Future Quest
"Part Four"
by Montage

DISCLAIMER: They aren't mine, I just love 'em! And, trust me, I'm not
worth suing!

Jessie looked at the screen before her, but she wasn't really paying
attention.  Her mind was on the time travel unit that Dr. Quest had
built nine years ago.  The one that Surd had nearly succeeded in
stealing.  The one that was still in one piece and, as far as she knew,
operational.  Only she and Jonny knew...had known...that it wasn't
destryoed as planned.

She sighed, knowing she couldn't go back and change the past, yet
contemplating doing just that.  Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock
on the door.

"Come in," she called

"Ms. Quest, I think you'd better come see something."

"What is it Logan?" she asked the man before her.

"Surd is holding 20 hostages."

Jessica stood, "Do you know where he's holding them?"

Logan McKay nodded somberly, "In Questworld."

"I'm getting tired of him," Jessie muttered, "What does he want, now?"

"He'd like to speak to you."

She looked shocked, "He called?"

"No," he walked over to her computer counsel and typed something on the
keyboard, "but I think that was the purpose of *this*."

Jessie watched as her files were replaced by the message, "Is it worth
twenty innocent lives not to reach out and touch me, Jess?"

It flashed over her screen about a million times before she felt like
shooting it...and then Surd.  She turned it off and headed for the door.

"I'm going to *kill* you, Jeremy Surd," Jessica Quest muttered as she
headed down the hall.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Jessie stood by Jonny's locker waiting for him to show up so they could
head home together like they always did.  She checked her watch and
looked around impatiently.  *Where on Earth are you, Quest?*

She decided to work on reading about Caesar being stabbed to death for
her English class since it was due tomorrow and Jonny seemed to be
taking his time about getting there.

They had just gotten him killed when she heard someone call her name. 
She looked up to see her father standing at the end of the hallway. 

"Hurry up, Jess, we need to go," Race called.

Jessie grabbed her book and her backpack and joined him.  "Where are we
going?  Aren't we gonna wait for Jonny?"

Race looked at her like she'd grown another head, "Didn't you get my
message?  No I guess you didn't or you'd be there by now."

"Be where?" she was getting very frustrated.

"The hospital.  Jonny passed out in History today,"

"Is he okay!?" Jessie's expression was frantic.

"He's fine...I guess."

"You guess?"

He frowned, "They couldn't find anything wrong with him.  He's perfectly
healthy."

"Except for the fact that he keeps getting sick and no one knows why!"
Jessie said pointedly.

"Exactly.  Anyway, he just fainted for no reason.  Mr. Mclain couldn't
wake him up, so he called the nurse and she called the hospital and Dr.
Quest.  He just woke up about two minutes before I left to get you."

They pulled up outside of the hospital and Jessie practically ran
inside, forgetting that she didn't know where he was at and having to
wait for her father anyway.

When they finally got to his room, he was sitting up in bed and arguing
with his father and one of the doctors, "I'm fine, dad; I don't need to
stay here!"

"You were deathly ill yesterday and you fainted for no reason; I'd like
to know what's wrong with you!" Benton Quest argued.

Jonny noticed Jessie and Race, "Will you guys please tell him he's being
irrational?  I feel absolutely fine!"

"Sorry Jonny," Race apologized, "but your dad's right."

Jessie just nodded in agreement.

"We need to let him rest.  I think you should all go; you can come back
later to visit," the doctor told them.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Benton agreed.

"Dr. Quest, could I talk to Jonny alone for a minute before we go?"
Jessie requested.

"Yes, of course; but make it quick."

Once they were alone she approached his side, "Jonny, are you okay?  I
mean, there's not something you aren't telling us is there?"

"No, I feel fine one minute and the next I feel like I'm dying...or I'm
in the hospital.  Jess, I swear, I don't know what's wrong with me."

She nodded slightly, "I believe you.  Hey, you don't think this could
be..."

"We need to go, Ponchita," Race called from the door.

"Okay, dad.  See you later, Jonny."

Jonny was left alone to vegetate in front of the TV.  

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," he said to himself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I'm not going to play your games, Jeremy.  Either you tell me what you
wan, or I'm hanging up right now," Jessie looked impatiently at the
young man on the screen in front of her.

He stared at her for a few moments, the only thing that was darker than
his expression were his eyes.  The irises were as black as the pupils. 
It bothered Jessie.  Spooked her even, especially when he glared at her
like that...

"Jessie, why are you acting like I'm your worst enemy?" he finally
spoke.

"Oh, I dunno; maybe because you're holding innocent people hostage and
you won't tell me what you want!"

He looked hurt.  For a second she almost felt bad...almost.

He perked up, "Already released.  As for what I want..."

*Here it comes,* she thought.

"...only to talk to you."

She stared in amazement, "About what?" her voice reflected her
curiosity.

"Jonny."

Her features grew dark, nearly foreboding, "I don't want to hear you
insult Jonny at the moment.  It's really not a good time."

"No, I wasn't going to.  Even I'm not low enough to insult the recently
deceased."

"You heard then?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, "I'm sorry, Jess.  I know he and I didn't get along, but I
know you loved him, so he couldn't have been all that bad."

She nearly choked on what he was saying, "Thanks," she finally managed.

"Listen, Jess, about Jonny.  We both know this is hard for me to say;
but this place really needs him.  Not just you or your organization, the
whole world depended on him in one way or another...well, maybe not, but
everyone knows how influential he's been...aw Hell."

Jessica frowned, "What are you trying to say, Jeremy?"

"We need him, Jess," he said seriously.  "And I think its more important
to have him than it is to risk changing the future a little bit...or
even a lot."

"What are you proposing we do?"

He sighed, "Jessie, why are you so dense?  No, I take that back, you're
not.  You have your little secrets and I have mine."

"You knew we didn't destroy it," she said matter-of-factly.

"Just found out a week ago actually; but I guess now I have to tell you
mine, huh?"

"Your father created the virus and implanted it, along with the wolves,
in Questworld to infect one of us at his leisure," there was an
undertone of sadness in her otherwise calm voice.  He also detected a
slight anger beneath the prevalent facade.

"Jessie, I swear to you I..." she held her hand up to stop him.

"I know, I can't blame you for the things he did," she said in a choked
whisper.

"I may not be perfect, far from it, but I'd never expose something that
I knew would kill millions before it could be stopped."

She smiled slightly, "I've already considered going back and saving
him...believe me I want to, but we can't...it isn't right to mess with
history."

"What would you say if I told you I know what the future will be like if
he *doesn't* live?"

"I'd ask you what it'd be like," her interest was piqued.

"Wars, famine, disease, nuclear meltdowns that destroy whole countries,
people like my father will take control because there's no one to stand
up to them and stop them..." he was getting to her.  He pursed his lips
before striking his final blow, "your child will grow up without a
father."  

Jessica Quest was speechless; her mouth moved but no words came out.

"I take it you didn't know then?"

She finally shook her head, still unable to form words.

"See, Jess; there's more at stake here than you know.  Not just the
present, but the entire future, is going to suffer because of my
father.  I can't live with that guilt, even if it isn't mine.  If you
don't help me, I'm going to go anyway, and it won't be any fun for
either of us if I ave to sneak in and try to use that time machine of
yours without your permission."

Jessie was still slightly in shock, but she managed to speak, "All
right, we'll go.  But we have to plan this out carefully before we go
gallivanting off into the past."

"Agreed, I'll meet you at your place in two hours.  And, Quest?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure to tell your guys that I'm a friendly," he was smirking as
her screen went blank, as was she.

Montage
montage@geocities.com