Yay! My first review!

Sophia Hawkins: Thank you for the kind words, Sophia!

In the Quantum Leap episode "Shock Theater," Tibby tries to point out to the staff at Havenwell Mental Hospital that the person on the bed next to him isn't Sam Biederman. Instead, he sees Sam Beckett, who had just been given electric shock therapy that not only fries his brain, but causes him to start re-living some of the past lives that he had Leaped into (i.e. Samantha Stormer from "What Price Gloria", Jesse Tyler from "The Color of Truth," etc).

The staff at Havenwell think that Tibby is losing it, but Al (who Tibby can also see and hear Al and comments on his jacket, LOL) tells Tibby not to say a word or they'd really lock him up tighter. This is also the episode where Dean Stockwell does a rap to teach the mental patients the alphabet (and a variation of that rap is on the Quantum Leap soundtrack)!

Chapter 2 will show a bit of what happens behind the scenes at the Project, but you'll get your wish and see some Murdock and Al interaction in Chapter 3!


I know you haven't proven that Dr. Beckett has traveled back in time or that if having done so he can make an impact of global importance, but it is the opinion of this committee that such heroic undertakings advance the human cause and whether or not they succeed is not so important as the fact that we tried.

- Senator Diane McBride, "Honeymoon Express"


Oh boy, I hate situations like this. You go in trying to help mankind and, all of the sudden, you realize you're adjusting your halo in a two-way mirror.

- Face, "Say it With Bullets"

Chapter 2: Unexpected Visitor

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1999

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

10:30AM MOUNTAIN TIME

Rear Admiral Albert Ernesto Giovanni Battista Calavicci mumbled words to the tune Volare, sound asleep within the bedroom adjoining his office. When it was decided that he was going to be the Project Observer, Sam had figured that they had to make accommodations since Al probably would need to spend a considerable amount of time within the complex.

"Admiral Calavicci . . ." a sultry female voice gently said.

The ex-POW didn't answer. Instead, he only tossed and turned a bit, settling down once more to continue his sleep. That prompted the voice to call out again in a huffed tone, "Admiral Calavicci . . ."

Again, there was no response. After a moment, the strains of the song reveille piped into the room. The startled Observer bolted upright in his bed, now wide awake. In his training, even the Navy had used that to wake cadets in the morning.

"I'm up . . . I'm up! Shut that damned stuff off, Ziggy!" Al roared.

The song ended abruptly as the parallel hybrid computer said, "I apologize, Admiral, but my other attempts to arouse you from your slumber proved unsuccessful."

The Project administrator grumbled as he got up from his bed, stretched, and walked over to the sink to splash a bit of cold water on his face. He grabbed a towel to dry himself off and grumbled, "Yeah, well I hope you have a damned good reason."

"I do have a very valid reason, if you would allow me the chance to explain," the computer replied, almost sulking.

"Cut to the chase, Ziggy," Al demanded, not in the mood for games after his rude wake up call. He knew that the parallel hybrid computer could sometimes be very temperamental, so he had to be careful with what he said around Ziggy from time to time. The last thing he needed was for the computer to pitch a fit, right when he needed info from Ziggy the most.

"We have an arrival in the Waiting Room, and Senator McBride wishes to meet with you. She has already checked in with the guards at the front gate."

Al cursed under his breath. With everything that had been going on of lately, he hadn't expected a surprise visit from Senator Diane McBride, chairperson for the committee that annually reviewed the funding for the Project. She had become perhaps the biggest proponent for Quantum Leap, as well as its biggest confidant after she made the realization that Sam Beckett had saved her. She would not have earned her position had the Nobel Prize winner not taken that initial Leap back in time or landed in her husband . . . heck, she probably would not have been alive if it wasn't for him.

Even though she was a married woman, Al felt it necessary to try and make a good impression on the Senator. "Is Dr. Beeks with the Visitor?" the Rear Admiral asked as he pulled out his dress white uniform.

"Dr. Beeks is monitoring the Visitor, but he has not yet regained consciousness," the computer informed him.

"Do you have any information on who Sam Leaped into or have a lock on him yet?" the Apollo astronaut wondered, slipping on his uniform slacks.

"Until the Visitor regains consciousness, I am unable to, at this early point, ascertain who in time Dr. Beckett currently is or extrapolate what he needs to accomplish before he can Leap. My father did not have the foresight to program me to be a mind reader. Even if he had managed that impressive feat, I am unable to establish a lock on Dr. Beckett until you have entered the Imaging Chamber," the sultry female voice explained, much to Al's dissatisfaction. The entire project had cost over $43 billion to build, and more than a third of those funds were allocated to building the hybrid parallel computer, so Al figured that it should have been smart enough to get that information without having to rely on the initial interviews with the Visitor.

"Okay . . . contact me the moment the Visitor wakes up. I'm going to go upstairs and meet with Senator McBride," the Rear Admiral advised, already buttoning up his jacket that was decorated with all of his medals and awards. At least it was Senator Diane McBride meeting with him and not Senator Joe Weitzman . . .


WAITING ROOM

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

He was groggy when he woke up, and very confused. The last thing he had remembered was being in a van with his friends, and they were running away from . . . from . . .

'Damn it! Why can't I remember?' he thought to himself, starting to get very frustrated.

He looked around, surprised to see that his surroundings were totally different. He was in a blue room, on some sort of examination table. His clothes were different . . . he now found himself in some sort of skin-tight, one-piece, white bodysuit instead of the two-piece suit and tie he had donned that morning. Even his feet were completely bare.

"Oh no, that was a $400 suit too . . ." he whined, hating to lose any of his suits. They were essential to maintaining the air of high-class society that he tried to portray, as well as winning others over.

Inwardly, he wondered if this was what . . . what Murdock went through each time he had to go back in to the mental ward of the VA hospital. Perhaps this was a practical joke that his friends were trying to pull on him, but the longer this drew out, the more he began to doubt that notion and start believing that he was perhaps a prisoner . . .

He didn't see any doors or door handles, but there had to be a way into and out of the room. Whoever stuck him in here wouldn't have been able to do so unless there was some kind of a doorway . . . somewhere. If there were any doors, the lack of any handles likely meant that they were probably locked from the outside. That only further convinced him that he was being held against his will. Considering how hard it was for him to even recall simple information that he normally knew, especially names, he tended to wonder if he had been drugged.

The sound of a pneumatic hiss filled the room and drew his attention as an entryway appeared within what seemed like a solid wall. So, there was a door after all, just like he thought, but not one that was clearly visible. Looking up at the doorway that had appeared, he watched a black female enter. She was wearing a fluorescent blue pantsuit, complimented by fluorescent pink shoes, belt, and a scarf that was folded in a triangle and draped neatly over her left shoulder, held down by a pin that seemed to glow. Even her ear rings lit up . . .

"Where am I? What's going on?" the Visitor demanded.

"Don't worry . . . I'm not going to harm you. My name is Verbena Beeks. What's yours?" she asked, trying to make conversation and get the essentials she knew that Ziggy needed to research the various options.

"Am I a prisoner?" he pointedly wondered, seeming tense and on guard, as if he was waiting for someone to pull a gun on him or put him in handcuffs.

"No . . . not exactly . . ." Verbena started to say, immediately noticing his defensive posture and tone of voice. Did his question mean that he was afraid of being in jail? And if it did, why was he so afraid of being imprisoned?

"Not exactly?" he parroted, turning it around into a question, the frustration starting to seep into the tone of his voice. What was his name? He always came up with a plan, and he hated how sometimes that plan wasn't shared right away. Granted, they usually worked out, but still . . . it frustrated him to no end when he had no idea of what was going on.

Interviewing the Visitor was always the hardest part for Verbena. To her, the Visitor looked exactly like Dr. Samuel Beckett, the brilliant quantum physicist and Nobel Prize winner who was her boss and employer. It was difficult for her . . . knowing where Sam Beckett ended, and the persona of the Visitor began.

"This isn't a prison or jail. You were unconscious when you arrived, so we brought you here for . . . medical observation," Dr. Beeks told him, which wasn't too far from the truth. Leaping through time sometimes took a significant toll on the individual, both physically as well as psychologically, so a lot of those who ended up in the Waiting Room were initially unconscious or lapsed into that state once they realized the sudden change in their location.

"So, I'm free to leave if I want to," he assumed based on her response, still trying to find some way out of this just in case it wasn't what she said. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to, although he couldn't remember exactly why. It was just the need to get out of there that was so instinctual, so strong . . .

"Well, not really. We'd like to keep you here for a while, just to make sure that you're okay," she gently reaffirmed, trying to make him aware that she was genuinely concerned about his well being.

"I'm not buying it. I know a scam when I hear one. I'm not telling you anything until I speak to the person in charge," the Visitor told her, folding his arms to indicate that he wasn't about to budge on the matter.

The Project psychiatrist knew when to back off . . . when it was impossible to get through to a person. She knew that Ziggy needed information from the Visitor so the computer could locate Dr. Beckett in time, thus establishing communication. Right now, the only way it appeared she might get that data was to do as the Visitor requested. She had to get Admiral Calavicci down here.

"Okay, I'll go get the person in charge. In the meantime, do you want anything to eat or drink?" she offered, hoping that maybe she could still get some kind of a breakthrough with the Visitor through a gesture of kindness.

"How about a telephone and the key to get out of this room?" he quipped while flashing grin, trying to turn on the charm and hoping she would give in to his request. If he could just get out of this room, then maybe . . . just maybe . . . he could find out what was going on.

To a certain degree, she could see right through him . . . almost a mirror image of Al. She had to refrain from cracking a smile at the line he had fed to her. "Sorry, but I can't help you on that one," she replied earnestly, taking that opportunity to exit the room before any damage could be done, or before he could talk her into something she wasn't able to provide.

"Ziggy . . ." the psychiatrist spoke into the air.

"Yes, Dr. Beeks?" a sultry female voice replied in it's usual heavy tone.

"Contact Admiral Calavicci and inform him that his presence is requested here on the double," Verbena told the hybrid computer.


VISITOR'S AREA

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

Al tugged on the bottom of his dress jacket to straighten it, and then stepped into the guest center at the Project. It was a plain room with a few chairs, some light, and a table, but definitely a far cry from some of the rest of the furnishings within the lower sections of the complex.

She was just how he had remembered when Sam had changed history, helping her to pass her bar exam which propelled her into her current seat as Senator and chair of the committee that annually reviewed the funding for Quantum Leap . . . 40 years older than the woman Sam had to protect when he Leaped into her husband, but just as beautiful. "Senator McBride, it's a pleasure to see you again," he greeted her, extending his hand to shake hers.

"Diane, please . . . we've known each other too long in working on the funding for this Project to revert to formal titles when we're not in a committee review, Al," she replied with a warm smile, returning the handshake.

'Damn, she is good,' Al thought to himself, smiling. She was right . . . 10 years ago was when Al Calavicci approached the government on behalf of Dr. Samuel Beckett to propose a project based on his theories and request funding for it. Although Dr. Donna Elesee now represented the Project at most of the committee meetings these days, there was still an occasional time where Al had to be there in person and continue to go to bat to make sure that funding wasn't cut off, and Sam Beckett would not be lost in time forever. "If I had known you were coming, Diane, I would have prepared a reception for you," he noted.

"I was in the neighborhood inspecting another government installation when I remembered your offer for a tour of this facility. I hope I haven't come at a bad time . . ." she started to say almost apologetically.

"You could never come at a bad time. I would be honored to give you the grand tour . . . and I'm sure Ziggy would love to meet you," Al told her, the smile on his face broadening.

"Isn't Ziggy a computer? I remember seeing several pages of items dedicated to various upgrades," Diane mentioned.

"A parallel hybrid computer," he corrected as he led the way to the elevator that would carry both of them into the heart of the facility. "She's capable of tracking multiple timelines, has an ego bigger than Mount Everest, and has a special neuro microchip."

