Chapter 14
Ben tried to ignore the pain in his chest as he stared at Sam, uncomprehending. “What do you mean it’s you?”
“I mean he’s… a version of me, Ben.” Sam clawed at his hair, pacing. “A long time ago, I leaped into that guy.”
“Oh my god…” Ben’s mind raced as he pieced together this information. “So wait—wait a second. Don’t you remember what happened, then? If it’s you but earlier on the timeline…”
“It never happened this way before. This leap was all about tracking down Nick’s lost kid. I never crossed paths with another leaper here, not the first time around. They must be overwriting it all as we speak—there’s no telling what could happen next.”
“Dammit.” Ben rubbed the left side of his chest unconsciously. “How do I get into the studio undetected?”
Sam watched him, looking concerned. “Are you feeling okay?”
Ben noticed what he was doing, and frowned. “I don’t know. I can’t worry about that right now. Just help me get in there and save your life.”
Sam looked at him grimly. “Okay. But please keep me updated on your symptoms.” He gestured on the handlink—like a pro, Ben thought—and nodded. “Okay, there is a back entrance to the studio through the Green Room.” He pointed down the hall. “Go that way, take two lefts, and you should find it.”
Ben headed off in that direction, cantering as best he could with the uncomfortable pain and breathlessness he was experiencing.
Sam was waiting for him at the entrance to the Green Room, which was thankfully open, and he found the stage door, a sign lit above it telling him to be quiet as filming was in progress. He didn’t need to be told to be quiet; that was a given.
“I’ll check the other side,” said Sam, passing through the door. He returned a moment later. “They won’t see you; the door is behind one of the backdrop panels. Just make sure to be silent.”
Ben nodded. “Is everyone still alive in there?” he whispered.
“For now,” Sam said, looking pale. “Hurry, but be careful.”
Ben gingerly opened the door, crept into the studio, and silently closed it behind him. He crept to the edge of the plywood backdrop, listening. Sam moved past him, watching the scene that Ben couldn’t see.
“How did you find me?” ‘Nick’ demanded.
“Well, we got lucky in this case. I wasn’t here for you, but then we started picking up all kinds of little changes in history. We knew it must have been another leaper, and it wasn’t one of ours. So sure, maybe we acted a little… over-the-top in getting you here, but hey—can’t argue with results, right?”
Ben exchanged a look with Sam, who gestured for him to move further around behind the backdrops.
“Head that way, Ben. You might be able to ambush her from behind.”
Ben nodded, and started inching his way to the other side of the studio, trying hard not to make a sound.
“Okay, so you have me,” continued ‘Nick’, “Now what? Are you going to kill me?”
“As itchy as my trigger finger is, I’m not here to kill you… not this time. That’s why I have my hostage here. I know you wouldn’t let this innocent man die.”
Ross whimpered at the mention.
Ben reached the other side of the studio, peeking an eye out to see what was happening. Ross and ‘Margaret’ were facing away from him. A good place to ambush from, but he’d have to be careful with the gun in the mix.
“If you’re not gonna kill me, then what do you want with me?” demanded ‘Nick’.
The antagonistic leaper looked towards her unseen hologram, apparently exchanging some unspoken agreement. Then she looked back at ‘Nick’.
“We have a little task for you. Some mathematical problems to figure out for us. You’re the smartest guy around, right? I’m sure it’ll take you no time.”
“You’re asking for my help…?”
“I wasn’t asking.” She waved the gun as a reminder of the stakes, before slapping a folded-up sheet of paper on the news desk.
‘Nick’ furrowed his brow, leaning over and snatching up the paper. As his line of sight changed, he caught Ben’s eye for a split second. Pretending he hadn’t seen him, he unfolded the paper and scanned the contents, which Ben was unable to see. Sam, on the other hand, moved in and read the paper with his counterpart.
They both finished reading simultaneously.
“Tracking…” they said in one voice.
‘Nick’ looked up to the hostage-taker. “I can’t finish this.”
Sam turned to Ben. “If I complete this for them, we’ll both be in serious trouble, Ben.”
“Can’t, or won’t?” ‘Margaret’ asked.
“Won’t.” He shook his head. “But this is ridiculous. You have me right here. You could just kill me now and be done with it—why waste time with a tracking algorithm?”
‘Margaret’ seemed surprised by this. “Because of the others.”
“Others…?”
“Other goody-goody leapers. We know of at least one other. Two separate mental asylum record logs from the fifties make mention of a ‘Ben Song.’ He must be one of yours? Particularly since one of the asylums also recorded one Sam Beckett.”
