Date: 05/14/2001
From: SouthernSlider

Hope you made it through the weekend unscathed. I made it through only a little worse for wear. Now to get through another week.

Let's see what's up with Quinn and the Professor.
------------------------------

Chapter Six

“My boy, is it really you?” said Professor Arturo. He stood there almost dumbfounded.

“It’s me, Professor,” said Quinn. At this precise second, he didn’t have the heart to tell him he wasn’t this man’s Quinn. He had to get inside and sit down. An explanation could just stumble out of his mouth without forethought. He was going to have to take this slow, but he knew he couldn’t let the professor go on believing he had
his own Quinn for very long.

“Well, don’t just stand there, boy. Come in! We have so much to discuss.”

Professor Arturo ushered him inside quickly and closed the door, but not before gazing around outside to see if anyone else was around to see his visitor. Seeing the yards and sidewalks were empty, a relieved look passed over him.

“Have you been to see anyone else since your return?” he asked as he showed Quinn to a seat. “Mr. Mallory, it is imperative that no one find out about your return just
yet. So much has happened since you left; you have to know how your discovery of time travel has progressed and affected this world.”

Quinn couldn’t let the professor go on thinking he had his own Quinn back with him. I have to tell him now.

“I have seen a few people, but no one that recognized me. A hotel clerk, a shop keeper, the taxi driver, no one that I knew personally. Professor . . .”

“Good lad. But I can’t believe they didn’t know who you were. I guess over the years everyone’s memory has faded a bit. Ah, well, you are here now, my boy. We have
more important things to discuss.”

Professor Arturo babbled on, not letting Quinn get in a single word. He rose and paced back and forth across the room, hands held behind his back just like Quinn’s
professor, spouting things Quinn knew nothing about. He talked so fast, Quinn’s brain didn’t have enough time to soak it all in.

“Professor!” Quinn stood suddenly, interrupting the man in mid-sentence. He guessed his voice projected a bit of urgency, for the rotund man stopped his pacing and
his chatter, and looked at him with a bit of shock.

“What is it, Mr. Mallory?”

Quinn just stared at him, wanting it to be his professor, wondering if this man could help him get to him. When Quinn didn’t answer right away, Professor Arturo continued on.

“I guess I have dominated the conversation. I’m sorry, lad. I am just so excited to see you again. But I’m sure you have as much or more to tell me, than I you. Please, do
talk to me. I want all the details. How on earth did you return? When the letters stopped coming, and we did the research, it was found . . .”

“Professor, I have something of a different nature I need to explain to you,” Quinn interrupted. “I’m sure you will have no trouble understanding this, being a man of
science.”

Quinn took a deep breath before spilling the beans. Professor Arturo frowned at him, but waited for his next words.

“I am not your Quinn, Professor.”

The professor’s frown turned slowly to a smile. “Well, of course, you aren’t, my boy. Six years have passed. Then you were an untried, immature college kid. Now you’re a man -- a time traveler. The experience is bound to change you, in ways I’m not even aware of yet.” He gave Quinn a reassuring pat on the back.

“No, Professor, you don’t understand. I am not the Quinn who has been traveling through time.” Professor Arturo stepped back, jerking his hand from Quinn’s shoulder as
if he had just said he had a highly contagious disease. “I am the Quinn who travels to parallel universes.”

Professor Arturo stood there staring, an odd look of wonderment and disbelief on his face. Quinn could almost see the gears of thought spinning in his head. He said no
more for the moment, hoping to let those few words sink in first.

Finally the professor spoke. “You mean to tell me, Mr. Mallory, that you’ve been to other worlds, and not back in time. But those letters you wrote . . .”

“No, Professor, you misunderstand.” Quinn raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. Maybe this wasn’t going to be as easy as he thought. “I am a Quinn from
another world who discovered how to travel to parallel dimensions. I’m not your Quinn. I’m not the Quinn from this world who discovered how to travel in time. He, obviously, is still back in that time.” He expelled his breath, hoping -- no, praying -- the professor would grasp an understanding of what he was saying.

“My God!” Professor Arturo turned his back on Quinn, trying to comprehend his meaning, then whirled around to face him once more. “You are from a parallel
dimension? You actually found the Einstein-Rosen-Podolsky bridge?”

“Oh, Professor, you do understand!” he said, taking long strides to close the distance between him and his mentor’s double.

“Of course, I understand, you blistering idiot. I am a man of science. What? Do you think on this world that Professor Maximillian P. Arturo would not have the proper
knowledge of his field? What kind of scientist are you, young man?”

Quinn couldn’t help but smile at this professor’s outrage. <<Just like my own professor. Some things never change.>> He let the man continue his outburst until he had
exhausted his vocabulary on name-calling.

When Professor Arturo ended his little tirade, he stared at the man before him. He looked identical to his young protégé, yet he was from an entirely different world. How ironic that fate would allow him to be involved in two challenging scientific discoveries by identical young upstarts in the form of Quinn Mallory. He calmed himself enough to speak again in a more normal voice.

“Mr. Mallory, I must say this quite astounding. You must forgive my outburst. It is just . . .”

“There is nothing to forgive, Professor. I am relieved you are here on this world. We can help each other.”
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This may have to hold you until Wednesday. Not sure I can get on tomorrow to post the next chapter. If I do it would be late afternoon or early evening. But don't hold your breath. More than likely you'll have to wait until Wednesday. Sorry.

SS

Great job

Date: 05/14/2001
From: SweetOne

I'll be checking Wednesday.

Hope you have a wonderful week.

SweetOne

Will be Waitng

Date: 05/14/2001
From: sliderlynn

for Wednesday. It will be well worth the wait, to see what
happens next.????????????????????????????????????????????
Keep going, wonderful story.:)

I love it

Date: 05/14/2001
From: Missye

I will miss you tomorrow, but I can make it two days without a chapter so I can wait one. I love this story.
Missye

Now we're gettin somewhere.

Date: 05/15/2001
From: DieselMickeyDolenz

Woo hoo! The professor finally made it into a SouthernSlider fanfic! May I assume we won't be needing a fan around while he's in the story? :P

My online time is severly limited this week, but I'll try to tune in Wednesday for the next chapter.

DMD

Original URL http://www.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/1095/3391
Nominated by DieselMickeyDolenz