Probation
July 25, 1965
Sam leaps into man who is on a sidewalk in a small town, which appears to be in the 1960's. He looks around and everyone gives him stern and means looks.
Then a passenger in a truck passing by yells out, "Go home murderer!"
Sam is confused but then reads the note he has in his hand. It reads:
Jacob Denton
Released on probation for a minimum of ten years from this date forward. July 20, 1965.
To not have contact with the Rasmussen family, of which the crime of murder was committed by the subject on December 24, 1952.
Signed the Honorable Judge P. F. Henning presiding.
Sam is shocked that he's leaped into a parolee, and spouts, "Oh, Boy."
As he is met with stern looks and stares from the townsfolk, Sam Beckett walks down a sidewalk storefront. He sees his reflection and it is one of a man about 65. His hair is gray and he has a straggly mustache.
"You shouldn't have come back, Denton." A man says As Sam comes face to face with the sheriff.
"I'm sorry. But I'm sure I have business here." As Sam struggles to say.
"Well…you outta get going about it. Before someone take the law into their own hands." The sheriff informs.
As the law officer walks off still keeping an eye on Sam, the leaper wonders why he has leaped here. Was it to do well or did he leap in to stop another crime from happening.
"Looking for answers…" Al says as he startles Sam.
"Al! How many times have I told you not to do that?"
"More than I can remember. But it's always fun to see you jump."
"Well if you haven't noticed I am not very…welcome. After all I am on parole for murder."
"Well that's why you're here. Let's see it's July 25, 1965. Your name is-"
"Jacob Denton. Yeah I know that. He committed murdered in 19-" Sam cuts off as someone walks by. "1952."
"Yeah. Denton murdered an elderly couple named Julian and Betty Rasmussen. He was sentenced to 45 years but was released five days ago for good behavior."
"Tell me something I don't know." Sam nervously asks.
"Well you-I means Denton was ordered by the judge to contact the victims family and apologize. Then he is to make contact with his probation officer."
"Well…what happened."
"In about two hours he was never heard from again…"
Sam looks at Al and wonders what will happen to him.
'Every leap I come into comes with danger. Sometimes I know right away, and sometimes I figure it out at a critical moment. Then there are leaps like this where I don't know where or when the danger will come from.'
As Sam approaches a house, he is nervous. It isn't because he has never met these people before, it's because he is the man responsible for murdering their grandparents.
Just as Sam is about to open the walk gate to the house, a truck pulls up and two men grab him and put him in the truck and drive off. They proceed to beat down Sam until he's unconscious.
When Sam awakens he hears voices but doesn't see anything. He realizes that he's blindfolded. His arms are hung above him and he can smell the stench of farm animals namely cows and horses. He realizes he is in a barn somewhere.
"Hey…Denton! Wake up! It's time for your justice!"
One man takes off the blindfold and Sam recognizes on of his captors. It is the sheriff. The other is the two who heckled him earlier.
The imaging chamber door opens and Al walks out and sees Sam's predicament.
"Sam…what are you doing here? You're supposed to meeting with Denton's probation officer!'
"Well I am a little busy at the moment."
"Sam the odds of original history staying them same are nearly 100."
"Well what am I going to do about it?"
"Man he's more crazy than before he went to the slammer." One of the captors says.
"Look…I'm not who you think I am. My name is Sam-"
"That doesn't matter! You killed two people. And the justice system has failed us again. Now you are going to be given what you deserve." The sheriff says.
At that moment, Sam hears a gunshot. The sheriff falls to the ground dead. Then two men come in and hit the other two captors over the head. Sam doesn't recognize them but he knows they are there to help him.
The older one, a middle-aged man says, "Cut him down."
The other man, a younger man does so. They help Sam up and give him his belonging in the corner.
"Well now…it looks like you have a something to do."
Al interrupts, "Sam this is Judge P.F. Henning, the judge who let Sam go."
"Yeah, I do."
Sam figures that the younger man is a relative of Denton's victims. He agrees and says, "I am sorry for all the pain I have caused you and your family."
"That's good, boy. Now we'd better get these guys to town. There'll be some questions. But I knew that they were crooked. And it was up to you to lure them out. You did a good job boy."
"Thanks. Uh, Judge could I have a minute alone."
"Certainly." He agrees.
"Al, I did. At least I think I did. What happened?"
"Well, in original history, Denton didn't come anywhere near the house of the Rasmussen family. That messed up the plan of the judge who was setting up the town sheriff."
"So I did change history. But what about Denton."
"He's given a full pardon in 1995, when new evidence overturned his conviction. But it was too late he died the day before he to be pardoned."
"So I was here to make sure that justice was served, in the right way."
"Yeah. Well I guess you'd better get ready to leap."
Sam smiles and he leaps out to the next mission that he is to change for the better.
As the shimmering of the leap subsides Sam sees that he is in an old control room that looks like a test sight.
"Preparing the final countdown. 15, 14, 13, 12-" the loudspeaker says.
Sam looks around and sees a map with a small town nearby, and a dot on it that is marked A-Bomb Test Sight.
"Wait you have to stop the countdown!"
"No! It's almost done."
Sam sees an abort switch on a panel and he flips it. The loud speaker then announces, "Test Aborted."
A man in an army uniform comes over and grabs Sam by the shirt and yells, "You better have a good excuse for doing that Doctor!"
Sam struggles and sputters, "Oh, Boy."