Initial Arrival 4

Date Unknown
Yakutsk, Siberia, USSR

Ivan left, leaving Jennifer alone, giving her the opportunity to examine her environment and to think about her situation. Jennifer took the opportunity to look around.

The room was long and rectangular, with beds lining both of the long sides. Between each bed there was nightstand type table. There were larger tables with chairs between the two rows of beds. Both of the long sides had windows behind and above the beds. One of the shorter ends has windows as well. The ceiling had plenty of lights hanging down. Many of the beds were occupied and a few nurses were moving in, out, and around.

Jennifer didn't know what to make of it. The room didn't seem like what she expected from a modern hospital. He did say this is Soviet, which would imply the past. … Is this what hospitals used to be like?

I can't be in the past. How would I have gotten to the past? Maybe he is mistaken, using the older name. But this didn't make sense to her. Why would he use the old name? He didn't talk as if he were using an old name. He stated that we are in the Soviet Union. Well, he explicitly used the term Soviet. Soviet Russia. And the only way for that to be the case is if he doesn't know what happened in at least the past 20 years. A government agent would know what is the current government for which he works. Unless this is the past. … Or an alternate reality. Or this isn't real. Jennifer contemplated the possibilities.

What are the other possibilities? This could be a dream or a conspiracy. Jennifer tried to figure out if anyone she knew would want to create this environment as a joke. This doesn't feel like a dream. But Jennifer knew that was the most likely situation. If someone were to create this environment and put her in it, it would feel real, it would be more accurate, but nobody would do this. A pseudo-reality or alternate dimension? Is that simpler or more complex than time travel? … I guess I will need to know the date. Why didn't I ask for the date?

Jennifer was crying again by this time. She felt weak, tired, sore, scared and overwhelmed. I am far from home and don't have access to people who can help me, whom I know. And I don't have a way back. … These people, they see me and they see an American. They don't see me! Nobody ever does. They put people into these boxes, categories, and … and don't understand. They don't understand complexity. … And everyone is supposed to want to be American, but I don't. She could feel the fear in her abdomen, and she felt cold. She picked up her hand and watched it shake. I am not doing well.

Initial Arrival 3

Date Unknown
Yakutsk, Siberia, USSR

As he started to leave, however, several issues occurred to Jennifer. “Wait.” Her voice was still soft and weak. He turned back around. She was nervous. She didn't know what to say. This was a bad idea. She turned away from him, closing her eyes and focusing inward as she tried to talk, tried to find the words to explain what she wanted. Or at least to say something, to not feel alone in a hostile world.

“Is there something that you want?”

She struggled to speak and started to cry. She spoke, slowly, trying to grasp the words. “What is going to happen to me? I don't have anywhere to go. I know in the US, and it isn't unique there, that people in the country without permission, if caught, well, the detention centers are really bad. I don't want to go to prison; it does bad things to people and the culture is destructive. And I don't want to go back to the US.”

She paused, thinking, but not looking at Ivan. Her final thought wasn't based on his reaction to what she said. “I promise I won't speak out against your government.” She figured Ivan would know exactly what she meant, although wouldn't know the real reason she would be willing to make such a promise. Unless, of course, he is naive.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“What happened, it felt like a dream. I don't trust the accuracy of my memory. I need time to process.”

“Alright. For now you should remain here. You aren't yet fully recovered. We will determine what will happen by then. I still expect you to tell me what you remember, but we can wait a couple of days for your memory to recover. For now, you should rest. Later, we can have you talk to the man whose life you saved. Do you know our language?”

“No.”

“You will need to learn it. We can deal with that later.”

Status Update

It appears that I continue to delay getting these posts out.

Because I want to get the story out, I will post many of the updates this subchapter without images. It is possible that due to the nature of the dialogs, the large number of images used in the Prologue does not feel natural. It may also just be that putting aside drawing to deal with other things has interfered with my ability to get myself to want to draw.

I will relabel the old Chapter 1 updates with images and repost the updates using the main story tags without updates. By this weekend, I will get out update 3. I will try to get out 2 more updates this month, then switch to a schedule closer to every week until I catch up to where I want to be, with potential delays if there will be images in an update.

Status Update

I believe I am close to being back into a comfortable / permanent situation. I will try to get an update again this month with more to follow.