"I think I've heard about it. It's made up of brain tissue from both Dr. Beckett and yourself . . . the first of its kind. And, if I remember correctly from reading your summary, it is what allows you to contact Dr. Beckett wherever he may be in time," she rattled off, trying to recall what she could about the top secret Project.

Al looked at her with a bit of a sparkle in his eyes . . . convinced that, ever since she had figured out the truth, she really did care enough about Quantum Leap and Sam to try whatever she could to keep the funding flowing. "You do remember . . . just like you had remembered Sam after the first funding hearing."

"My memory is not photographic like Dr. Beckett's is, but I do recall a lot of things from time to time, especially when it's something that I feel passionate about," Diane replied, following the Navy Rear Admiral off the elevator.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Al said lightly with another charming smile, leading the Senator down the hallway. "The first couple of floors of the Project are set up for living space and general offices for most of our staff. Not everyone lives here at the complex, but there are plenty of rooms available if they do need a place to stay. Also on those floors is a rec room with televisions, a pool table and other games, a cafeteria with an excellent staff of cooks, plus a work-out room with weights, various exercise equipment, and an olympic size pool. Heck, there's even a medical center with doctors, a pharmacy, and a surgery-trauma room, and electrical generators to create the power needed to keep the entire complex running should the power fail."

She heard the extensive list of living amenities that were provided for those who wished to reside at the Project as Al pointed out the various locations, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Now it's my turn to be impressed. You and Dr. Beckett thought of everything when building this facility. I can see why it cost $43 billion to construct this place."

The former astronaut was about to show the senator his office when a sultry female voice pierced the air, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. "I hate to interrupt your tour Admiral, but Dr. Beeks is requesting your presence in her office."

"What was that, Al?" Diane asked, stunned to hear a voice without seeing a body.

"That was Ziggy . . . the computer I was telling you about," he said to her. He then announced into the air, "Is there a problem, Ziggy?"

"The Visitor has regained consciousness, but Dr. Beeks has been unsuccessful in her attempts to gain the information required to determine who Dr. Beckett has Leaped into," the sexy voice announced.

That obviously wasn't something that the Project Administrator wanted to hear, although he tried hard to keep his composure in front of Diane. He didn't need her knowing that he wasn't too happy right about now. "Inform Verbena that we'll be there in a few minutes," Al spoke into the air, and then turned to his guest about ready to apologize.

"Duty calls, huh?" Diane quipped, her tone very understanding.

"Afraid so. Listen, I know I promised you the grand tour . . ." the former POW started to say apologetically. In a way, this was kind of why he didn't invite others from outside of the Project to come and visit, not even ones that had the clearance. There was no telling when Sam was going to Leap into someone, if he'd have to rush to the Imaging Chamber to fill Sam in on something important, or if he'd have to help Verbena deal with the Visitor in the Waiting Room.

"No need to apologize. I understand all too well, since the same often happens to me in my line of work," the Senator sympathized. "All of the committee meetings, things that come up at the last minute that demand your attention. It's a bit of a challenge to try and keep a balance."

"Well, if you don't mind a bit of waiting, maybe you could come down to the Control Room level with me. I was going to show that to you on the tour anyways, and it'll give you a chance to see how we work when Sam's Leaped into someone," he suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea, Al. Lead the way . . ."


CONTROL LEVEL

PROJECT QUANTUM LEAP

STALLIONS GATE, NEW MEXICO

The door to the elevator opened with a hiss, revealing a ramp that led into a large room with a strange console with multi-colored squares. A technician wearing all white with a lab coat to match stood behind it with a clipboard in hand. His brown curly hair was a bit disheveled, although his mustache was neatly groomed.

"Good afternoon Admiral, Senator McBride. Dr. Beeks is expecting you in her office," he greeted, looking up at them just for a brief moment before returning his attention to the printouts in front of him.

"Don't mind him . . . that's just Gooshie. In a way, he's kind of like Ziggy's mother, always dawdling over her and making sure that there's no problems. Just don't get too close or your nose might regret it," Al told Diane with a bit of a grin as he ushered her up another ramp to the Observation Area.

