“Your excursion back through time will be over seen by a Calculator."

07/ 05/ 01

Diary,

In our first class of the day with Dr. Kell, he handed out these kind of ultra-modern Ipod things (like I found in Professor Hamilton’s draw that night we broke into his office). As we turned them on, we found that they had detailed information and pictures of the eras we each wanted to travel to for our first excursion. We also found out which teachers would be taking us through time as our guides/ baby-sitters.

I found out I would be taken to London in the summer of 1755, to a large Aristocratic Ball.

I got so excited reading over this, I started giggling!

"What are you so happy about?" Peter asked me, and tried to snatch my Ipod thing off me.

"I’ve got exactly what I asked for." I gloated. "And you?"

"Yeah." He shrugged.

"Where are you going?" I asked him.

"To a certain music festival in America during the 1960’s…" he gloated back.

"Woodstock?!" Zack and I exclaimed.

"How did you land that?" Zack grabbed his Ipod to look at it for himself disbelievingly.

"I have my ways…" he said simply, then let out an evil laugh.

"Well it’s not like they’re going to let you do drugs or anything, so don’t get your hopes up." I pointed out.

"As an English rogue once said, ‘ways and means old girl, ways and means." Peter said smugly.

"Zack?" I asked him next, looking at his Ipod.

"I’m going to a Zero-G Football match in the year 2083 AD.”

"To watch or to compete?" I asked him, already guessing."I’m going to compete." He tried to sound modest, but he suddenly attracted everyone’s attention in the room at once.

"To play?" Jordon asked him, impressed.

"Yeah." He told everyone.

“What is a Zero-G Football match?” Numu asked us, puzzled.

“Zero Gravity.” Peter told her.

"So, Jordon, did you get Egypt?" I asked her.

"Yes. 1200 BC." Jordon nodded.

"Numu? What about you?" I asked her next.

"No. I’m visiting the Babylonian Empire in 590 BC." Numu replied.

“Wong? Where are you going?” Zack asked her last.

“Beijing in 1370 AD, during the Ming Dynasty.” Wong answered.

"OK everyone." Dr. Kell now called everyone’s attention back to him. "In your next few classes with me over the next four weeks, we will be going over your information disks thoroughly. Also on Saturday and Sunday mornings of the next four weekends we will be adding extra classes. Some of you will be learning the basics of a new language, all of you will be learning off by heart detailed histories of the eras you have chosen, and you will all be learning how to immerse yourselves in a new culture. You will each be assigned a teacher who will be your guide. Tonight, you will be meeting your teachers to discuss your plans. Peter and Numu, you will both have Professor Hamilton as your guide. Zack, you will have Dr. Myles, Wong and Jordon, you will both have me. Elisha, you will Dr. Knight. Now, are there any questions?”

Numu put up her hand. "Sir, what happens if something goes wrong and we are separated from our teachers?"

That caught all of our attention, and we all went quiet to hear the answer.

"Then your teacher will find you again. You may have been taught as a child a simple rule to follow if you are separated from your parents… stay where you are and try not to keep moving about. If in some circumstance you are unable to, try not to panic. Not only will your teachers be watching over you, but the Circulate will be as well. Your excursion back through time will be over seen by a Calculator." He assured us.

"So in this Headquarters where the Circulate is, our time traveling habits are always being monitored?" I asked Dr. Kell.

"That is correct." He answered.

I don’t know if I like that idea. It’s like Big Brother watching over us all of the time… this both freaked me out as well as made me feel safe in a comforting way. Freaked and comforted… I wondered if this is what my future would hold? I exchanged looks with Peter and Zack and saw that they felt the same way.

In a way it’s like we have almost limitless freedom with this ability we have, but then, with the Circulate, we could almost be tied to a leash.

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