For those who have not yet received it, you can ask me for a link to my account for October. I may eventually put up a public link.

Initial Arrival 2

Date Unknown
Yakutsk, Siberia, USSR

Jennifer reacted upon hearing her current location, but didn't respond. She was thinking about what he told her. Something which became obvious with what he said. She couldn't really believe it. Soviet … Am I in the past? How is this possible. She didn't know if to believe it. I could ask for the date. But she didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say.

When Jennifer didn't respond, Ivan continued by asking, “Do you remember coming to this nation?”

Jennifer shook her head slightly, more to brush off the question then to reply, and didn't speak. She couldn't figure out what to do with this. Her brain was working quickly, panicking. She could feel the sense of panic throughout her body. Her arm was shaking as she struggled to hold herself up. What can I even say safely?

Ivan noticed Jennifer's reaction, asked another question. “Jennifer Miller, will you please tell me what you do remember?”

Jennifer was still trying to process everything. She wanted to be left alone. She did, however, remember what she was supposed to say. But, if I am in the past, I am stateless. So, she responded, “I can't continue without a lawyer.”

“What do you need a lawyer for? You aren't on trial. I am not here to arrest you. You saved a man's life! I need your help as a witness.”

Of course he would say something silly. Jennifer didn't respond. If he didn't understand, she didn't know how to explain it to him.

“You are a hero! You risked your life to save another.”

Jennifer started to cry. I am not a hero. I can't be a hero. He was there. I was supposed to get help. Everything else was missing. I didn't know where I was, that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I didn't know what to do. I never know what to do.

“Everything will be alright. I can help you. I just need you to talk to me.”

Jennifer continued to cry and didn't respond. She had fallen back to her bed by this point. After a while, Ivan got up to leave.

Initial Arrival 2 Old

Jennifer reacted upon hearing her current location, but didn't respond. She was thinking about what he told her. Something which became obvious with what he said. She couldn't really believe it. Soviet … Am I in the past? How is this possible. She didn't know if to believe it. I could ask for the date. But she didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say.

When Jennifer didn't respond, Ivan continued by asking, “Do you remember coming to this nation?”

Jennifer shook her head slightly, more to brush off the question then to reply, and didn't speak. She couldn't figure out what to do with this. Her brain was working quickly, panicking. She could feel the sense of panic throughout her body. Her arm was shaking as she struggled to hold herself up. What can I even say safely?

Ivan noticed Jennifer's reaction, asked another question. “Jennifer Miller, will you please tell me what you do remember?”

Jennifer was still trying to process everything. She wanted to be left alone. She did, however, remember what she was supposed to say. But, if I am in the past, I am stateless. So, she responded, “I can't continue without a lawyer.”


“What do you need a lawyer for? You aren't on trial. I am not here to arrest you. You saved a man's life! I need your help as a witness.”

Of course he would say something silly. Jennifer didn't respond. If he didn't understand, she didn't know how to explain it to him.

“You are a hero! You risked your life to save another.”

Jennifer started to cry. I am not a hero. I can't be a hero. He was there. I was supposed to get help. Everything else was missing. I didn't know where I was, that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I didn't know what to do. I never know what to do.

“Everything will be alright. I can help you. I just need you to talk to me.”


Jennifer continued to cry and didn't respond. She had fallen back to her bed by this point. After a while, Ivan got up to leave.

Status Update

I am sorry I have been slow in posting recently. I will probably be slow to post for a while longer as I finish up my current position and get ready to start the next one.

Initial Arrival 1

Date and Location Unknown

Jennifer woke up in an unfamiliar setting, trying to recall, put together what happened, where she was, trying to transition to being awake. As she opened her eyes, she saw over her a man dressed in a suit. She didn't quite know if she was awake yet.

The man spoke to her. “Hello, Mrs. Miller, how are you feeling?” His accent was foreign but familiar, although she couldn't identify it, or at least didn't want to. She noticed, but it didn't mean that much to her. In her fatigued state, such things didn't seem important.

Jennifer picked her body up to get a look around. And to not feel like someone was hovering over her. Her body was sore and weak, and she was cold. All this confirmed to her that she was awake. As she picked herself up, she ensured that the blanket over her was wrapped around her. But her mind wasn't focused on this. She was annoyed about what he had said. Why do people insist on using the wrong name?

