New York: The year is 2142. Due to propaganda, misinformation, and outright media manipulation history is being re-explored by a guild of historians. Considered seekers of the truth they are sent back in time, usually in disguise but sometimes in their own persona, to re-examine historic individuals and times where the information is either scarce or corrupted. They record what is happening to their subject and are permitted to interact as long as objectivity is maintained. Their contacts in the past are resident historians, who facilitate the researching historian's day-to-day needs and provide a sounding board for them, rather like an advisor to someone working on a graduate degree. At the completion of their assignment the researching historian goes back to their time to "publish" their findings.
Part 1: Into the Past
Looking at the blank display historian Ariel Paxton brought up the image of the subject for her first assignment. Most of her true appearance was being permitted because she fit the description of the subject's preferences in females. At 23 years of age with red hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a figure that was considered attractive for the time period, her appearance had been the primary factor in the guild's decision to send her back to 1940 Brooklyn to observe and interact with the subject of her assignment, James Buchanan Barnes, birthdate March 10, 1917. He had been the subject of study throughout his long life but little was known from his pre-war years when he was still an ordinary man. Even if she only observed him from a distance she felt she could learn enough about him to do justice with this assignment. If she was fortunate enough to establish a connection with him then the opportunity to get video and sound files from such a notable period in history would establish her reputation in academia.
"Lucky girl," said a voice behind her and she saw her mentor, 97 year old historian Peri Wayne coming in the room.
"Peri," she said. "Do I have you to thank for this assignment?"
"Perhaps I promoted your physical attributes as likely to get his attention," replied Peri then she motioned to the display, a photograph purported to be from 1940 of Barnes standing on the edge of a curb. "You have to admit the man was attractive but previous attempts at studying him at that time have indicated he dedicated much more time and effort to pursuing redheads than any other type of woman. There were only two natural redheads in contention for this assignment and you are the better historian."
Ariel nodded her head. "That's what the little research we have from his prewar years indicates, about his preference for redheads. But May Weatherly is as much a natural redhead as I am a natural blonde. I've known her since childhood and she started dying her hair at 14."
Peri chuckled. "I sense some tension about that."
"No tension but a good historian wouldn't change her physical attributes and claim they are truth. Her profile lists her natural hair colour as red and her eye colour as green when I know for a fact they are brown and hazel." Ariel looked at her mentor in triumph.
"Regardless, you have the assignment," said Peri. "Has your wardrobe been created yet?"
Ariel pressed a button on the keyboard and the display showed the clothing that was already completed for her. They both noted it was heavy on dresses, blouses, victory suits, open toed pumps, hats, gloves, and underwear that looked tortuous to wear, especially something called a girdle.
"Why did women wear such a garment on a regular basis?" asked Peri. "Give me leggings and a tunic any day."
"I do have the option to wear a garter belt instead of the girdle," said Ariel, "and it looks considerably more comfortable. There are some high waisted trousers, very short shorts, a swimsuit, an evening dress, and some outerwear that still needs to be made as well as a travelling trunk to carry them. Once they are ready the techs will give me the recording devices that will masquerade as period jewelry."
She brought up a display of entertainment options from 1940, looking at the movie choices, some of which were still accessible in the present day, almost 200 years later. There were also musical sound files with popular music of the time and some video files showing the style of dancing. All in all it looked like Ariel had done her homework in preparing for the assignment and Peri couldn't help but feel some pride that her top student would be given such an important task for her first research project.
"Well, I will leave you to continue with your preparations," said Peri. "When is insertion?"
"Two weeks," replied Ariel. "I still have to create my identification for the time period, a birth certificate and driver's license. I've been toying with using my real first name and a false last name. Something simple to counter the unique first name."
"Use a colour," said Peri. "White, Green, Black, or Brown are good choices because they were common names at that time. Now I really must be going." She took a few steps before reminding Ariel of one more thing. "Remember to get your birth control implant inserted. The choices of that time period were very limited, pulling out, condoms, diaphragms, and spermicidal jellies, which makes me shudder."
"You really think he'll force himself on me?" asked Ariel. "That doesn't sound right."
"No, he wasn't known for that," replied Peri, smiling, "but he was very persuasive. Be prepared."
Ariel took another look at the man's sexual history as noted by previous attempts to study him in that period. He was often out with different women, had very few if any long term relationships, but surprisingly had no illegitimate children, so he must have practiced birth control himself.
