Their train car wasn’t divided into compartments but was instead a long corridor filled with seats scattered in various spots. Jasper and Daniel’s seats were numbers thirty-one and thirty-two, meaning they had to pass about thirty others to get there. After a short search, they found them.


    In the two seats in front of theirs sat a man and a woman.


    “Hello,” Daniel greeted first.


    The man tipped his hat—an expensive-looking one—before placing it back on his head.


    “I’m Daniel, and this is…”


    “Jasper.” Jasper had already extended his hand, first to the woman.


    “Ava,” she said with a smile.


    “Sam,” the man replied.


    “Nice names,” Jasper said, taking charge of the conversation. “No point in asking where you’re headed.” He was trying to break the ice. The woman returned his smile, but her companion stared as if no one else existed around him.


    “Do you know how we can change?” Daniel asked. “They told us that…”


    “There are machines in the back,” the man interrupted, pointing with a hint of irritation.


    “Just asking, mate,” Jasper said, raising both hands defensively. The man shot him another look—this one downright chilling. He wasn’t the friendliest sort.


    Jasper slipped away toward the back, dragging Daniel along with him.


    “Shh, mate,” Jasper said, pointing to the end of the car. He’d already forgotten the man and woman in front of them. Now his sights were set on two women—and nothing else mattered.


    “Women? Like it’s your first time seeing any,” Daniel teased, trying to rein him in.


    “What, because of Emma again? Mate, we’ve got a week in another world. If you don’t have fun here, where will you? And it’s not like things have to go all the way. Come on, follow me.” Jasper grabbed Daniel’s shirt and yanked him forward.


    The women were leaning against one of the windows, staring outside. They held drinks in their hands—definitely not non-alcoholic. One was dark-skinned with short black hair and a small upturned nose. She was taller than the other and grinned with every word, clearly telling an exciting story. Her clothes didn’t seem like something she’d ever buy for herself, but they suited her—though the oversized earrings gave her an almost exotic flair.


    The other woman facing her had long black hair that reached nearly to her waist. She wore almost identical clothes, just in blue.


    “Ladies? You’re dressed fantastically,” Jasper said, always knowing how to start—and never repeating the same line twice.


    The dark-skinned woman gave a slight bow and smiled.


    “Unlike you two, yes,” she said, pointing at them with a smirk. “If you don’t find something more suitable, they might not even let you off the train.”


    “We were on our way to change, but then we spotted you,” Jasper replied.


    Daniel could only stand there and smile. Jasper handled everything else.


    “You saw us and forgot how to dress?” the long-haired woman chimed in. They were enjoying this—Daniel could tell.


    “With ladies like you, clothes are just a hindrance,” Jasper said. It was a cheesy line, but from his mouth, it always worked.


    The dark-skinned woman stepped closer, wrapping both arms around Jasper’s neck. Her drink was still in hand. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Jasper’s wide grin never left his face. Whatever she said was for their ears only, but it was enough to make him pull back, mutter an apology, and shove Daniel toward the corridor as the women chuckled quietly behind them.


    “First time I’ve seen you like this,” Daniel said, barely holding back his laughter.


    It wasn’t until they were a safe distance away that Jasper turned to him. The women still watched them, and Jasper kept his voice low:


    “They’re together.”


    “Don’t recall that ever stopping you.”


    “She said I could join, but only if I’m the woman and they’re the men. Run, run!”


    Daniel burst out laughing—so loud the whole train probably heard. He tried to stop, realizing where they were, but couldn’t quite manage it.


    “Enough, mate,” Jasper said, trying to hush him a few times. “It happens to everyone.”


    “Seems to happen to you a lot more often.”


    The clothing machine was a simple box, like one of those token-operated candy dispensers, but fully enclosed with a tablet in the center. It matched the train’s colors, and without the tablet breaking the illusion, you might’ve thought it had been there for centuries.


    Jasper went first. He picked a white cotton shirt, jeans with frayed hems, and a brown belt with a big eagle buckle. For good measure, he added ammo pouches to the belt—though he had no bullets or gun. Naturally, he didn’t skip the cowboy hat and leather boots, classics for where they were headed. He looked like the chubby kid from Wild West movies—the one always there for comic relief or to waddle away from flying bullets, shaking his plump backside.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Daniel didn’t tell him how he looked—partly because he was still chuckling from Jasper’s run-in with the women.


    Jasper stood in front of the mirror by the machine, striking poses and letting out a new exclamation of delight with each one.


    Daniel went next. He chose similar jeans, but paired them with a black shirt and a dark gray vest. The leather boots and hat were a given. He also grabbed a bandana and tied it on right away.


    “Mate, find a second—I’m challenging you to a duel,” Jasper said, fully in character.


    “I accept your challenge, Sheriff Lee, but we’ve got no weapons.”


    Their little act ended abruptly when someone shouted from behind them.


    They hurried back to their seats, almost at a sprint.


    They found all the passengers pressed against the train windows. Jasper squeezed through the crowd and snagged two spots for them.


    Outside, between fields and mountains, a dinosaur roamed casually. Even funnier were the people chasing it—they looked straight out of a cartoon. None wore black gloves. Around them were huts and workers. It was bizarre to see a Stone Age hut next to a cement mixer or a worker in a yellow hard hat. The ones chasing the dinosaur seemed human enough, but the workers by the huts were robots, judging by their gloves. Yet even the robots wore helmets. None paid any attention to the train passing by.