Jennifer replied softly and nervously, “I prefer to be called Jennifer.” This wasn't a typical insistence for her, and she regretted it as soon as she did it. Usually she could deal with the insistence of formality when it was appropriate. But today it bothered her more than normal. The need to answer caused her to act on this. Now she needed to try to fix this. “I am sorry. You may use my formal name if you need. The appropriate title is 'Ms.' though. I am not married, but 'Miss' is childish, disrespectful. 'Ms.' is safe.”

However, the reaction to this wasn't as she expected. “I am unfamiliar with that convention. However, we can still be formal using given names, if you want. In our culture we use our first name and father's name in formal situations. I am Ivan Savvich. I have been assigned to work with you.”

As she responded, Jennifer closed her eyes in thought, “In your culture?” She then turned back to face him, still speaking softly, “Where am I? What happened?”

“You don't remember? You are in a hospital in Yakutsk. We found you unconscious in the forest. The other individual with whom we found you claims your appearance scared away his attackers and you saved his life. I was hoping you can tell me how and why you came here, and what you remember happening.”

As he spoke, Jennifer's mind returned to what had happened before she was here. She closed her eyes as she recalled. She remembered snow, trees, a man. He was injured, shot. They talked. Her memory seemed off. Maybe it feels surreal because of the snow. Snow in June? Something is off.

Jennifer responded, “I don't recognize that name. Where is this city?” She opened her eyes as she talked. Another thing occurred to her. He has been assigned to work with me, asking about past events. But he had already started to respond to her other question. Is this guy some sort of police officer? I need to be careful.

“Yakutsk is the capital of the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.” He paused, watching her reaction before continuing, “In the far east of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.”

Initial Arrival 1 Old

Date and Location Unknown

Jennifer woke up in an unfamiliar setting, trying to recall, put together what happened, where she was, trying to transition to being awake. As she opened her eyes, she saw over her a man dressed in a suit. She didn't quite know if she was awake yet.

The man spoke to her. “Hello, Mrs. Miller, how are you feeling?” His accent was foreign but familiar, although she couldn't identify it, or at least didn't want to. She noticed, but it didn't mean that much to her. In her fatigued state, such things didn't seem important.

Jennifer picked her body up to get a look around. And to not feel like someone was hovering over her. Her body was sore and weak, and she was cold. All this confirmed to her that she was awake. As she picked herself up, she ensured that the blanket over her was wrapped around her. But her mind wasn't focused on this. She was annoyed about what he had said. Why do people insist on using the wrong name?

Jennifer replied softly and nervously, “I prefer to be called Jennifer.” This wasn't a typical insistence for her, and she regretted it as soon as she did it. Usually she could deal with the insistence of formality when it was appropriate. But today it bothered her more than normal. The need to answer caused her to act on this. Now she needed to try to fix this. “I am sorry. You may use my formal name if you need. The appropriate title is 'Ms.' though. I am not married, but 'Miss' is childish, disrespectful. 'Ms.' is safe.”

However, the reaction to this wasn't as she expected. “I am unfamiliar with that convention. However, we can still be formal using given names, if you want. In our culture we use our first name and father's name in formal situations. I am Ivan Savvich. I have been assigned to work with you.”

As she responded, Jennifer closed her eyes in thought, “In your culture?” She then turned back to face him, still speaking softly, “Where am I? What happened?”

“You don't remember? You are in a hospital in Yakutsk. We found you unconscious in the forest. The other individual with whom we found you claims your appearance scared away his attackers and you saved his life. I was hoping you can tell me how and why you came here, and what you remember happening.”

As he spoke, Jennifer's mind returned to what had happened before she was here. She closed her eyes as she recalled. She remembered snow, trees, a man. He was injured, shot. They talked. Her memory seemed off. Maybe it feels surreal because of the snow. Snow in June? Something is off.

Jennifer responded, “I don't recognize that name. Where is this city?” She opened her eyes as she talked. Another thing occurred to her. He has been assigned to work with me, asking about past events. But he had already started to respond to her other question. Is this guy some sort of police officer? I need to be careful.

“Yakutsk is the capital of the Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.” He paused, watching her reaction before continuing, “In the far east of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.”

