Author's E-mail Address: [email protected]
Part: 1/1 (although it may end up spawning a series of stories)
Rating: PG-13 (for mild language; may be upgraded with later chapters)
Genre: Dramady/Angst
Pairings: Sam-as-Will/Elizabeth; Jack/AnaMaria
Synopsis/Summary: Dr. Samuel Beckett finds himself beyond his lifetime in the year 1661, facing cursed pirates, evil monkeys, and secrets that could very well change the course of his life forever. (excuse the summary; haven't written enough for an extremely accurate one)
DISCLAIMER: All the original characters from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl belong to Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio (although I, of course, wish to own Jack--erm, Captain Jack Sparrow).
All the original characters from Quantum Leap belong to Donald P. Bellisario.
Any characters appearing in this story that are not from either the movie or the show belong to R. Joy Helvie; please get permission from me before using any of my characters.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED, and if you're really, really nice, I promise to return all the characters to their previous state by the end of the story.... maybe. ;-)
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I gotta admit that a tiny part in my story was unconsciously inspired by a PotC story that I had read the day before I started this story. I guess it just kinda leaked through.
You can read the awesome story "Marooned" here: http : // www . fanfiction . net / read . php?storyid = 1492890 (take all the spaces out; I hope fanfiction.net does something about the eating of URL's soon)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
The Leap for the Black Pearl
PROLOGUE
Millions upon millions of quantum particles flashed, sparked, and finally
coalesced as Dr. Samuel Beckett's body and soul inhabited yet another
unknowing person's physical aura. The first sense to come back to him fully
was smell; he caught a whiff of salt, moist air, and... perfume. Sam rubbed
his eyes, blinking away the lingering effects of the Leap in. The sight
he beheld was breathtaking.
A light warm breeze skipped across clear blue water in a small harbor,
bringing with it a whiff of citrus and fish. The harbor was rather empty,
with only three major ships occupying the space. Palm trees swayed gently
back and forth in greeting to those just coming off one of the ships.
Sam carefully studied the shops and booths lining the docks, attempting
to place the time period and place to where he had Leaped. From the style
of the clothing to the design of the ships, Sam could tell that something
was up: this was not the 20th Century.
"Will? Are you all right?"
The voice came from the same direction as had the waft of perfume.
Sam turned to find yet another breathtaking vision of beauty; a young
woman, around the age of 21, stood unwavering beside him. Her dishwater
blonde curls fluttered in the wind, one strand blowing annoyingly into her
eyes. She pursed her lips and blinked, awaiting Sam's answer.
Sam, taken aback with this woman's beauty, simply nodded and gently
brushed the stray hair from her chocolate eyes. He smiled. "I'm great."
She sighed and turned her gaze to the pure blue waters. "The Black
Pearl should have already arrived. The messenger from Tortuga came nearly
three days ago. With the speed of the Black Pearl, she would make berth
in Port Royal in two."
"Port Royal?" Sam whispered. So he was in Jamaica, huh? He glanced
about. The town was bustling with activity, something Sam recalled would
not be happening in Port Royal any time in the 20th Century. Again, he
wondered what time period he had Leaped into.
The young woman jumped suddenly and pointed out to sea as she used
her other hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "It's a lifeboat from
the Black Pearl!" She picked up a bronze telescope from a nearby crate
and brought it to her eye. "Oh, my word!"
Sam stepped closer, intrigued. "What's the matter?"
"It's AnaMaria... and she looks to be hurt!" She offered the telescope
to him.
Sam took the device and lifted it. Sure enough, a woman with a large,
reddened bandage tied haphazardly about her forehead was struggling to
row a small boat toward the dock. As AnaMaria came closer, Sam handed
the scope back to the woman. He jumped off the pier into the warm, shallow
waters and helped pull the boat onto a sandy knoll. His host's companion
rushed over and the two women shared a heartfelt embrace. "AnaMaria!"
"Elizabeth!"
"What happened, AnaMaria?" asked Elizabeth worriedly. "Where's Jack?"
AnaMaria, frowning, jumped into a several-miles-a-minute rant, too
fast for the two curious listeners to make out anything but a word here
and there. Sam and Elizabeth exchanged glances as he put a comforting hand
on the excited woman's shoulder. "Slow down, AnaMaria. Now, what
happened?"
AnaMaria took a deep breath and began again, slowly. "That monkey
stole a coin and reinstated the curse! Damn him to the deepest circle
of Hell!"
Elizabeth took a sharp breath and asked hopefully, "Is he the only
one to have stolen a coin?"
"Yes, but... we found a Mayan codex that reveals that any being
that survives the curse, and the curse is later reinstated, he shall
suffer greatly. Any point on the person's body that is touched with moonlight
will be overcome with unearthly itching, boils, and much pain."
"Jack..." Elizabeth stepped closer to Sam, silently seeking comfort.
Nodding, AnaMaria continued, "He didn't know 'til it was too late.