    The speakers crackled, then a voice came through:


    “Dear visitors, we’re now in the first section of the park. As you know, the park spans an area larger than some of the world’s biggest cities. And within that space, anyone can dive into the era of their choice.”


    Daniel had learned to spot a robot’s voice by now, and this one—stumbling over longer words and pausing awkwardly—was definitely not human. Without prior knowledge, though, he might not have noticed.


    The voice continued:


    “What you see outside is the first era. An age when all people needed was good shelter, meat, and a woman to warm their cold nights.”


    “Same as now,” Jasper quipped. A few people laughed.


    “Unfortunately, this era’s development is behind schedule, so visitors aren’t allowed here yet. But if you’d like to explore it, come back in a month for the official opening. For now, please don’t step away from the windows. Next up is the Middle Ages.”


    “Mate,” Jasper said, leaning back against the window and looking at Daniel, “this is serious stuff. To think I almost turned you down. Colin’s going to be jealous as hell when he hears.”


    “Maybe next time we’ll bring him.”


    “Mate, this place will cost a fortune later. We just got lucky, that’s all. If he’d asked to come, I might’ve given him my invite.”


    “No, Jasper. I wouldn’t have let you two fight over it. I’d have torn mine up first.”


    “So none of us would’ve come? Good thing it worked out this way. We’ll grab him a souvenir.”


    “What, a cowboy outfit?”


    “Maybe.”


    Snickering, Jasper turned back to the window, sneaking glances at the women nearby—who’d turned out to have different inclinations. He’d been wary of such encounters ever since an old incident only Daniel and Colin knew about. That offer he’d just gotten had stirred up those memories.


    Their journey through the Stone Age lasted about twenty minutes—a massive stretch, considering the train’s speed. People donned iron armor, and more horses appeared in the fields. As the train pressed deeper, everything changed. Dirt turned to stone, huts to houses, houses to castles. Huge stone walls enclosed different settlements, and no one spared a glance at the train. No one cared about the big iron machine.


    “Wow,” Jasper said, staring like they were in a bar and the hottest woman he’d ever seen just walked in. “Hope we didn’t pick the wrong era, mate.”


    “Wait till we get to ours.”


    The train stopped near a fortress labeled “Middle Ages.” No one budged from the windows. Doors opened on another car, and many passengers started filing out. Some wore long ball gowns, others lightweight armor—nothing like the real stuff that’d immobilize you. There were people in rags, others in shirts with gold trim, and some in hooded robes holding staffs. The women seemed happiest—their dresses were stunning, each more beautiful than the last.


    Two real knights—or rather, robots dressed as knights, slightly larger than average men—stood at the fortress entrance with spears in hand. They bowed to each passing guest, who returned the gesture. Through the iron slits of their helmets, lifelike eyes peered out. The robots were humanoid, just clad in knightly garb. They might even have real lives when they weren’t playing knights.


    “Never slept with a medieval woman,” Jasper said.


    A few people turned toward his burly friend. He’d said it a bit too loud.


    “How many times have you been to the Middle Ages?” Daniel teased.


    “Dunno, mate, but I’m kinda regretting it now.”


    “Let’s see what our era brings.”


    Jasper glanced around, and his eyes landed on the two women—his new “friends.”


    “Mate, so far, nothing good,” he said, eyeing them again.


    The dark-skinned one caught him and signaled she was watching. He shook his head and turned back to the window.


    The train didn’t linger long before moving on slowly. The Middle Ages faded, and in the distance, arches and domes appeared alongside basilicas and aqueducts. They even passed ancient baths and amphitheaters the size of football stadiums.


    “Dear guests,” the speakers crackled again, “in the distance, you see the Roman and Greek eras. They’re combined for now, but later they’ll be split into separate zones. For now, enjoy the infrastructure as we head to the next stop: the Wild West.”


    The trip didn’t feel long—everything around them was too fascinating.


    “Don’t even know where we are or if this place shows up on satellites or GPS,” Jasper said, serious for once.


    “No idea, Jas. It’s definitely well-secured. But we probably won’t have access to tech. They’ll keep us in line.”


    “From robots?” Jasper laughed. “Robots guarding us from robots.”


    “There’s got to be some safety measures. These are machines—anything could happen.”


    The woman on the speakers didn’t talk long this time. After a little over twenty minutes, forests turned to plains, buildings became a mix of wood and stone, and houses lined the roadsides. From afar, it was a maze of paths with identical houses in size and color. People swapped armor and capes for wide-brimmed hats and leather boots. The women’s fashion was similar—big, flowing dresses, just a bit dirtier here from the dry deserts and wind kicking up sand.


    The speakers crackled again. They’d hear the unknown voice once more:


    “Passengers in car two, prepare to disembark. Your adventure starts soon. Gentlemen, tighten your belts—and if you’ve got a gun, keep it loaded. Ladies, cinch those corsets. The men here like ‘em curvy, but they won’t overlook the slim ones either.”


    The train slowed and stopped in front of a one-story building labeled “Wild West.” A man with a hat pulled low over his eyes and a rifle in hand waited for the guests. He chewed a blade of grass between his teeth. One leg rested against the wooden structure, the other firmly on the ground.


    Daniel and Jasper were among the last to step off.