Chapter 1, Subchapter 1: Awakening in the Past, Initial Arrival - Notes

The first part of this chapter is written and edited, although the images still need to be made. It will be 32 updates. I will hopefully start posting the story starting in the middle of July.

Most of the conventions are the same as the prologue. However, I will not color the dialog in this chapter. I will try to keep the acknowledgement section at least somewhat updated.

In addition, images which come from memory or dreams will be a different hand-drawn sketch style. This will hopefully make drawing the images faster, and will emphasize the imprecision of the situation.

Some updates will have no images, and shorter updates, especially those without images, may be posted between my typical twice monthly updates, slightly increasing the update frequency.

Edit - 6 Dec 17:
Due to the fact that I have been having trouble finding time and getting myself to draw picture, as well as the fact that most of this is dialog, I have chosen that for this chapter, most of it will be without images. The hand-drawn images for the dreams and memories will be included, as well as possibly a few others of significance.

Character Sketches

Here is a sketch of the main characters for the first part of the story. The first image puts them on a grid so you can see the relative sizes for the various characters:

If you have not noticed from looking at the image, the time travelers are taller than the other people. There are many sources which describe this effect and give numbers. Here is one which is more interactive and visual: https://ourworldindata.org/human-height/.

The color image below should give some more details of the characters:

Patreon and Banner Image

I have constructed a Patreon account to donate to some webcomics I read. I have constructed a creator page, where I will post the full chapter ebooks. I am not currently looking for donations, however.

For this, I have developed a banner image showing Sergei, Jennifer, and Joshua together.

The image is intended to contain complex symbolism.

For those who can't tell, the character on Joshua's shirt is the new Captain America, and he is holding a foam sword.

Introduction 14

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

At this point Jennifer felt like she had little choice but to pretend to be who she was supposed to be. The feeling of fear subsided some in her body, but not in her mind. All I have to do is pretend to not be afraid. I have done things despite being afraid before. Hopefully whatever skills she seemed to have would hide her feeling out of place, and the fact that she was supposed to be this individual would prevent them from noticing that she was not.

To Sergey at least, she was not an enemy; she was an ally, probably a loved one as well. Unless this is all a lie. But she knew things she was not supposed to. She would just have to pay attention and remain alert.

She hoped that she would not be asked to do anything which would involve hurting people.

Jennifer breathed in and out deeply again. “Gotova.” (I am ready.)

Both of them walked back into the hallway, put on their boots, hats, and coats, and grabbed their belongings. They turned off the lights, and walked out of the front door.



------------------------------------------------------------------------

This ends the prologue, although not the dream sequence. After this I will start the story and finish this dream sequence when it comes up in the story. Chapter 1 will start when I am finished with the editing, hopefully in a month. I will have some images to put up before as well.

The prologue is posted in printable and ebook formats at https://www.patreon.com/quantumwarrior.

Introduction 13

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

Sergey took out his jacket from the closet. Meanwhile, Jennifer walked past him into the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She put her hand on the mirror, trying to fully take in who she was supposed to be.

Sergey noticed her and walked in behind her. He looked at her positioning. Jennifer had noticed him come in, although was still processing her situation as he paused to consider what he saw.

“Oy! Ty ne privykla predstavlyat' v forme svoyo gosudarstvo.” (Oh! You are not used to presenting yourself in uniform as a representative of the state.)

Jennifer turned around to face him.

“When you were young, you were taught that all of this is evil. Even if you know what you were taught is wrong, it still impacts you.” He picked up a comb. “Mozhno?” (May I?) She nodded to him. He started combing her hair. He backed off when he was done.

Sergey spoke again. “Forma tebe idyot.” (You look good in uniform.) Jennifer became uncomfortable because of the comment, something which Sergey noticed and attempted to fix. “Your uniform makes you look like a warrior, not a sexual object. We don't do that here. You know this.”

But Jennifer had trouble relaxing, for this brought up another concern. “You know how I think?”

“Sonya, I know you. I care about you. You saved my life. I don't know what I would do without you. I would never hurt you.”

She didn't know if she should believe him.

Introduction 12

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

 

Sergey walked over to the wardrobe and took out the two uniforms. He passed the female one to Jennifer. She took the uniform in hand and looked it over.

