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Adam's parents were gone for the season, so he had invited some friends over to watch holographic concert films of the Dead on his quantum-entertainment console. He rarely saw his peers in person; it was easier to see them on the home videophone or enjoy qua-encounters on the computer. He was actually startled when the doorbell rang that afternoon. It was still too early for visitors. It was a delivery service, and when the autobot informed him of a priority letter for Mr. Adam Coil V, he enthusiastically accepted the package. He became even more excited when he saw that the parcel was from his grandfather. He tore open the envelope and found a handwritten letter attached to a large folder of official- looking documents. "Dear Adam," the note read. "Here is your birthday present. Use it wisely and be sure to tell your old granddad all about your trip upon your return." "Trip?" Adam thought. "What kind of trip? Gramps knows that I hardly ever leave the house." It was true; Adam had no desire to travel and like most kids his age, he did his globetrotting through the Virtual Reality Voyage Vender. It was quicker, safer, and much less strenuous.  Mitch Myers is a writer, journalist, and storyteller whose work has been featured in publications such as Rolling Stone and The Village Voice and on NPR's All Things Considered. Adam examined the contents of the folder. There he read the words: "This voucher entitles Adam Coil V (only) to one round- trip ticket anywhere in the past two hundred years. Some restrictions may apply. See pages 2 through 12 for details and international guidelines. Please bring three separate items of identification and a signed copy of the consent contract (page 13) to your local time- travel representative after reading the regulations and choosing your exact destination and itinerary." A journey through the past! Adam wasn't sure how his grandfather had managed to pull the strings for such a high- level excursion, but when he checked with the Bureau of Time and Space Travel, they confirmed his eligibility. "Just make sure to read the entire contract before you plan your trip," the department chief told him. "It's not complicated, but there are some very important rules when it comes to time travel. Basically, you can't tell anyone you meet anything about the future, you can't have sex with anyone from the past, you can't do any drugs, and you absolutely must return to the present exactly twelve hours after your departure from our time zone. You know, the standard time-travel restrictions." It hadn't been difficult for Adam to choose a destination for his fantastic voyage. When he first saw the travel voucher, the thought came to him that he could go see the Grateful Dead perform at the Fillmore West on February 28, 1969. That was supposed to be a magical gig. Even the classic twentieth-century album Live/Dead contained performances from that psychedelic evening. Adam couldn't say what drew him to that particular Friday, but there was something about the date that called out to him. He knew that the Fillmore West (formerly the Carousel Ballroom) began its operations under Bill Graham in the summer of 1968, and that the original Fillmore had closed in the aftermath of Martin Luther King's assassination. Adam barely recalled who Martin Luther King was, but he knew a lot about the Fillmore. The prospect of catching the Dead on the second of four nights at the Fillmore was just too good to pass up. He would be seeing Jerry Garcia at his early peak and keyboardist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan in his boozy prime. According to Adam's archives, Mickey Hart's role as the band's second drummer was already established, and on February 28 the Dead had jammed their way through a cosmic second set including immortal renditions of "Dark Star," "Saint Stephen," and "The Eleven." There was no doubt about it; Adam was going to see the Dead in San Francisco!
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