From: cs902098@ariel.yorku.ca (DANIEL JANKOWSKI)
Subject: Re: QL: "DUfE": observations
Originator: cs902098@a06.ariel.yorku.ca
Organization: York University, Toronto, Canada
Distribution: york
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 17:28:24 GMT


Spoilers ahead (although its been spoiled already...)
...damn that Ctrl-L... Time for plan B -- Hit return like crazy...





























I claim to know nothing of what is actually going on with the Alia vs. Sam possibilities, (especially Alia's motives and origins), but I'll throw a
suggestion of motive into this discussion:

Note that Sam's actions with respect to affecting the past follows
three criteria,

    1. Cause the "key event" to take place so we can go on to the next
       episode... oops... I mean so that Sam will leap again, hopefully back
       home.  The key event tends to be a "do-good" thing, but hold on this
       thought for now.

    2. Ensure that any events that take place DO NOT ELIMINATE his own future,
       and that of the Quantum Leap Project (so he has something to go back
       home to).  Hopefully, this never goes in direct contrast with criteria
       number 1 (although that would make for an interesting episode).

    3. Perform actions that improve the life of people around him, because he
       is a nice guy.  This only is done as long as it does not screw up
       criteria items 2 and 1 above. For instance, in "the leap home, part 2",
       he saved his brother's life, at the apparent cost of the photographer.
       He regretted the loss of the photographer, but in the big picture, it
       was part of satisfying the "key event" criteria.

I suggest that Alia is working under the same three criteria (YIKES! Is he nuts?
they exclaim...)

Suppose there are two futures, diverging from the earliest "leaps" (I suppose that would be 1945, when Al leaped instead of Sam).  Future "A" has Quantum Leap with Sam and Al, future "B" two has project x with Alia and Zoey.  Both have a
person from that respective future working in the past.  Note that because of criteria 2, both will try to force history to be "their" history.

Future "A" will take place if Sam succeeds in his leaps. Sam wants to have events turn out so he and Al don't fail to have a past as they personally know it.

Future "B" will take place is Alia succeeds in her leaps. Alia wants to have events turn out so she and Zoey don't fail to have a past as they know it.

The "good / evil" thing is simply the nature of the two futures. The events that cause Sam's history are nice events.  Alia's is defined by bad events.

Alia (and Zoey) are not evil by choice. They exist as they do because "evil" events should have taken place, as they see it, and their job is to ensure it does, for the sake of their existance.  This also covers Alia's apparent regret throughout the story.  She is essentially an "alias" of Sam's existance; different person, but same role, background and point of view.  She does evil not for evil's sake, but to preserve her existence.

...whew, is he done?

the ever-opinionated,
Daniel Jankowski

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Cheap Sig: Does Alia say "Oh girl." every time she leaps into a situation?
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