'Friends of yours?' asked Price,

'Not exactly, Major Price.' said the man. 'I'm retired US Navy Admiral Herbert Williams, Director of the reactivated time travel project known as Quantum Leap. My colleague is former Army Intelligence Officer Addison Augustine, who serves as our primary observer.'

'Operations were suspended when we lost contact with you, Dr Beckett,' Addison explained, in response to the puzzled expression on Beckett's face. 'Last year my fiance, quantum physicist Dr. Ben Song, assembled a new team to restart Project Quantum Leap, in order to understand the mysteries behind the machine. Unfortunately, his association with another individual led him to use the Project Accelerator to take an unauthorized trip to the past. We eventually discovered the pair were attempting to stop Richard Martinez, a rogue leaper, from assassinating me, because he believed my death would somehow prevent Earth experiencing an apocalyptic future.'

'How do you know my name?' asked Price.

'We've been able to monitor your conversations' said Addison, who began tapping the device in her hand. 'Okay, today's date is Friday, 7th July 2023.'

'That's what it was before I found myself here!'

'Same for me.' added Gant.

'Of course!' sighed Kontarsky. 'I wondered how you'd aged so quickly!'

'That's not very helpful!' snapped Williams.

'I'm KGB, we don't do helpful!'

'What else?' Beckett asked

'According to our supercomputer Ziggy, you were supposed to leap into a KGB private named Leonid Belousov, only for the leap to be disrupted by a massive energy wave, which seems to have merged a copy of our reality with a number of others.

'Actually,' said Price, 'I have a crazy theory about that, but I'm going to need to do some more checking first.'

'Why Belousov?, asked Kontarsky.

'I'm afraid we don't know, Sir,' replied Addison. Due to you and Belousov coming from a different version of history, and the date being the same at both ends, there are none of the historical records available that we'd normally be able to use. In addition, Belousov is currently unconscious in our on site medical facility, and thus unable to assist us.'

'Any other questions?, asked Williams.

'Yes, actually,' responded Beckett. 'Why is she the observer instead of Al?'

'I'm afraid Admiral Calavicci is no longer available to serve as observer, Dr. Beckett,' said Addison. 'Regrettably, I have to inform you that he died from natural causes on 7 November 2021.'

Professor Dumbldore broke the silence that followed. 'Please accept our condolences.'

'Thank you, sir.' Beckett turned to face Addison. 'Who was the other individual you mentioned, the one whose work with your fiance led to him to make a premature leap?'

Addison gulped, and briefly looked sown. 'Janis Calavicci, youngest of Al and Beth's four daughters'

'Why would she do something like that?'

'She wasn't happy about being excluded from the revival of Project Quantum Leap. Apparently, her emotional ties to the original project were considered a liability.'

Becket switched his gaze to Williams. 'A liability?!'

'Allow me to point out, Dr Beckett,' responded Williams.'That I am currently in charge of Project Quantum Leap!'

'Well, allow me to point out, Admiral Williams, that without me, there wouldn't be a Project Quantum Leap, and you'll have ended your life as a Signalman Second Class, floating face down, dead, full of bullet holes, in a river in Vietnam!'

'That's enough!' bellowed Price. 'Is there any possibility of making Janis an official part of the team?'

'I doubt it,' said Addison. 'Even if she was willing, we don't know where she is!

'After being rejected for the project, she pretty much cut contact with her mother and sisters.' Williams added.

'Well, I suggest you make an effort, Admiral,' said Beckett, 'because I for one would feel more comfortable having Janis working with us than against us. Besides, to paraphrase James T. Kirk, it wouldn't be Quantum Leap without a Calavicci on the team!'

'Easier said than done! We currently have no way of directly communicating with her!'

'Then I suggest you find a way, Admiral! On the subject of communication, has anyone at your end spoken to Donna yet?'

'Not yet. We thought it would be better to check the situation before contacting your wife.'

'Fair enough.'

'I've just remembered something!, said Ginny. 'Dr. Beckett said his observer appeared in the form of a hologram, that usually only he could see or hear, so how can we all see and hear both of you?

Addison turned to Williams, and then back to the group. 'Probably a side effect of the enchantments MACUSA chose to apply to the imaging chamber.'

'Magical Congress of the United States of America,' explained Mr Weasley. 'It's the American equivalent of our own Ministry of Magic. Their wizards and witches use the term No-Maj to refer to muggles. Interaction between the two worlds was banned for 175 years, but that law was fortunately repealed in 1965.'

Any further discussion was halted by a shrill warble from the device in Addison's hand, prompting her to look at the screen, a confused expression forming across her face.

'Anythin wrong, miss?' asked Hagrid

Addison looked up. 'Hogwarts, we have a problem!'