Date: 05/17/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Another day, another chapter. Let's get to it.
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Chapter Eight

Professor Arturo, Quinn and Colin walked up to the doors of the research building at the University of California. It was nothing like the one on Quinn’s world. There was
so much more to it -- taller, more spread out, more modern, and that was just the outside. He was chaffing at the bit to see what the inside offered. He guessed the discovery of time travel had elevated the research on this world to mammoth proportions.

Arturo ushered them around to the side of the building and into some obscure doors toward the back. He looked one way and then the other to see if their entrance had been noticed. Seemingly, no one was paying any attention to the trio.

He scurried up the metal stairs, tucked snugly in the small stairwell, with as much haste as his rotund physique would allow, with Quinn and Colin right behind. Their heels
clicked loudly, echoing along the way. On the landing of the fourth floor, he flung open the heavy door leading into a deserted hallway.

“Ah, good just as I thought. Everyone seems to have vacated the place for their noon meal. We should be in relative privacy,” said the professor as he unlocked a door
down the way, sporting a brass nameplate with Maximillian P. Arturo, Head of Research engraved on it. He hurriedly closed and locked the door behind them. His demeanor
didn’t go unnoticed by Quinn.

They found themselves in a large room with the normal things one would expect to see in the office of the head of a college department -- large desk with papers scattered
on top, and a lamp; a comfortable-looking chair; several filing cabinets; and shelf upon shelf lining the walls crammed with books. There was also a nice leather sofa and
matching chair with a low table at the other end of the room, with a TV and VCR in the corner. Quinn did notice the lack of wall plaques and awards he expected to see.

“Professor, I assume you have a reason for being so secretive about our presence. When I first found you, you asked if anyone had seen me. Now you’re sneaking around
to avoid everyone,” Quinn stated. He and Colin both looked around the room with curiosity as he had his say.

“Well, I must say, it would be quite a shock if anyone saw you and mistook you for my Mr. Mallory. Why, it might start a world-wide panic if the news media found out.” He went to his files immediately to search for his notes on time travel.

“And why would that be, Professor?” asked Colin.

Professor Arturo stopped his search and looked up at the strange, yet familiar looking, young man. <<Good God! They don’t know!>>

“I think I have a bit of explaining to do. Please have a seat.” He spent several more seconds flipping through his files. Pulling out a worn, stuffed folder, he then
closed the drawer shut with roughness. Making his way to the sofa in silence, he lowered himself to the cushions with a heavy sigh. The folder made a loud slap on the table in front of him as he carelessly plopped it down.

“Mr. Mallory . . . er, Mr. Mallory,” he nodded to the familiar one, then to the other, “I’m afraid I have one aspect of time travel to relate to you that you have not
considered.” His voice matched his face -- somber. “once you leave your present time, you can not return.”

He felt more than heard the intake of breath from his student’s double. Watching his face intently, Professor Arturo could see the disappointment mingled with shock. He
wanted to apologize, but said nothing.

“So that is why you received those letters from your Quinn?” said Colin, “But why did they stop coming?”

Professor Arturo cut his eyes to Quinn before answering. He could almost see the thoughts churning like a rough sea in the lad’s mind. His next bit of news would do nothing to calm the waters.

“The second he kept his father from dying, he started to live out that timeline. As far as we know, he has no memory of the life he had lived before. The different timeline is his life now. In our experimentations, it happened to everyone the same way. People would go back days -- sometimes only hours -- before a certain event they wanted to change. Family and friends heard from them much the same way I heard from Mr. Mallory, detailing the events up until the point things change. Then there has never been
anymore news. No one has ever returned or been heard from.”

Colin took a quick look at his brother. His face was void of color. He wasn’t even sure if Quinn was breathing. His eyes carried no life in them whatsoever. Quinn lowered his lids and shut out the world.

<<Now what? Do I go back and save my father? Or stay here and have a life with my brother? If I do go back, I keep from killing the professor, subjecting Wade to the Kromaggs and taking her away from her family, and I give Remmy back his life. That is, if I don’t repeat history and slide blindly like the first time. He said I wouldn’t remember this life. I won’t remember all the problems I caused by sliding too soon. But then, if I do save my father, I give up knowing about my brother, and saving Maggie from her doomed earth.>>

His eyes fluttered open to see his brother and the professor staring at him. All he could see in their eyes was each one begging him to choose them. Colin’s image pleaded with him to stay; the professor’s begged him to save his life. Quinn heard a groan and knew it was his own indecisive lament.

He saw the professor shove the folder of information across the table. His lips were moving, but Quinn could hear no words. Fear and panic buzzed in his ears; all reasoning fled from his mind. He felt dizzy. He had felt those emotions before -- on worlds when their lives were in danger -- but not to these proportions. The room swayed
and dimmed. His world closed in on him like the eye of a camera as the shutter is released. The view of his surroundings grew smaller until there was nothing but
blackness.
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Oh, the dilemma! What is our poor Quinn going to do? Only time will tell. lol.

SS

gasp

Date: 05/17/2001
From: DieselMickeyDolenz

What will he do indeed? And who'se to say Quinn was even sucessful in changing the past? Quinn's dad is still dead in our timeline. Maybe Quinn just..... vanished.

DMD

poor Quinn

Date: 05/17/2001
From: Missye

torn between 3 people he cares about. If he choses his father then he may never invent sliding and will never know of his brother, if he choses the Professor and keeping Wade from the Kromaggs he will never know his brother, and if he stays everything he remembers will haunt him. Oh it is overwhelming.
MIssye

What To Do ???

Date: 05/18/2001
From: sliderlynn

Poor Quinn.I really feel sorry for him now.Will wait
patiently for the next chapter. Very good story SS.
I know that there will be a twist coming soon. When????
:)

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1095/3397
Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz