For the final practice session, Igor asked Alex to once again attempt the trip into the laboratory's past, but to focus on arriving on a particular time and day. In his preparations for the training, Igor had determined that the lab was vacant on July 14, 1886 which was celebrated as a holiday throughout the land, the birthday of a great and glorious queen. The plan was for Alex, with Igor's assistance, to try to reach that exact date. Furthermore, they would try for a time of exactly 1:00 P.M. There was no particular significance of that time, except as a goal.
Once again Alex lay back on the couch. This time, Igor's voice guided her more carefully through the years, "1890, 1889, 1888, 1887, 1886," then through the months "December, November, October, September, (more slowly) August, (longer pause) July. Now we are travelling back from July 30, 29 ..." Alex felt herself slipping away, but also felt that she was being guided very precisely. "... 17, 16, 15, 14. It is now July 14, and we're moving back from midnight, 11, 10, 9 in the evening, 8, 7, (again slowing) 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It is now one o'clock, on the afternoon of July 14, 1886." Then silence.
Alex opened her eyes, fully prepared for the sight of the lab. It was very much as she had seen it on her previous visit, but many of the smaller pieces of equipment and furniture were located differently. This time, Alex was to try to verify that she had reached the desired time and date. She rose from the couch and began searching the lab for a clock and calendar. It took her several minutes to find a clock that said 1:07. But there was no calendar anywhere.
She went to the door, intending to try another room. As she opened the door, she heard rapid footsteps outside. Keeping the door opened a crack, she saw a large gentleman walk past, and suddenly she was struck with the thought that this was actually someone who had lived over a hundred years ago. He seemed like an ordinary person, in a brown plaid suit and derby hat, both of which plainly looked out of date. From behind, she could see a bushy gray beard as he turned his head left and right, searching for something. Then he rounded a corner and was gone.
It hadn't occurred to her until that moment that she would be dealing with actual people from the past. She had been thinking of the adventure as a work of fiction, but now she knew she'd be involved with real people, and might be causing real changes in their lives, for better or for worse. She realized that she would be taking on a great responsibility. And then she knew for certain, without the need of a calendar or clock, that she was really in the year 1886, on July 14, a little after 1:00 in the afternoon. She knew she was a part of that time, that she could remain there as long as she wanted, and could will herself back to her own present when she was ready. She also found that she could think of both the past and the future together. There was no danger of her accidentally recalling her normal time, and "snapping back" as the fictional characters had done, because she was able to keep perfect control of her mind. She didn't know why she knew or felt any of this, but she had no doubts at all. Almost casually, she decided to go back to Igor and Deanna, and in a moment it was done.
When she described her trip to both of them, Igor was strangely quiet. He was deep in thought. She had been finished with her description for several minutes when Igor finally shook his head and said, "Alex, you are different from anyone we've tested before. You've accomplished time travel much more quickly than anyone else. Even more important, you seem to have a kind of 'time sense' that allows you to be rooted both in the past and present simultaneously, so that you don't have to completely set aside the present to move to the past. And your absolute certainty of the time and date is also very unusual. After you've completed your mission, I would dearly love to have the time to study you -- don't worry, no dissections," he smiled warmly. Then noticing that her eyes were beginning to droop, he said, "It's getting late in the day, and you should be very tired from everything we've done today. If you and Deanna would like to rest now, tomorrow morning you'll have your briefing on the background that you'll need, then you'll be ready to travel. Any questions for now?"
"How much time has gone by at home?" Alex asked.
"Two and a half minutes, approximately," Igor answered.