The look on her face clearly indicated that she had no idea what he was talking about with that comment towards one of his co-workers . . . although she was probably certain that she would find out. The thing that drew her short of asking about that was the sight of the Waiting Room through the one-way glass . . . and her first real look of Dr. Samuel Beckett.

"Is that . . .?" Diane started to ask, almost at a loss for words. She had met Dr. Beckett only once during the initial funding request for the Project . . . before he Leaped and Senator Joe Weitzman insisted on annual reviews of the funding.

"Yes and no. What you are seeing is the aura of Sam Beckett, almost like some kind of a metaphysical shell. If you were to compare an EEG from Sam to the person in that Waiting Room, you would see that they're totally different. If you were to go in there and talk to him, even the answers he would give you would be totally different," Al explained.

This made the Senator very curious, since she was still trying to fathom how exactly everything worked. "If Dr. Beckett has a different aura when he's in the past, then how do you know that it's him when you make contact?" she wondered.

"Most of us were outfitted with implants for security purposes. Gooshie found a way to have Ziggy modify the programming on mine. It works with my brain waves, allowing me to see Sam for himself when I contact him, and the person in the Waiting Room as themselves. Until Gooshie made that modification, the first Leaps were rough, especially when Sam Leaped into a woman . . ." the Rear Admiral admitted, trailing off at the end almost as if he was reminiscing a fantasy of pleasure.

"You should have seen him on that one, Senator. He could hardly keep his eyes from popping out of his head whenever he looked at Dr. Beckett within the Imaging Chamber. I'm Dr. Verbena Beeks, Project psychiatrist," an African American female said as she emerged from another door.

There was a look of amusement on the face of Senator McBride, who had heard long time ago about the womanizing Albert Calavicci. He had yet to disappoint . . . "Good to meet you."

"Sure, you had to tell her that part," Al quipped playfully. "So what's the deal with our Visitor in there?"

"He's a tough one, Admiral. He refused to tell me anything, no matter how much I tried. He says that he'll only talk to the person in charge," the psychiatrist noted. Her tone made it clear that Al was going to be the one who needed to go in there and get the information for Ziggy to start making projections on what Sam needed to do.

"You couldn't get him to talk?" the Naval pilot asked in astonishment. That was a definite first, since most Visitors had no problem opening up and sharing what they could remember about their lives with the gentle psychiatrist. "You're loosing your touch Beeksie."

"Or maybe not. I was able to pick up a couple of things based on the little he had said. First, he seems to be concerned with the fact that he might be imprisoned, which is an indication that he could be wanted by law enforcement agencies," she began to explain, only to be cut off by Al.

"Wanted by law enforcement? Great, just what we need . . . another Leon Styles," he muttered. Inwardly, he hoped that they would be able to contain the Visitor this time around a lot better than what happened with Leon, and also that Diane wouldn't ask about what happened.

Not missing a beat, and ignoring Al's comment, Verbena continued, "Second, he seems to have a genuine respect for authority. Third, he's a bit of a charmer, probably even more than you when you were in your prime, Admiral."

"Hey, I'm always in my prime," Al countered with a sly grin. "I'll be right back, Diane. Bena can turn on the microphones within the room so you can listen in on the conversation."

The Navy Rear Admiral walked into the Waiting Room with an air of authority about him, immediately laying eyes on the Visitor. Instead of the aura of Dr. Samuel Beckett, his best friend who was trapped in time, he saw a white male who was a bit younger with well groomed dark sandy blonde hair with natural golden highlights. Although he couldn't place a finger on it, somehow this person looked vaguely familiar . . .

Seeing a uniformed officer enter the room, especially one with a much higher rank than him, the Leapee immediately snapped to attention and offered a salute. 'Definitely military,' Al thought to himself as he returned the salute. "At ease. What's your name, rank and serial number, son?"

"Peck, Templeton . . . 1st Lieutenant, US Army . . . serial number 413624B," he replied, relaxing his stance slightly. He couldn't place why, but the person that stood before him . . . the guy in charge . . . there was just something about him that put him at ease, and eliminated any thought that there was some kind of a possible threat against him.

