Isaac, Cameron, and Jackson end their holiday adventures with a time-traveling mystery set in the distant future. They’ve survived ghosts on Halloween, being trapped in a storm on Christmas, and villainous spies and a mad king on Valentine’s Day. Cameron loves their trysts throughout time.
Unfortunately, Isaac no longer loves these travels. Balancing a jealous villain and an honest conversation about settling down may be more than Isaac can handle. Can their relationship survive one more villain and a mundane future?
They woke in a moss-green bed. The sheets were made of a fabric that Isaac could not recognize. It was soft and heavy in texture. It was slick like silk but felt like wool. Isaac frowned, confused. The walls provided little clarity. It was made of plants. The floor was filled with soil with wooden planks forming a path to a steel door.
Jackson and Cameron were sitting, waiting for Isaac to wake. They were still in the same clothes they arrived in. Soft music played in the background. It was orchestral with sweeping violins playing across the chorus into a bridge. A woman sang in the background.
“Welcome twenty-first-century variants. We are glad you accepted our invitation. Most variations of us have attended. The party has started. There will be lockets that you can use to voyage to different times to meet whomever you would like. If you wish to have sex other versions of yourself, or your boyfriends, there are spare rooms identified in each hall. This room is yours. Your wristband will act as a map. You may stay and leave at your will. We look forward to seeing you,” Isaac’s familiar voice instructed. The voice crackled and ended.
Cameron grinned, eager to begin their party. “Would you top yourself? I’m mildly interested. We’ll see,” Cameron decided, pulling Jackson and Isaac to their feet.
“I’ll pass,” Isaac responded, shrugging. The idea of having intercourse with a version of himself grossed Isaac out.
“Same. I’m not into me,” Jackson stated.
Cameron shrugged. The steel door opened as they approached it. The room smelled of cinnamon and alcohol. The hall was dimly lit. The music shifted to an electronic beat with pounding rhythms. Both Jackson and Isaac grimaced. Cameron beamed, nodding his head to the beat.
The hall widened into a circular room. Windows showed the futuristic Stockholm in the background. The city floated above a dense forest. Countless versions of themselves danced with one another. Some were accompanied by friends.
A woman with curled black hair and a tan complexion approached them. She wore a metallic halter top and a neon black skirt.
“Is that the spy from our Valentine’s adventure in Paris?” Cameron questioned.
Jackson brightened, waving to Catalina. The woman smirked, nodding to them as she walked by.
“What year is it?” Jackson asked.
“Oh, darling. If only I knew. I know it is at least three thousand years from your time. Does it matter?” Catalina responded, disappearing into the crowd.