Uh-oh.
‘Nick’ stared blankly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I work alone now—I don’t even have a hologram. I don’t put anyone in danger but myself.”
“So… what about the little guy hiding behind the backdrops?” she said, turning and looking pointedly at Ben. “Yes, hello. I know you’ve been creeping around.”
“Her hologram must have seen you…” Sam said, slapping a palm to his forehead.
“Come on out where I can see you.”
Sam swallowed. “You… had better do what she says for now.”
Reluctantly, Ben stepped out into the open, his hands raised.
“James?” Ross said, surprised to see Ben in the studio.
“That’s just a reporter that works here,” ‘Nick’ argued. “I only met him twenty minutes ago!”
“Oh please—he’s been having conversations with thin air,” said ‘Margaret,’ tilting her head as she looked Ben up and down.
This made ‘Nick’ look to Ben with wide, fearful eyes. Accusing eyes.
“Wait…” Sam said, feverishly typing at the handlink. “Buy me a minute, I have an idea.”
“Look lady, I just talk to myself when I’m alone,” Ben said. “I don’t know what kind of crazy stuff you’re talking about with holographs and leapers. I’m just a second rate news reporter. Honest.”
‘Margaret’ laughed. “The jig’s up, alright? No sense denying it. Lothos already confirmed it.”
“Lothos?” Ben squinted. “Sounds like a Star Trek villain. Is that what this is? Some kinda LARP?”
Whatever you’re doing, Sam, Ben thought, do it quickly. This is gonna get me shot.
“I’ve covered LARPers on my beat before,” he continued, perhaps unwisely. The words were slipping out naturally, as if they weren’t coming from him at all, but from James. “They’re not usually as well-groomed as you, though. Oh, did I say that out loud? Well, it’s not like they’re here to hear that.”
As he rambled, Sam moved to his former self’s side and tapped something on the handlink. At that moment, a piercing sound and a flash of light came from him, leaving him rubbing his eyes.
A quiet gasp came from ‘Nick’, whose eyes were fixed on the hologram. Sam put a finger to his lips.
Imaging Chamber Protocol Sierra Bravo, Ben suddenly recalled. Addison had used it when they’d first encountered Sam at the asylum.
“Pretend you can’t see me, but listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you,” Sam told ‘Nick.’
Ben continued his distraction. “But seriously, are you all having some kind of mental break? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
As he spoke, Sam leaned in to his counterpart’s ear and whispered something that Ben couldn’t hear.
“Someone will be in an ambulance in a minute if you don’t shut up,” ‘Margaret’ snarled.
Ben flicked his gaze to ‘Nick,’ whose eyes were glistening. He wondered what Sam had told him, but he wouldn’t be finding that out right now.
Sam turned to him. “Ben, all you need to do is get her distracted and looking the other way long enough for him to sneak up behind and grab the gun. Can you do that?”
But Ben barely heard him as a feeling of dizziness began to overtake him, and the dull ache in his chest became a shooting pain. He clutched his chest with the arm that wasn’t feeling numb.
“Oh, not now,” was all he could say before he collapsed to the floor.
“Very creative,” the woman said drily. “Get up, will you?”
Ben glared up at her from the floor. “Why don’t you… check James… Reed’s cause of death,” he croaked. As the edges of his vision closed in, he saw the woman’s face look to her left, and then lose its incredulity.
“Huh,” she said. “Well then, I suppose that takes care of—”
‘Nick’ had seized the morbid opportunity to enact his plan, roundhouse kicking the gun. It went flying across the studio. He then punched the woman hard in the jaw, leaving her to fall to the ground in a similar position to Ben.
‘Nick’ dropped to his knees beside Ben. “Hey, listen, hold on for me, okay? You’re having some kind of cardiac episode.”
“His host suffers from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy,” the holographic Sam provided. “He’ll survive this if he gets medical attention.”
“Hospital…” Ben mumbled.
‘Nick’ looked to the side, nodding to Ross.
“It’s okay, the news anchor is calling them right now.” He reached out, taking Ben’s hand, triggering the strange morphing effect that he and Sam had once shared.
And the Sam Beckett he saw emerge out of Nick Bowers was much, much younger than the one he had seen the last time. Couldn’t have been older than fifty.
“So you really are… like me, huh?” the younger Sam said, smiling down at him with a gentle expression. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh… boy…” Ben whispered. Then, he lost consciousness.