it. Mac…older Mac…is going to see if he can help her." she debriefed. "Whoever found my watch must have taken it to an engineer and that person reversed engineered it. We just sped up tech development. Airwolf and KITT will both be affected. Current tech is going to be obsolete faster than before. I suggest upgrading Airwolf and KITT with tech from my time now. KITT thinks the UFO's are real, there is a secret space program and whoever is running that will see my little engine as a threat. He thinks my engine will trigger some kind of great awakening in the populace. Honestly, I don't know. All I want to do right now is go back home, crawl in bed and not come out. All I do is screw everything up!" she proclaimed.

String took a step closer and then wrapped an arm around her. "I know you didn't ask for any of this. You were trying to make an engine that would make space travel a real thing. Thing is, there are a lot of greedy people out there and they want to get their hands on that technology for power and money." He then turned placed both hands on his shoulder, "Look at me."

She looked up into his eyes.

"When Airwolf was first developed, the man who I trusted, who I worked with to develop her, stole her and sold his services to the highest bidder to do mercenary work. I lost someone close to me getting Airwolf back. There are people who will take advantage of you and your engine. But you are not alone. Look around you. Look at what you have accomplished so far." he urged.

She countered, "So far all I have done is screw things up. I used cash from the future to buy things. I left my phone laying around and Cait found it. I try to give an access code to KITT and I drop a freaking penny on the floor that led Michael right to us. I lost my watch and the only Airwolf groupie we have turns out to be a genius sent to us by another time traveler." she motioned towards MacGyver.

Mac asked, "Airwolf groupie?"

"Next year you get recruited to go work for the Phoenix Foundation and you become this 007 like agent or some shit like that." she explained. "Then you retire and go to all these air shows and buy the t-shits we sell at the booth. You keep asking my dad if you can join our little air show thing." She then mentioned, "I know this sounds weird and all but I've known you a few years now. You camp out next to our camp at the air shows and you are actually pretty funny. I also know you can do all these little hacks at camp and you always have a Swiss Army knife with you and you collect them. You always have to show me the newest pocket knife you get. You have a ton of Swiss Army knives." She then reached into her pocket and pulled out an old red Swiss Army pocket knife. "You gave this one to me about five years ago." she held it out to him. "You taught me how to use the knife and do little hacks when we were camping at the shows."

Mac took the knife and looked closely. He noticed his name was scratched on the underside of the knife. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out his current knife. He compared the two and found it was the exact same marking. He stated, "This is my knife. How come I got two knives that are the same knife?"

String told him, "Time travel! I got two cellos that are the same cello here too."

"Huh," he sat beside himself. "I gave you my knife? This is my best knife. My favorite knife! I don't just give away my best knife."

She repeated, "You collect them. You got this black canvas roll full of Swiss Army knives. Some have really nice designs on them. It's like your hobby. You even gave my dad the number to the place that does custom designs. You had this idea of doing an Airwolf Swiss Army knife to sell in the booth."

Mac looked to String, "Time travel?"

He nodded, "There is a stable wormhole connecting 1984 to 2022 in the hanger. On the other end of the wormhole is the hangar, in 2022 with a warp drive engine."

He came to attention, "A warp drive engine!" he gasped.

He confirmed, "It's like a door. We can go back and forth."

Mac asked, "Can I see it?"

He agreed, "That's the plan."

Meanwhile, 1984

Michael Knight and KITT returned to warehouse in the city to give some kind of report to Devon about the futuristic money. As the Trans Am entered the gates of the compound KITT began to speak.

"Michael, what will we tell Devon about the money and how do we get the what is locked in the safe out? We should make sure the money is returned to the future where it belongs." KITT insisted.

"I'm working on it. Then there is the issue of Sam's missing smart watch. We have to find that too." he reminded.

"Indeed." KITT agreed. "The result is future technology being introduced to the market early. Though my mainframe has been upgraded many sensors have not. In my current configuration, I will be obsolete sooner without additional upgrades, Michael."

"I know, KITT." he gave a nod as he tried to figure out what to tell Devon. They pulled into the open bay of the warehouse where Bonnie waited with Devon. He parked the vehicle and soon emerged. "Devon! Bonnie." He acted like everything was normal.

"Michael." Devon gave a sigh. "What have you found about the money or our potential time traveler so far?"

"Nothing more." he glanced at Bonnie who remained tightlipped.

Devon reached into his pocket to retrieve the item. He dangled Sam's smart watch before his eyes. "One of our engineers brought this in. It's highly advanced and is connected to Samantha Hawke. He got from his wife who is a nurse at the local high school."

"It's Sam's smart watch." he winced.

"You want to tell me what is going on?" he demanded to know.

He sighed, "Her name is Dr. Samantha Hawke. She is String's niece and Dom's great niece. She's an inventor. She's from the future. She was using the hangar to run her project. She made an engine that can warp space around it. A warp drive engine…like from Star Trek. She did that in the year 2022. The engine got out of hand and created a wormhole that connect 2022 to 1984. Her uncle Dom went through to the future first. It was an accident. She helped bring him back and she brought money with her that was from the future and she accidentally spent it. She forgot to take her watch off. That connects to her cell phone. She wore it to school and lost it there. She's been looking all over for it. If I don't get it back to her, that watch can alter how fast technology goes onto the market."

"A wormhole?" he asked a bit surprised. "I was beginning to think she some kind of machine…such as a car."

He admitted, "She borrows her mom's car. She doesn't even own a car. Bonnie knows! Bonnie from the future did some upgrades to KITT and left a message for herself to find. The penny led us right to Sam and the engine. In the future, KITT is running the engine. He's monitoring changing timelines. They have set up a network so KITT from 2022 can communicate with our KITT and notify me of any changes. The timeline has changed a few times already. There is a secret space program hidden from us. There is an alien presence that we cannot get a handle on. We are keeping Sam in school with a cover of a 16 year old to protect her because she is at risk of being targeted. Myself in the future is assisting…I come out of retirement to help her. Same with Bonnie." He then added, "I need the money we gathered and the watch to be returned to the future."

"It's too late." Devon stated. "Wilton Knight has seen the watch and authorized further research and development. Once I tell him about this he will want to see this engine and the wormhole." He then confessed, "As do I."

KITT stated, "With knowledge of Project Quantum Leap and other possible programs hidden by a shadow government or a break away civilization, at this point, Wilton Knight's backing could actually help Samantha and her family."

Bonnie asked, "Project Quantum Leap?"

KITT replied, "We have recently discovered another time traveler. Dr. Samuel Beckett. The project will start in 1999 but he is currently leaping through time including our time and the past. There will also another A.I. associated with the project. Ziggy! My future self is in talks with her. I must say, I do like Ziggy. She is very…how should I describe her…feminine and flirtatious."

Michael blinked, "Ziggy is a flirting female A.I.?"

"Indeed." KITT confirmed.

Bonnie asked, "Is older me doing anything with this other A.I.?"

"The first stop gap measure was to secure power by Angus MacGyver. Dr. Beckett is still in the accelerator in the year 2022. The Department of Defense wants Ziggy and the accelerator for other projects. They have declared Dr. Beckett deceased but he is not. His wife is fighting to keep power on and thus, keep him alive. It is believed if power is cut off, Dr. Beckett could die." he explained. "Your future self would be needed to help secure Ziggy. Samantha discovered the accelerator that Dr. Beckett invented could be used with a warp drive engine to buffer a vessel. The two inventions together would give Earth deep space capabilities. I have concluded that if there is a hostile alien presence then that presence has reason to prevent that capability as Earth would then have means of self protection from any alien threat or domination."

Michael asked, "You think it's a good idea to go to Wilton Knight about this, KITT?"

"Michael," KITT explained, "Samantha will need support. Her life and her engine are in danger. If she succeeds at gaining the accelerator, than I calculate that danger will increase by a thousand percent. Wilton Knight has the financial means to back her project and keep it a secret in 1984."

"We are talking about having a millionaire in 1984 back a project in 2022, KITT." he reminded him.

"I am aware of that, Michael but the watch has already been seen and that technology is coming to the market sooner than in the first timeline. Even taking possession of the watch now will not change the altered timeline. Samantha and her father need protection and support to continue forward." KITT informed.

Devon stated, "I will notify Wilton Knight of the new developments. I'm sure he will want to see you, Michael and Samantha too."

He gave a sigh, "Right."