Do I really have to wear this? But she knew if she didn't he would know she was not who she was supposed to be. So she took off her dress. Seriously, though, skirts and uniforms. How do people think this is a good idea. She slowly got changed, though. I am not going to blend in in this. … Although I guess nobody should actually confuse it for something sexual. It is actually designed to be modest, not revealing. I am just too accustomed to female bodies being considered sexual objects.

How did I agree to join the KGB? How does that make sense? Although I am probably working against the US, not the dissidents. I do want to fight against capital; I know how much of a threat this ends up being. I am influenced by fictional depictions of heroism and have warrior instincts. Many people do this type of thing believing they are helping. But I know better. … What could have changed to make this possible? And what is this about my brother? … And I doubt I could do this. Assuming, of course, that I can't overcome my limitations, most of which I am sure I can. Some aspects may actually make me more aware and helpful. Maybe the physical limitations don't matter. Or were healed.

Jennifer had put on her skirt and shirt and was holding her tie when Sergey came over.

“Tebe pomoch'?” (Do you want help with that?)

“Da.” (Yes.) She handed him the tie but she still half expected him to hurt her. When he didn't, she was relieved. Right. This is a dress uniform. I probably haven't worn a tie very often. He doesn't actually expect me to understand how to deal with male fashion accessories. He took his hands away when done and handed her jacket to her.

Jennifer put on and buttoned up her jacket then picked up the rest of the outfit and followed him into the hallway.

In the kitchen he said I belong here. What, does he mean that … ? No. Probably more like I actually have a sense that these are my people, that life makes sense. … Is that even possible for me?

Introduction 11

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

By the time Jennifer had finished, Sergey was already by the kitchen sink. “Sonechka, ty budesh' pomogat' mne myt' posudu? Ty zhe ne dumayesh', chto ya dolzhen delat' vcyo sam, pravda?” (Sonya, are you going to help me clean up? You don't expect me to do all the work, do you?)

Hearing Sergey's voice again shifted Jennifer's attention out of her train of thought. Right, I guess that makes sense. Him cooking would have to do with how we could split household chores. Which, while I am familiar with this concept, is not common, especially further in the past. Jennifer picked up her dishes and took them to the sink.

While they were washing the dishes, Sergey began to speak again. “Chto s toboy? Ty prosnulas' rano i medlila eto vcyo utro.” (What is wrong? You woke up early and have been slow this entire morning.)

So much for him not noticing anything being off.

“Ty boish'sya suda segodnya?” (Are you scared about the trial today?)

Of course he would attribute the oddities in behavior to anxiety rather than, well, not being who I am supposed to be.

“Ty dumayesh' chto ty ne smozhesh' vystoyat' protiv svoyego brata?” (Do you not think you can stand up to your brother?)

She decided she would try to play along and attempt to pretend to be sick. Maybe he won't make me be this person. “U menya chto-to s zhivotom.” (My stomach feels off.) Jennifer held her hand around her abdomen and raised it up some as she spoke. Wait, what is this about my brother? Does this woman – Sofiya Ivanovna – have a brother as well? And what did he do?

“That is fear. It is understandable. But Nikolay is not who he was. And you can't save these people. These people from your past may remind you of who you used to be. But Sonya, Jennifer, you are not who you were. You have a society in which you belong. And you are not alone.”

I am not going to get out of doing this easily. … Nikolay? Does he mean Nicholas, my brother? Well, I guess that confirms this is supposed to be me. Although a lot has happened in between.

When they finished cleaning up, they turned off the kitchen light and went back to the main room.

Introduction 10

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

“Son', idi syuda i sadis'.” (Sonya, you should come in and eat.) 

Sergey's voice brought Jennifer out of her thoughts, but did not startle her. I guess I have run out of time to look at the ids. I have what I can get from them anyway. I need to get information from this man. She put down what she was looking at and made her way to the kitchen.

The kitchen was small, but did include a table on which to eat. She sat down next to the dishes which were clearly lain out for her. Eggs and porridge. He knows what I eat. I am not sure what I expected, or what is normal, though. She tried the food in front of her. It was not identical to what she was used to, but it was still good. 

