John Beckett - 1. Prologue

August, 2010

Prologue

Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator, and vanished.

He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own, and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al; an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so, Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong, and hoping each time that his next leap, will be the leap home.

July 5th, 2001

John Beckett was five years old. He was playing with his toy cars quietly in the living room. His Mom, Donna was watching quietly, observing her son. John looks up at his mother, “Mom, why isn't Dad here for my birthday?”

Donna smiled quietly at her dark haired, green eyed wonder. “You know why, John. Your Dad is very busy.” But the truth is Donna doesn't want her son to know that he'll probably never meet his father.

Her husband was Dr. Sam Beckett, the head of a top secret team called Project Quantum Leap. Sam theorized that one could time travel within his own lifetime. But when the funding for the project was threatened before it could be tested, he stepped into the accelerator and vanished.

John was Sam's son, and has never met his father. He was conceived one night about five years ago, during the one day Sam was home before he went off to rescue Admiral Al Calavicci, Sam's closest friend and observer. Al and Sam had traded places during a lightening strike, bringing Sam home, but putting Al in harm's way.

John had a birthday party on the past weekend. All his friends were there, and his Dad's friend Al even made a rare appearance with his wife Tina. It was a fun party for John with hot dogs, cake, and lots of presents!

John was a smart kid though. At age five, he was home schooled because he was ahead of his peers in school. Right now he'd be in grade nine, and Donna didn't want her son to be teased and tormented. So she kept him at home, and taught him herself with her own PhD to back it up.

September 8th, 2015

Ian held John in his arms as they cuddled on the couch. They were watching TV quietly. John's mother had run to the store to get a few things. In the last fourteen years, John had grown up, with his mother's gentle guidance. He graduated from high school by age eight, and then went on to do two bachelor's degrees, two master's degrees, and a PhD.

Ian caressed John's arm. “What are you thinking about?” Ian was about 5'5” with blond hair, and the same green eyes that John had.

“My Dad” John replied. Ian knew how much his fiance desired to find his father. His mother had told him time after time that he worked at the US military base nearby, but didn't live at home due to the long hours. Ian worked at the same base, as a scientist. What Ian never told John was that he worked at Project Quantum Leap.

Ian was 25 to John's 19 years of age. Ian had a PhD in physics, and enjoyed being a scientist for the military. John being the prodigy he is had a PhD in physics, and a masters in quantum theory. Ian was quite proud of his fiance. They were planning to be married on the most perfect day – January 1st.

John closed his eyes in his lover's warm embrace. Although he wasn't obsessed with it, he did want to find his father. He found it odd that despite living so close, he would never visit. John was generally a go-getter, and perhaps even a bit controlling. Ian was his balance, and John was thankful they had met two years ago when Ian was in one of John's classes.

It was about 3 am when Ian woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. Donna had come in to wake him up as Ian had left it in the family room. “Montegro” Ian answered.

“Dr. Montegro, it's Gooshie. We have a problem.” Ian put the phone on speaker so Donna could hear. He looked at the bedside table where he set down the phone, and his access pass for the base was missing.

“What problem could possibly arise at 3 am?!? I have a meeting in three hours, Gooshie, and I'm exhausted.”

“You are engaged to Dr. John Beckett, yes?”

Ian looked a little flustered at that. “Yes, but what...”

“IT'S TOO LATE! HE'S LEAPING!” Ian and Donna could hear Al yell in the background.

“GOOSHIE! WHO THE FUCK IS LEAPING?!?” Ian was white as a ghost, with cold sweat over him in fear.

Gooshe audibly gulped. “Dr. John Beckett.”