An alert on her messaging service came up. Her inquiry about a job in Brooklyn had been successful. She was offered the position of part time library aide at the Brooklyn Public Library, Greenpoint Branch. With a smile she saw it was a Carnegie built library. She could do a separate report just on that, knowing the significance of the thousands of libraries built worldwide with funds donated by Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It was still considered one of the greatest endowments in public library facilities. She messaged back to the resident historian, Merton Burnett, now in his 12th year of living in the era, accepting the position and asking if she would have the opportunity to treat the Greenpoint Library as a side project. She would be posing as his niece, coming to live with him and working part time. He would also provide onsite consultation on manners, customs, and making sure that no one interfered with her observations.
Two weeks later she was standing in the transport room, her travelling trunk in front of her. She wore a brown suit over a beige blouse, velvet dog collar necklace and dainty earrings. A brooch in the jacket would start recording as soon as she stepped out of the transport field to confirm it survived the transport process. Nervously, she ran her hands over her hips feeling the smooth surface of the girdle underneath. It did feel restrictive and she wasn't sure if she would continue to wear it or switch to the garter belt. The shoes were high heeled, with thin straps across her ankle and a peekaboo toe. She had a sturdier pair with lower heels that were recommended for day to day wear. Checking the back of her legs in the full length mirror earlier she made sure the seams of the nylons were straight, as apparently that could indicate the type of woman she was. If she was perceived as flighty, or slovenly, it could prove detrimental to her work. Grasping her handbag in her hand she made sure she had her compact, lipstick, wallet and change purse as well as a cloth handkerchief.
She looked through the window to the control room, seeing Peri there as well as several other of the senior staff of the guild. Peri leaned towards the microphone.
"Just breathe normally when you go through the transport portal," she said. "You might be a little disoriented when you come out but that's completely normal. Merton Burnett will be there and he will help you then take you to his apartment, getting you set up as his niece."
Nodding her head in acknowledgement Ariel focussed on the space in front of her. A blue spot began forming at eye level and grew in size. There was a humming sound emanating from it and as it opened she could feel the pull of air from the transport room where she was standing flowing into the empty space as the vortex drew the air towards it.
"Ms. Paxton, be ready to enter the portal," said the technician. "Push your travelling case in front of you so that it goes through first. The wheels on it here will absorb into the case's surface but Mr. Burnett will have a wheeled cart to transport it to his vehicle." Ariel looked at him and he gave her a nod. "Push the case through on my mark, 3–2–1, mark." She pushed the case in front of her and watched as it was swallowed up by the swirling interior of the transport portal. "Stand by to enter." He looked at a readout on his console then nodded to her. "On my mark, 3–2–1, mark."
She stepped readily into the portal and found herself suspended in a clear bubble inside the swirling mass of blue and white that raced past her. The colours changed to red, orange and then finally black and a man's hand entered into the bubble from outside, grasping her hand and pulling her out into a darkened area lit by a single overhead light bulb. A middle aged man with brown hair was holding her hand and as she swayed he put his other hand on her arm.
"You're alright," said the man, his voice a gentle rumble. "Give it a moment and the disorientation will lessen. It's just a side effect of the portal and won't affect you permanently."
She opened her mouth to talk and was suddenly sick, turning her head to the side, bending over, and vomiting. The man moved his feet out of the path of her purge and then shifted her over to the opposite side, away from the remains of her lunch.
"That's okay," he said, "I was the same my first time. You're Ariel Black? I'm Merton Burnett, your uncle for the purposes of this assignment. Do you think you can walk?"
She nodded and he escorted her over to a chair and a table, sitting her down before he released her. He poured her a glass of water from a pitcher and held it in front of her.
"Drink it," he said. "You don't want to get dehydrated."
She sipped it and appreciated the cool liquid as it flowed down her throat. After several sips the dizziness subsided and she was finally able to take in more of her surroundings. They were inside what appeared to be an abandoned garage. It was dark inside, with windows high up on the walls but she could see that it was sunny outside, as bright light seeped through the edges of the painted over windows. She hiccuped and he smiled.
"Not bad," he said. "You came through like a professional. This is your first assignment?"
"Yes," her voice was garbled and she coughed to loosen her throat. "Yes, this is my first. Is that a normal reaction to the transport portal?"
"One of them," replied Merton. "Some people come through with severe vertigo that takes days to recover from. How do you feel?"
"Better," she said, then she put the glass down and stood up carefully, taking a deep breath. "Pretty good, actually. Did my travelling case come through alright?"