They ate together in silence. While this prevented her from revealing who she was, it made it difficult for her to determine with whom she was sitting. This did, however, give Jennifer time to think about her situation. She wondered if she should tell this man she was not who he thought she was. Every time she thought of opening her mouth to talk about it, however, she found she didn't know what to say. 

It is strange. Everything about this world seems to fit me. Or rather, everything about me seems to fit this world. I am clearly not who I was.

Introduction 9

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

She continued to look at the ids. She would have been … 25 when she got this. My age. In Yakutsk, wherever that is. Siberia. Not here. Did her life start after my memories end? Based on the dates, that was 7 years ago. She put her hand to her head in frustration. I need to get as much information as I can. She continued to look through the booklet. Marriage status matches this guy, as well as address. I guess that makes sense considering the consistency here.

She didn't know what to think. Everything seemed to fit together, but it was wrong, impossible. The life she was put into – this was wrong, she couldn't do this for many reasons. It was not that she didn't understand what this meant, it was that she did, and she couldn't be a part of it. She looked at her passport and id again, trying to take it in.

This is ridiculous, why would they even want me. I am not the same type of socialist they are. It would make more sense for them to imprison me, force me to work. This is not a labor camp. Besides, the uniform was an officer uniform. It was like they said, “I think she needs to be in charge of people – it would help with her self-confidence.” … Eto nelepo. There is no way this could be me.

There is no way I am getting through the day; this entire thing is crazy.

Besides, it would be irresponsible of me to do this. I would have access to classified information I should not and power over others not intended for me. Maybe I can tell him. If I still speak as this woman, but as if I lost my memory, he may be able to get me out of this situation without harm to me, or anyone else.

Introduction 8

Prologue
Dream/Vision (3 December 1963, Moscow)

In the hallway, Jen looked at her reflection. The thought would be that a Quantum Leap type body switching would be recognizable. Her face, however, looked like her own. Older, perhaps, and clear of acne, but still her own. Maybe I just recognize it as my own face. There are apparently other things which I have not noticed as unusual. Well, my eye color is correct – light brown. My hair is brown, short and easy to maintain. … Besides, nothing seems to indicate that I can't detect the oddities when looking for them. And this doesn't feel unusual, unlike the other aspects where my instincts seem to be split. 

She took out her passport from the purse. She turned to the page with her picture. It did look like her. She compared that image to the one on her id. They matched. She then compared the image to her reflection. They also matched. She looked back at her KGB id. The feeling of dread returned. I can't be this person.

Okay. I need to calm down. She breathed in slowly and breathed out even slower. There is other information here. I need to know who this woman is. She looked through the passport. My birthday is incorrect, although that would be understandable considering the circumstance. My place of birth, however, is close to my real one. Perhaps they couldn't hide my accent and mannerisms. … Although this would only make sense if this person is me, not if I were put into another's life. … I guess similar principles may still apply. Something like a “Life on Mars” type circumstance would require the other individual to still be me.

Introduction 7

Prologue
Dream/Vision (unknown date, Moscow) 
 

I need to know the exact date. Jennifer put Sergey's passport down, grabbed the purse on the ground, and headed into the hallway. There was a table to the right before the hallway turned. Jennifer walked to this table. From this position she could see the hallway ended with a door with another door and a mirror to one side and a closet on the other. As she was doing this, she tried to process everything.

If this is true, how would this be possible? What would it mean if I go outside and everything is consistent? In some sense, not being in the US made sense. If there is time travel, why would the location be the same, when there is an entire world to “choose from”. However, if someone else were designing this situation, it wouldn't make sense for them to choose the USSR. Unless they misunderstand what I want, but then they don't know me and this would be too much effort for little gain. Not unless I were actually in this society would manipulating me to believe I am a part of it make sense. But then this wouldn't explain why I am here. As a dream, the issue was she didn't know this world. The details couldn't be correct without external knowledge. And this doesn't feel like a dream. The sights are real, in detail, full detail. I have trouble focusing further than normal in dreams and here I can. And the design of this home is realistic yet unfamiliar.

But there were more concerns than just what the situation was. For starters, she knew something of what it would be like to be a woman in the past. Something contradicted by what she had seen so far. But the false notions of femininity she knew still existed in the 21st century could only be worse here, and that scared her.
 
