Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire

1. Goodbye 21st century

Coretta

As a kid, when I would hop after my archaeologist father into ancient tombs and touch everything I could, even though that brought a playful scolding from the officials, I still did it.

I thought I could travel back in time.

Funnily enough, my childhood days were filled with that. Standing in front of broken ancient mirrors and chanting made up hymns.

It felt nostalgic to remember all this on my last day in the twenty-first century.

The thought of kings, princesses, and palaces thrilled almost every little girl. And when my father would recite all these stories to me, not the made up ones, but those that happened thousands of years ago, it enthralled me.

Adding to it, the sight of ruined tombs and civilisations, a sign that his stories existed in the past, only fuelled that zeal to travel back.

To the disappointment of my younger self, touching artefacts and staring at age-old paintings didn't open a portal to the ancient world. I was obsessed with the idea. So much, that at thirteen years of age, I hid from everyone and secretly slept in an ancient tomb, hoping I would wake up in the BCE years. Usually, the darkness would scare me, but back then, I was more fascinated about the dialogue I'd iterate to the ancient people I'll meet the next day.

Of course, that never happened. And me being the only child of my father, they didn't scold me either. Instead, they made me promise not to repeat it if I really wanted to time travel. They said they had alternatives. But one had to study their hardest for that.

Though growing up, I had dismissed the idea as a childish imagination. It was when I was seventeen did I discover they weren't lying.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the needle going into my arm. The scientist held me still until my blood filled the syringe. They did the same with the other four members of my group.

The broad white lights on the ceiling were illuminating the entire lab as we sat on a steel bench. The scientists and mentors stood around in lab coats and surgical masks.

Soon, one of the scientists compressed our blood samples in an empty refill, then placed each of the blood-ink pens in front of us on the ivory desk.

A damp pain spread over my upper arm, but I was smiling. In fact, it was the biggest smile in a long while as I stared at the gigantic digital screen of the lab.

Project 06T02-BCE. Completion level - 99% was blinking in bright green.

My impossible dream wasn't a dream anymore when my school, the distinguished Raymond School of Integrated World History, introduced five eligible students to Project 06T02, started by the Archaeological Department of East Macademia. The most successful archaeology research lab that worked on secret but splendid things.

Things like time travelling.

On the surface, where they were busy studying the minutest detail of an artefact or DNA remains of ancient bones, the underground was a whole new world. With the type of advanced equipment it comprised, no one could guess it was associated with something like archaeology.

Finally, at the age of twenty-two, my childlike dream was coming true today.

"Each of you will sign the documents in your blood so we could ascertain there is no discrepancy, as your DNA would be recorded." Dr Samuel looked at us through spectacled eyes, then fixed his gaze on me. "The documents will arrive soon and we'll start with you, C. Hayes 02."

I gave a curt nod, even though I despised them calling us by our coded names. As if we were some lab specimen.

Beside me, I noticed Dunkin pressing a thumb to his wrist, which caused a minor zing in my wrist. A message opened up in my head.