Once again the Jem'Hadar attacked Watt, and once again the battle was fierce. Using every piece of their fighting skill, they fought Watt tooth and nail, using fists and phaser. Those watching had to take cover several times, or they would have found themselves dead at the hands of 24th century weaponry. For one of the few times in his life, Gushie felt brave, and although phaser blasts rained down all around him, he continued to monitor the situation in the imaging chamber. The energy from the phaser blasts were sending the energy levels sky high, and with Beckett's task done, Gushie knew that he could leap any minute.
As Magus joined Watt in the battle with the Jem'Hadar warriors, everyone failed to notice Admiral Thrawn reach into his tunic, and take out a small device. Pressing a button on the rounded device, he approached the imaging chamber. The phaser grenade was ready, and if he couldn't take Reid back with him, he would make sure no one else could, no matter what his orders were.
The Jem'Hadar now seemed near defeat, and Gushie continued to monitor Beckett's situation. It was only by chance that Gushie looked up to see Thrawn approaching the imaging chamber, phaser grenade in hand. Only Gushie's shouting alerted Watt, and seeing Thrawn, he knew instantly what Thrawn wanted to do. Leaving the battle to Magus, Watt used his tremendous speed to rush past Thrawn and into the imaging chamber. Once inside, he shielded Reid with his body as Thrawn tossed the grenade into the chamber.
At the same moment that the grenade entered the chamber, the process began. Sam Beckett began to leap. The grenade went off, and had Reid and Watt not shielded their eyes, they would have been blinded by the blast. Gushie continued to watch the monitors. The energy readings were now higher than they had ever been, even when Beckett had been leaping. Gushie tried to get Ziggy to get a lock on Beckett's next destination, but the super-computer could not.
Magus had had enough. For ages now he had fought his enemies from the 24th century nearly four hundred years in the past. They had tried to change that which had happened, had attempted to break the First Law of Time, a law which he held sacred. Now he had had enough. Using a vast amount of his power, he enclosed Thrawn and his warriors with temporal energy, and sent them and their ships back to the 24th century where they belonged.
At the main control panel, Gushie and Alessi began to panic. Try as they might, they could find no trace of Beckett. It was as if he had just vanished off their temporal map.
They looked up as Magus walked over to the panel, and placed his hand on the main control panel.
"What are you doing?" asked Alessi.
"Gaining access to your computer, Doctor," said Magus.
"But you don't know the codes."
"I don't need codes."
Magus closed his eyes as his mind became one with Ziggy. Adding much of his power to Ziggy, he began to scan the time zones that Ziggy could not cover, time zones that she had no knowledge of.
Suddenly his eyes opened.
"I've found him."
"Quick," said Al. "Start the retrieval program. We have to see if he's alright."
"That is not possible, Admiral," said Magus. "Project Quantum Leap was not designed to encompass the year 2372."
"You mean he's gone back to the future again?" asked Alessi.
"If he has, why can't we contact him this time?"
"Because Dr. Beckett has travelled to 2372 as himself," Magus replied. "Your theories will not work Doctor."
Magus then stepped away from the control panel, and went to leave when Watt and Reid left the imaging chamber.
"I didn't know you'd followed me here to America, Magus," said Watt.
Magus turned and stared at Watt. A slight smile appeared on his face.
"I did not follow you, James. I am not of this time. I am from 2372. I must go."
Magus turned to Alessi.
"I will make you this promise, Doctor. If I can return your husband to you, I will."
Before Magus walked out of the door, he turned to Watt.
"It was good to see you again, James. I hope I will be able to find you again, very soon."
Magus then left, leaving Watt slightly confused.
Raven Manor, England, 2000
It had been two days since Watt had returned to England, leaving Reid behind. Reid had hoped that he could help repair the damage done to Project Quantum Leap by the Jem'Hadar, but earlier that day, Reid had phoned Watt to tell him that the U.S. Government had withdrawn their backing for the project.
Now, seated at his desk in his study, he began to think. While Magus had spoken to him before he left the project, the wizard had planted a name in his mind, a name that had repeated itself over and over again—"Kabreigny Object"—and a set of numbers. To Watt they seemed like a set of coordinates. Perhaps they were, but now, something was compelling him to do something.
Taking a pen in his hand, he began to write a letter—"To the direct descendant of Admiral Albert Calevicchi not to be opened until the Earth year 2370". He then began to write of the events of the past few days, detailing all that happened. In a way he was breaking the First Law of Time, a law that he would one day hold sacred. Magus also cherished this law, but perhaps the wizard would forgive him for this "minor" transgression.
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