Chapter 1 - Sweet Caroline

With the gentle press of his lips against hers ending, Cara took a step back and smiled at her date.

“Thanks for dinner Alex.” She turned her head to the left and blushed like a schoolgirl for the first time in ages.

Her date stepped back from her as well, a deep crimson splash equally on his cheeks. He scratched the back of his head, tousling his brown hair.

“I had a great time. Can I see you again?” He tried, but failed, to hide the eagerness in his tone.

“I’d love that.” Cara smiled.

“Oh, right!” Alex pulled something out of his pocket. “Here, you take this.”

He passed he a small toy, a monkey with a headband of some kind wrapped around its brow.

Cara laughed, the sound like soft bells. “Thanks. It was kinda weird that the waiter gave that to us at the end. What was it he said?”

“Something about how as long as the monkey’s thoughts are kept purified by this talisman thingy it will bring good luck.” He scratched his chin as his eyes darted to the side. “Honestly, I wasn’t exactly paying much attention because of the way he was saying it”

“Seriously! That whole fake Chinese accent seemed super inappropriate! Especially coming out that white kid’s mouth. Do you think the restaurant makes him do it?”

“I’m not sure. But…maybe we can try a different place next time.”

Her eyes lit up. “It’s a date.”

Alex turned to start walking home, then turned back a moment later. “Before I go, can you tell me what you’re working on?”

“Hungry for spoilers are you?” Her eyes narrowed playfully.

Alex and Cara had met at a local bookstore where she was signing copies of her latest work. They’d started talking after he shared he was a fan due to the accuracy of her historical fiction.

“Always!” He replied. “But maybe at least a little hint?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you this much. My next story takes place a couple hundred years ago around the time of an incident where the British burned an American boat called the Caroline that was being used to support rebels. I picked it because of the name.”

“That’s right, you said your full name was Caroline.” He paused. “You know, it’s a funny coincidence. Because one of my ancestors was actually involved in that story. The family still jokes about our great, great, who knows how many greats, grandfather who was on trial for murder.”

Her eyes went wide. “That is a crazy coincidence. I guess I’ll have to try extra hard to make my story accurate.” She waved. “Goodnight Alexander McLeod.”

With a sweet smile she turned and walked inside her townhome.

Closing the door behind her she leaned against it and closed her eyes.

“That was the best date I’ve had in years. Handsome. Charming. Fun. And he loves my writing! You hit the jackpot Cara!”

Her hands flew up over her head in triumph and she began to dance towards her study.

“If only he knew how my stuff is so historically accurate…”

A mischievous smile crossed her lips as she sat down at her desk. A virtual reality helmet sat in front of her, surrounded by various circuitboards, dials and wires.

She took the small toy monkey out of her hand and placed it on top of one of the circuit boards on her desk.

“I’m still wired from that great first date Mr. Monkey.” She patted it on the head, pushing the headband talisman lower. “I think I’m going to work a little tonight since I’m feeling inspired.”

She picked up the VR helmet and placed it over her eyes, pulling her chestnut hair back as she did so, and she pressed the power button on the side.

As she began the talisman on the money toy’s brow slipped and fell into the creature’s hand, dangling down to brush against the circuit board that was wired into the headset. A red glow flashed, but Cara didn’t notice.

“Here we go!”

The image in front of her shifted from the black of a blank screen to a dark sky. Stars twinkled above her and she found herself on an old steamship from the early 19th century.

“I wonder what Alex would think if he knew my secret?” She smiled as she looked around.

The device she was wearing was something left to her by her inventor father. It recreated scenes from history and allowed her to travel within them and see a simulation of what happened in the past. It’s what had allowed her to become famous for her historical fiction writing, crafting stories with incredibly detailed perspectives on long lost times.

Alex had picked up a copy of the romance story she had written that took place during the eruption at Pompeii and he had become a fan. That interest led him to come meet her in person and they’d hit it off immediately.

Now she looked around the deck of the ship she was aboard. The Caroline. A somewhat less famous, but still important, point in history where the British stormed a ship and burned it, throwing it over Niagara Falls.

She wasn’t sure yet if it would make for a great narrative backdrop, but the name of the ship called to her when she recently overheard some law students chatting about it at a coffee shop. Apparently the case was famous in international law.

She watched events unfold in front of her through her virtual lens.

She thought’s she’d get a better view by standing on the nearby wharf. In front of her stood a man checking his watch, clearly waiting for something. An armed group came up behind her and one man aimed his gun at the back of the man’s head.

Cara realized her view might be a little too realistic this time as she looked down the barrel of the weapon. But the man with the gun adjusted his aim at the last moment, almost as if he thought there was an obstruction. Firing from his new angle he hit the sailor in the shoulder.

The assailants quickly tied the man up but it seemed like he would live.

She watched as they next stormed the boat, exchanging fire with the crew onboard. No one was killed, though a few were hurt, and soon enough they were able to set the boat ablaze and send it to its impending drop over the falls.

“I thought I read that someone died? Maybe I’m misremembering?”

As Cara finished the scene she took some mental notes on the incident, planning her next work.

As dawn broke in her simulation she pressed the button on the side of her VR headset and pulled the device off. Strands of her hair clung to her face from the sweat of wearing the device for so long.

“Phew!” She looked at the time. It was morning. She had relived the entire night on the boat, so it should hardly be a surprise, but she was never quite used to losing track of time as she worked.

“I should go to bed.”

As she stood she reached over and picked up her phone.

“Maybe I should text him thanks again for dinner and ask about next Saturday?”

With a dopey grin on her face she flicked her finger across the screen to find the text chain where she’d set up the date.

“Where is it?”

She scrolled. Still nothing.

“No seriously, where is it?”

She went to her recent calls. She’d talked to Alex on the way to the restaurant to confirm the address.

“What do you mean no calls today?!” She stared at the blank screen.

“Is this like some next level block? Did he lie when he said he thought the date went well?”

She slumped over her desk, exhausted.

“I’m going to be single forever, aren’t I?…”