Disclaimer: neither Quantum Leap nor Stargate: SG1 are the fruits of my own imagination, I just toy with the highly unlikely concept that they both exist and co-exist :) Clear as mud?

NB: this story will of course be a little AU for both series. In QL Sam was Leaping from approx. 1995-1999 realtime, though there was only the one point that he Leapt later than 1995 itself. Stargate SG1 started in 1996 (??) - not sure, I don't live in the US so I didn't see it till 1997 - so I'm tweaking the canon for my own ulterior motives.

Constructive criticism from experts on both series will be highly welcome!

Theorising that one could travel within his own lifetime, Dr Samuel Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator... and vanished...

Sam was running down a metallic ramp, cradling what felt like a weapon in his arms and some sort of pack on his back. Vietnam? No, definitely not – there were two ither runners ahead of him, and at the base of the ramp he could see something like a giant holding pen in military grey – lights flashing, klaxons sounding, painted pathways and all.

Looking frantically around him he saw something a little like a ship's bridge... or was it an observation post? He couldn't tell, but there was a lot of movement up there too – it looked like everyone was worried about something, and his survival sense told him that it was probably whatever he was running away from! It looked like a couple of doors were opening at the sides of the 'holding pen' – it was filling up with angry looking Marines... very angry... and they were aiming at him!!!

Fumbling his feet in his panic and confusion, Sam tripped and landed on the ramp at high speed. He'd Leaped into a tornado before, and a beauty contest, but short of that spell in Vietnam with his brother he hadn't been shot at that often... and certainly not by US Marines!

Landing awkwardly, Sam's face was crushed against the corrugated tread of the ramp's downward slanting surface, and for a moment he gave in to the pain and completely ignored the strangeness of his situation. Then a commanding yell made his face go white with fear.

"Fire at will!"

One of the runners had turned at the base of the ramp – clad all over in military gear to the point that Sam couldn't see whether the soldier was male or female – and was setting up to fire along with the multiplying Marines. Panicking, his only thought was to get the hell out of there... he didn't know who he was, but those Marines weren't exactly asking questions. Then another portion of his mind alerted him to the fact that these Marines weren't firing normal guns!

Sam was a certified genius, but the current situation was beyond him. These guys – at least some of them – were firing energy bolts!! But they were returning fire!! Similar energy bolts seemed to be flying over his head from the opposite direction, from behind him, and the Marines below were firing over him – not at him!

'Well that's a relief,' he whooped inwardly, before seeing a Marine was struck in the chest. 'Aw, crap!'

On the spot, Sam decided that he sure as hell didn't want to be lightening-fodder himself and entered post-Leap survival mode. Looking over to his side, Sam saw the edge of the ramp. He didn't think he could make it to the bottom safely, but if he could hide under the ramp maybe that would work? The ground seemed to be solid under there, grey-painted concrete... so what was the ramp running down from? No time! Next question? How to get there... without being shot...

"Close the iris!!!" A voice bellowed from all sides, presumably from the observation post above him.

Not waiting to find out what the hell that meant, Sam reached out with one hand and found it covered with a very comfortable but utilitarian black glove. Grabbing a handhold within the ramp he pulled himself closer to the edge of the ramp, cursing the uncomfortable fact that he'd landed with the rifle beneath, then dismissed this as inconsequential next to the pain that Marine seemed to be feeling... at least he did until he tried to back up his handhold with a foothold.

Screwing his mouth up in pain, Sam realised that he'd twisted his left ankle when he'd tripped. Biting down to keep himself from crying out he shifted his right foot into what felt like a crevice and pushed away... a couple of handholds later and he went flying over the edge and onto a concrete floor – yet more pain, but at least he was away from the gunfight... if that's what it was... and a quick look to the top of the ramp showed that whatever had been behind him was indeed the target... but what was it?

All he could do was curl up protectively, eyes wide and mouth gaping, trying to understand what it was that he was seeing, oblivious now to both the pain and the firing. It was a large ring, maybe 6 yards across, with strange symbols around it and red chevrons... glowing... with what could only be described as a pool of water standing vertically within it... and not spilling out...a wormhole???

'Travel within my lifetime... travel within my lifetime... can't have gone forward... not possible...'

It couldn't have been more than 15 seconds since he'd Leaped into this hell hole, but Sam felt like he'd used up a few more of his lives and he had no idea where he was, when he was and how the hell he was going to get out of this nightmare. Wishing obviously wasn't going to make it go anywhere. He felt like he'd been thrown into an episode of Star Trek, but he couldn't see any aliens... only humans with the strangest looking weapons this side of the Quantum Accelerator. For a moment he wondered if he was in a TV show like the time he'd Leaped into "Future Boy" – but the guns and injury seemed to suggest otherwise.

Sitting with his back to a cold, concrete wall Dr Sam Beckett looked up to the top of the ramp and stared at the cold reality of that metallic ring. The klaxons had been silenced, the lights no longer flashed, and firing had ceased from those Marines a few yards away... But Sam could still hear gun, or lightening fire hitting what could only be the reverse side of the iris. Was this a siege? Where were they? Was this a last stand of some sort? And more to the point, could they get out? He really wished that Al would turn up, figure out his mission and get him away from this mess...

But then one more bizarre revelation followed the others before he'd had time to finish processing them. Craning his next around the ring, Sam realised that this wasn't a doorway, and they weren't quite trapped, whatever else it might be... because from where he was sat he could see the empty space behind the giant ring.

Suffering from a mixture of pain from his ankle and incredulity from his mind, Sam Beckett suddenly realised that he was about to lose consciousness.

"Oh boy..."

Whaddaya reckon???? R&R!!! If you want to.. but either way I hope you like it :)

P.S. Can you guess who he is yet? nudge nudge wink wink