Al was overwhelmed with shock upon hearing that name, one from his past in Vietnam and had crossed his desk on several occasions. He tried hard to keep the look on his face stoic and authoritative. Clearing his throat in an attempt to regain his composure, he announced flatly, "I'm Admiral Calavicci, the person in charge of this complex. I hear you wanted to speak with me, Lieutenant."

"I'd like to know what is going on here, Admiral. Am I a prisoner?" Templeton asked, inwardly thankful that someone with some kind of rank or authority showed up to possibly answer his questions.

"If you mean if you're under arrest, no," the former POW started to say, not able to get much further before being interrupted.

"Then I can leave . . ." Peck assumed. Even though there was something familiar about this guy, there was still the inherent and instinctual need to leave, even though he still didn't know why. It was almost like a distant fog at the back of his memory, which refused to clear.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that . . . for your own safety, among other reasons," Al stressed, trying hard not to reveal too much since he didn't want to overwhelm him too soon and end up with a catatonic Leapee . . . someone who couldn't provide any details that may be needed to help Sam.

"Admiral, if I'm not under arrest but I can't leave here, will you at least please tell me what is going on?" the Army Lieutenant pleaded, starting to sound really frustrated due to all of the confusion. His voice betrayed him and indicated the anxiety with needing to leave.

"You happened to wander into a top secret instillation. Unless you have proper clearance, I can't tell you much more than that because it's classified," Al replied firmly. The silence between the two of them was enough to tell the Apollo astronaut his answer. "But, we could use answers to some of our own questions. First, do you remember what the date is?"

"May 12, 1986," Templeton replied, not thinking that there could be any danger in revealing the date.

"And what was the last thing you remember before waking up here?" Al wondered, hoping to get a bit more info that could help figure out what Sam had ended up in the middle of.

"I was in a van with my, uh, associates. I'm not sure why, but I can't remember their names or what we were doing. Why am I having problems remembering things?" Lt. Peck said, turning his answer around into another question.

"That's a side effect, probably traumatic shock from Le . . " Al started to say, quickly catching himself before he could make a major error. "From being caught, but there's nothing to worry about. We conducted some examinations to make sure that everything was okay. The gaps in your memory will fill in time. I have to go check on another situation, but I'll be back in a while. Dr. Beeks will probably want to talk to you as well." Inwardly, Al hoped that Templeton would be more accepting of Verbena's conversation this time around.

"Do you have any cute nurses you could send in to keep me company?" the Visitor asked with a bit of a boyish grin, trying to turn on the charm. At least if there was a woman or two, it would certainly help him pass the time a lot faster . . . and in so many ways!

"I'll see what we can do," Al replied, and then exited the Waiting Room. The moment he saw Verbena, he gave her a coy grin. "He's all ready for you. Time to work your magic, Beeksie."

"You know what I do doesn't have anything to do with magic, Admiral," Verbena replied earnestly, and then disappeared into the Waiting Room.

Diane McBride had watched and listened to the whole conversation, and was clearly stunned at the answers that was given by the person currently within the Waiting Room. "Al, that was incredible! That person looks exactly like Dr. Beckett, who's never served in the military, but his answers and actions indicate that he has," she expressed.

"I know. It was pretty hard for me the first few times until Ziggy made that modification to my implant. But, the job isn't done yet. I have to go into the Imaging Chamber and tell Sam what we've come up with. I can have Gooshie set you up at a video screen, and Ziggy can project what I see in the Imaging Chamber on there," the Navy Rear Admiral suggested.

"I can't go in there with you?" Senator McBride wondered, hoping that maybe she could get a chance to meet Sam Beckett . . . where ever he was in time . . . and personally thank him for saving her life.

"You could, but you wouldn't be able to see anything except for a big room with me talking to thin air," he revealed. "I might be able to set something up for later on, but the last time we did it, it drew so much power that we could light up all of St. Louis for a month!"

"If you could, I would like that. I would like to personally thank Sam for what he did to help me," Diane replied with an understanding smile as the two of them walked back into the Control Room.