For her, though, the 50s, and the entire cold war period evoked another very specific discomfort. The McCarthy era and communist witch hunts; the anti-communist and anti-Russian mentality which permeates (or defines?) American mentality even into the 21st century. Purposefully demonizing people for being different typically made Jennifer feel she was the one being rejected. There was too much chance for her to be included in the targeted group. Well I guess this is not a concern here. But I may be forced to participate in perpetrating the equivalent. I do not know if I will be able to handle that.

She turned on the light and picked up the paper to look at the date. December 3rd, 1963.

Introduction 6

Prologue
Dream/Vision
Date and Location Unknown

A man cooking. That is the first modern aspect of this situation. Although, I guess, it doesn't need to be modern. Just like having a wife outrank her husband. That is not typical even in modern times, but that doesn't make it impossible.

Jennifer put down Sergey's id where she found it and looked through his passport. He was born in 1926 in the Voronezh oblast. 1926! He should be as old as my grandparents. But he looks more like he is in his 30s. She flipped back a page to check something. According to this, he is a Soviet citizen. Which may explain why his “state” of birth is unfamiliar. She picked up his id and looked at it again. Why didn't I notice that before? … And why is it in English?

Confused, she continued to look through the passport. Well, he is less than 45. He is certainly married. He served in WWII. Starting before he was 18. Although this was issued later, so he may have lied about his age. Or he worked for the partisans and they counted this service. And 18 is an arbitrary age. Different places may have different ages of majority.

His home is in Moscow. That is probably where we are. I wonder if there is one near home. I guess everything else so far would be consistent for being in Russia. Besides, the government at home would not use the case structure in these documents. Or a cursive font which looks so different from the print. Or ...

Finally she realized at least part of what was so odd. Everything is in Russian! And I understand.

This realization brought the whole language aspect fully into her conscious mind. And it brought another realization. I have skills I shouldn't have! A dream could fake this, but otherwise there is certainly more going on then just a game. And faking a case structure? I don't think a dream could do that. But it could fake the fonts as many people do. Assuming I knew something about Cyrillic cursive. And I don't think I did. …

This as a dream with the details being real would be just as strange as this being real.

Jennifer's mind started to look for other inconsistencies. I have been wandering around trying to gather information without drawing attention to myself instead of being paralyzed by uncertainty. She wondered what other skills she had which she shouldn't. She looked at the passport again. This isn't a passport, it is an id booklet. And how do I know he is less than 45? There is nothing labeling the age for the photos. Her train of thought wandered off.

Am I really so accustomed to these passports that I didn't notice anything odd about it?

Introduction 5

Prologue
Dream/Vision
Date and Location Unknown

“Dobroye utro, Sonechka.” (Good morning, Sonya.) Sergey's voice startled Jennifer. She recognized what he said as a greeting – he knew her. There was something odd about what he said, but it didn't register in her mind. Something about it was natural and unfamiliar at the same time. He didn't use my name. He was talking to me, but used a different name. … He thinks I am his wife? Jennifer almost realized she was missing something else, but she understood him or understood the words at least.

There must be some way to get information from him without revealing his mistake. … Well, this means I have some time. I can continue to gather information. I will need to know where I am in order to get home. I can call home when he leaves. 

Sergey switched on the light next to him. Jennifer opened the window shade.

“It is snowing!” While Jennifer spoke this observation out loud, it was not meant for him. Something about this situation made her relax enough that vocalizing this thought did not seem problematic.

“Sneg v dekabre – eto normal'no.” (It is normal for it to snow in December.) Sergey made this comment as he was getting dressed.

When I went to bed last night it was summer. She felt at this point like the more she learned the weirder her situation was going to get. Perhaps the old styles are not an accident.

Amnesia could cause a time displacement, but that would imply higher tech should be expected, not lower tech. The southern hemisphere reverses the seasons, but they would still have at least some of the modern technology, like cell phones, and why would he think I was someone else? A quantum leap type situation, however, would fit what was going on, if it were possible.

In these types of unbelievable situations, it would be more effective to determine the time and location by a newspaper rather than by asking. “Gde samaya svezhaya gazeta?” (Where is the most recent newspaper?)

There was something unusual about her words as well. There is something I am missing. 
 
“V koridore. Ya prigotovlyu zavtrak.” (In the hallway. I will prepare breakfast.)