He looked off to the side and she followed the path of his eyes. Her case didn't look new anymore but that was to be expected after the buffeting it was subjected to in the portal, since it wasn't transported within a protective bubble. There was a wheeled dolly beside it and he went over to it, sliding the edge under her case and tilting it back. She smiled at him.
"So simple, isn't it?" she asked.
"They were resourceful people," he said. "I jumped at the chance to be the resident historian here. It's such a fascinating time."
Pushing forward on the dolly, he motioned with his head for her to follow him and he wheeled the dolly over to a large panel van. Opening the back doors he pulled out a ramp and then wheeled the dolly up into the van, tying the trunk in place so it wouldn't move and doing the same to the dolly. He opened the front passenger door for her and returned to the table, pouring out the rest of the water to clear the remains of Ariel's lunch, and bringing the pitcher and glass to the van, putting them inside a box inside the back. Then he closed the back doors of the van and opened the garage door. After checking outside he drove the van through, stopped, closed and locked the garage doors then sat back in the driver's seat. She watched fascinated as she could now see how he put the vehicle into gear, and released the clutch moving the van forward onto the street.
"Will you teach me how to drive that?" she asked.
"Yeah, absolutely," he said. "It takes some getting used to but they also have automatic transmission vehicles that are easier to drive."
They drove for some time until he pulled down a street and parked in front of an antique store. He leaned over and pointed out her window to the windows above the store.
"I own the antique store and I live above it in a three bedroom apartment," said Merton. "We initially ran the portal into the store room but it made too much noise and some of the other tenants in the nearby buildings noticed it. I found the garage and set it up there instead. The location has to be checked every week to make sure that they haven't done anything to the building. Once they do we'll move the equipment and find a new location. Your library job is part time so if you want you can work part time at the store. It's up to you. Barnes works on the docks and does odd jobs with his friend Steve Rogers. They've done some work for me from time to time so you should be able to connect with them relatively quickly."
"What are they like?" asked Ariel. "I mean it was their bond that ultimately helped Barnes break away from his captivity."
"It's better that you experience it yourself," he replied. "I wouldn't want you to have any biases when you begin your research." She nodded and began to get out but he put his hand on her arm. "Let me open the door for you. Men do that in these times."
He stepped out and opened her door, extending a hand to her as she stepped out. Her skirt blew up at that moment from a gust of wind and she heard a whistle. Smoothing it down she looked to see where the whistle came from and saw a handsome dark haired man walking towards them, wearing trousers, an open necked dress shirt and carrying a light jacket.
"Speak of the devil," said Merton in a low voice. "It's an expression. The whistle was complimentary, by the way, although within a generation or two it won't be received as such by many women." He turned towards the handsome man. "Bucky, this is my niece, not some random broad. Mind your manners."
"Sorry, Mr. B.," he said, as he chewed on a piece of a gum. He offered his hand. "James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky to my friends. Where have you been hiding, doll?"
Ariel looked at Merton before shaking Bucky's hand. "This is Ariel Black and she just moved here from Montana," he said for her. "She has a job at Greenpoint Library and will probably help me in the store. If you want to be helpful you can carry her trunk upstairs."
"Sure, I don't mind being helpful," he said, looking down at her with his bright blue eyes. "Do you speak?"
"I speak," she replied. "Do you listen?"
Bucky chuckled. "Good one," he said as he went to the back of the van.
He pulled the doors open and stepped inside, untying the dolly first and then the trunk. After pulling the ramp out he backed out with the trunk on the dolly and waited for Burnett to open the door that led to the stairs that went up to the apartment. Backing into the door he began pulling the trunk up the stairs, watching Ariel come up as he did.
"So, what did you do for fun in Montana?" he asked. "Ride horses? Rope steers? Play cowboy and Indians?"
He had a smirk on his face as he spoke and Ariel found herself wondering if he was always this flippant.
"I was in college," she said. "Library science. I had a job lined up in Missoula but the library caught on fire. Uncle Merton asked at the Library here and they said they had a job for me. So, I moved. What do you do for fun in Brooklyn?"
A big grin broke open on his face, revealing an incredible smile and Ariel began to understand why previous historians had their issues with Barnes. His smile made him even more handsome and appealing.
"A lot of things," he said. "I work, I box, I read, go to the movies, and a few other pastimes that your uncle might not appreciate me sharing with you."
He smiled again and Ariel felt her cheeks get hot. This might be a more challenging assignment than she was expecting. He reached the top of the stairs and pulled the trunk up to the landing. Then he looked down at her expectantly.
"Keys," he said.
