Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire

1. Goodbye 21st century

After being loyal enough to not even eat a slice of pizza in the last five years, because that shit could alter our cell metabolism, they still can't trust us?! Like blood? Seriously?

Preparing a time traveller wasn't just about making us thoroughly acquainted with the period we were being transported to.

It involved changing our genetics to a certain extent. The genes, which if not mildly altered, could open up the risk of spreading a twenty-first-century disease into the BCE year.

We've got this Dunkin, and don't you dare talk about pizza right now, I messaged back, my mind plaguing with the cheesy goodness. I remembered eating my last ever pizza five years ago...

To learn how to live without electricity, survive on primitive foods, abandon twenty-first-century diets, clothing, gadgets and living style. Not to mention the gazillion tests and operations to make us genetically fit for the ancient times.

In a way, we indeed were a lab specimen to these scientists.

Part of altering our genetics involved fixing a specialised metal chip underneath our wrist which connected the five of us. After all, they had to give us an alternative to a cell phone.

This is sick. Dunkin messaged again as he picked his blood pen and dragged a dark red line over the paper.

Dunkin Welsh, the third member of our team, excelled in the physiology of ancient humans and civilization development of the post-bronze era, along with advanced biophysics and travelistic mechanics we all had to study.

His undercut hairstyle was long replaced by shoulder-length black hair, tied at the nape with a leather string. He also had to say goodbye to his clean-shaven face.

The scientists preparing us had done a good job of making us look and behave like ancient cavemen and docile women.

Being selected for the project wasn't as simple as daydreaming about the dialogue I would say to the BCE year king or princess if I even meet one. It was literal blood, sweat and tears for the past six years.

Especially for me and Cheryl, the only two females in this project. Training as an ancient woman wasn't easy. Adapting to their behavioural patterns took a majority of the time. To learn how to not even roll our eyes, grit our teeth, clench our fists in anger and all that visual aggression was the toughest because ancient women only listened and nodded.

Hell, ancient women had no rights whatsoever. They weren't even allowed to step out of their homes.

Now, anyone would consider me a lunatic to be willing to step into a time so restricted for women. But if anyone was me, they'd see it. The thrill was on another level. It was pure dedication since childhood.

Another message popped into my head. I was still getting used to this sensation of talking and messaging in our heads. The AI chip was unbelievable.

Men in the ancient world were way sexier omg I'm so excited!

I snorted at what Cheryl's message read. One reason why she was dying to time travel.

Cheryl Martinez had a background in biology, which she continued in the biochemistry integrated anthropology division of Raymond. With red hair and enigmatic grey eyes, she was a cheerful friend and had the fifth member of our team hot after her. The same could be said vice versa too.

Men in the ancient world were called barbarians, and barbarians aren't sexy, babe. Lorenzo's message arrived as he gave her a side-eyed glance. Give him a shield and armour, and he would look no less than an ancient warrior, with his long dark blonde hair, light brown eyes twinkling in mischief.