1. Derek watched intently as his older brother, Jared, tinkered with a control on the machine in front of him.
2. “Jared, is this actually going to work?” he asked, impatiently tapping his foot.
3. Jared’s failure to respond told Derek that his brother had no doubt in his capabilities. Jared was a regular Einstein and had won first place at the science fair five years in a row. His inventions never failed to impress even the most ruthless judges.
4. “Finished.” Jared stepped back and revealed a strange, helmet-like object covered in buttons, lights, and other mechanisms. He made a grand gesture with his arms, as if he were displaying a fabulous prize to a game show contestant, and said, “I give you the Dream Machine.”
5. Derek cast a suspicious eye toward the machine. “How do you operate it?” he asked.
6. “It’s quite simple,” Jared replied. “First, you use the keypad to enter a time, a location, and an event. Next, you place the helmet on your head and securely fasten the strap. Finally—and this is the easy part—you go to sleep. As you sleep, the machine will use the data you entered to create a lifelike dream sequence that basically transports you wherever you want to go.”
7. Derek nodded, still wary of his brother’s apparatus. He wasn’t sure that he wanted some machine toying with his subconscious while he slept like a baby. However, Derek remembered the reason why he had asked his brother about the Dream Machine in the first place. His history class was creating a Web site about the ancient Olympic Games and Derek had to write about the stadion. He had yet to pen a single word, and his presentation was due the following day.
8. Derek took a deep breath and picked up the helmet. He programmed the following information: 776 B.C.E., Olympia, Greece, stadion. Then he placed the clunky machine on his head, fastened the strap, and tried to get comfortable in his bed. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep. . . .
9. Derek stood in the stadion, the place where ancient Greeks held athletic contests. He watched as the athletes prepared to run a race, which was also called the stadion. The stadion was one of the most important events of the ancient Olympics. The length of the race was one stade—about 200 yards—which was the distance from one end of the stadion to the other. The people next to Derek talked excitedly about the great honor that would come to the man who won the race. Derek cheered along with them as the athletes sprinted to the finish line. . . .
10. The next morning, Derek proudly presented his information about the stadion to his classmates. Even Mr. Jovavitch, the history teacher, looked impressed with the thorough description.
11. “Derek, where did you find such intricate details?” Mr. Jovavitch inquired.
12. “Here and there,” said Derek, a sly smile spreading across his face.
13. Jared watched on from the back of the classroom, a hint of pride in his eyes. His Dream Machine had once again proven its worth, helping Derek to not only complete his assignment but to truly experience history in a way books could never replicate.
14. As the day went on, Derek couldn't shake off the excitement of his dream experience. He couldn't wait to try out the Dream Machine again and explore more historical events firsthand.
15. From that day on, Derek became known as the boy who could vividly recount historical events as if he had lived through them. And all thanks to his genius older brother and his incredible invention – the Dream Machine.