She looked behind her and saw Merton at the bottom. He fished the apartment keys out of his pocket and tossed them up to her. At first she was going to hand them to Bucky but he stepped back, making a space on the landing for her. As she stepped on to it she noticed how close he was and looked up at him, surprised how tall he seemed in comparison to her. It was more evident in this confined space than it had been outside. His smile was still there but it was different now that they were standing closer to each other, softer and only showing a little bit of his white teeth as he gently ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of his teeth.
"I like your perfume," he said softly. "It's Joy, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," she replied. "You know your perfumes."
"I have my favourites," he said. "Joy is up there."
Ariel unlocked the door and stepped inside. Pulling the dolly over the threshold Bucky backed into the apartment and looked expectantly at her once more. Stepping out the door she asked Merton which bedroom was hers and he told her. Leading Bucky on she found it, a bedroom at the back of the apartment. Bucky pulled the trunk inside and slid it off the dolly. Then he looked out the window and stepped back into the middle of the room.
"Nice," he said. "You'll get the morning sun but not the heat of the afternoon sun. Quieter as well."
There were no words spoken but he kept appraising her in that cool manner of his.
"Well, thank you for bringing that up," said Ariel, breaking the silence. "It would have taken Uncle Merton and I some time to bring that up the stairs."
"You're welcome," he said, starting to wheel the dolly out. Then he turned around and looked at her. "You busy Friday night?"
"I don't think so," she said. "I don't know my work schedule yet. I start at the Library tomorrow."
"Why don't I check back with you and we can do something," he said. "Dinner, movie, maybe?"
"Maybe," she replied.
"Alright," said Bucky. "I'll see you soon, Ariel."
She walked him out and looked out the front window of the apartment as he appeared on the street with the dolly and put it back inside the van. He looked up at her and waved, which she returned. Merton came up a few minutes later and gave her an appraising view from the doorway of her room.
"Well?" he asked. "Do you think you can handle him?"
"He is a dynamic individual," she said. "There is definitely a dominant personality there. How many historians have tried to complete this assignment?"
"Five, one man and four women," replied Merton. Ariel looked at him in surprise at the admission that a man and four women had tried and failed. "There was speculation Barnes was bisexual and although he didn't dismiss it out of hand it was obvious he prefers women. However, it was also obvious he wasn't monogamous, at least not completely. Several of the women historians who tried previously were jealous of his attentions to other women and it affected their observations. Will that be a problem for you?"
"No, I was pretty active in college," said Ariel, "with both men and women. I'm here to do a job and if it leads to sex then great. If it doesn't I'll observe from the sidelines without issue."
"I'm sure it will lead to sex," replied Merton. "Who do you think kept recommending a natural redhead should be the researcher?"
Opening her trunk Ariel began unpacking her clothes, placing them in the drawers or the closet. As she arranged her toiletries on the dresser she glanced out the window then put her head outside and smiled. There was a one story addition on the back of the building directly below her window. Bucky learned about it when he looked outside and she was sure at some point she might wake up in the middle of the night with an amorous man climbing into her room. Merton must have put her there for precisely that reason. She finished unpacking and stepped into the kitchen where he was preparing a meal for them.
"Where do you want the trunk stored?" she asked.
"Third floor," he said. "I have storage up there as well as a communications centre," he said. "It's kept locked always. The key is inside the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, inside a pill bottle marked Carter's Little Liver Pills. Make sure they're put back there. With World War II only a short time away that communications set could be mistaken for a Nazi one."
She pressed a button on the trunk and watched as it collapsed on itself into a box that she could carry in her hands. After retrieving the key she went up to the third floor and opened the door. It was true what Merton said about the communications set. Even though its functions were well ahead of the technology of 1940 it was built to look like a ham radio set of the era. It was very retro looking and she found herself impressed by the communications technicians of her time who built this. After looking around a few more minutes she locked the door and went back down to the apartment.
"You're okay eating meat?" asked Merton. "There weren't many vegetarians at this time and they weren't looked upon as normal. Hitler was vegetarian and that poisoned people's attitudes towards it for a considerable time."
"I'll manage," replied Ariel. "He asked me out for dinner Friday. Italian was his cuisine of choice, wasn't it?"
"Yes," replied Burnett. "That was quick."
"He knew my perfume," she said. "That surprised me. I may have to rethink some of my assumptions."
Merton smiled. Barnes was going to surprise Ariel often, of that he was certain. But he was also certain she was up to the task. From what he had already seen of her interactions with him that afternoon she handled his comments well. Peri Wayne was right to promote her protégé for the assignment.