He was standin', readin' the codex, when the clouds parted. He stood awash
in the moonlight, illuminated from head to toe."
Sam, becoming ever confused with talk about monkeys and curses,
interjected, "We ought to find a more private place to talk."
"Agreed," said AnaMaria. She stepped away, gesturing for Sam and
Elizabeth to follow. They walked silently into town. Sam was curious to
see that the area showed absolutely no signs of the earthquake and later
fire that had ravaged the town. As they entered a blacksmith shop, Sam
tried to no avail to pinpoint his place in Time.
The shop was empty and quiet, with the exception of a small donkey
standing in its stall, a light snore escaping its nostrils. A wobbly cart
and a couple non-matching chairs became seats for the trio.
"Please, continue," begged Elizabeth, her words dripping with worry.
"He screamed." AnaMaria winced as the memory surfaced. "I've never
seen him in so much pain..."
He screamed at the top of his lungs. AnaMaria was the first one
up the mound, reaching her captain just in time to catch him as he collapsed.
She knelt down, cradling Jack as he writhed and groaned in pain. She
looked on in horror as boils raised to the surface of his exposed skin.
Jack grabbed at his sleeve-covered arm, scratching 'til deep red spots
appeared on the dirty white cloth.
Gibbs practically jumped from the bottom of the pile to AnaMaria's
side, yelping as he knelt beside her, "What in the name of Mary is happening
to him?"
"I don't know!" AnaMaria exclaimed.
Jack's glazed eyes darted back and forth as he rolled his head to
and fro. He mumbled, mostly incoherently. "Itching... freezing... burning...
cooooold..."
He began to shiver uncontrollably, and suddenly his eyes went wide.
He jumped up, AnaMaria struggling to keep a grip on him. He bolted down
the mound, away from his concerned and confused crew members. He walked
up to a large golden statue and yelped, "Ye lie! I killed ye! Ye canno'
be alive!"
"Who's he talkin' to?" Gibbs whispered. AnaMaria shook her head.
Jack drew his sword and pointed it at the statue. "You're a cruel,
demented, and vicious pirate, and I shall rid the world of ye once and
for all!"
He jabbed his sword, the blade bouncing off the figure and causing
Jack to nearly fall on his back. He recovered quickly and swung the cutlass
left and right. He thrust it about, right into the direction of Mr. Cotton,
who had to duck to evade the blade. The sword struck a pile of gold, coins
and jewelry splaying in all directions.
AnaMaria ran to Jack's side and grabbed the sword's hilt, tearing
it away from the man gone wild. Gibbs was close behind and grabbed the
captain's hands, quickly binding them in golden chains that had been sitting
nearby. Jack fought to wiggle out of Gibbs' grip, but to no avail. While
still wild and displaying dementia, the rush of adrenaline was slowly
steadying, bringing with its cessation a deep weariness.
By the time Gibbs had dragged the captain to the lifeboat and headed
out to the Pearl, Jack had nodded off into a deep and restless sleep.
"We got him to the ship and locked him in his quarters. Marty and
Mr. Cotton went to look for the monkey, but he had vanished. We set off
for Tortuga to relax and gather our thoughts, thinkin' Jack would be all
right." AnaMaria paused and shook her head sorrowfully.
Sam sat in rapture and awe of the tale being woven. He was beginning
to think that perhaps he had Leaped to a recreation of Port Royal--which
explained the absence of evidence of previous destruction, maybe in the
middle of a festival or gathering for roleplayers and re-enactors. These
people were probably all just actors.
"Sa-am!"
Sam whirled to face his holographic Observer, startling Elizabeth
who sat with her arm crooked in his. Sam looked back and smiled reassuringly.
"It's okay. I just--I thought I heard something. I'll be right back."
Sam stood, gently unhooking his arm from Elizabeth's and looked
for a door. A small door at the back greeted his gaze and he quickly
made his way outside. He stepped into a narrow, muddy alley. He turned
to Al, a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue, and a more immediate
reprimand waiting to be said.
"I wish you'd stop doing that!"
"Doing what?" Al shrugged casually, a glint in his eyes telling
Sam he knew exactly what the Leaper meant.
"Don't even start with me, Al. I need some answers, and I need them
now, if you don't mind."
"Well, ex-cuuuuse me. I stand in this Imaging Chamber, running through
a puke-inducing nano-search for nearly two months, and I get no thanks
whatsoever."
Sam furrowed his brow, the words bringing him to feel sympathy for
his best friend. "Why did it take that long?"
Al tapped on the handlink, for no apparent reason than a new nervous
habit. He continued to talk as though he hadn't heard Sam's question.
"'Course, considering where and when you are, I'm not surprised."
Sam looked Al straight in the eye and demanded, "And when and where
might that be, anyhow?"
Al raised an eyebrow, leaned forward almost conspiratorially, and
dramatically announced, "You're in Port Royal, Jamaica... in 1661!"
Sam rolled his eyes heavenward and murmured, "Oh, boooooy."