Without Lincoln’s death, things got surprisingly nasty. My one-second mistake would cause the North and South to never fully reconcile in the aftermath of the Civil War. Eventually, a second civil war would take place, this one twice as devastating and deadly as the first, making what should have been the United States of America so divided and weak that it was easily conquered. All because of one teeny-tiny, should-be-insignificant second. I watched this alternative history spiral out in flashes and blips and bit my lip. Treebaun was right—I did have to be perfect. Which was a problem, because while I was a lot of things, I was a far cry from perfect. I sighed. It would have been nice if, for once, I’d knocked this simulation out of the park, especially with Elliot Mason sitting front and center.

The screen changed to the next student, and I relaxed a little in my seat. If Elliot was in here, then he’d screwed up too, and I was going to enjoy watching him squirm. Treebaun progressed quickly through each student’s recap and repercussion track, and I watched a botched Kennedy assassination simulation, a Watergate mess, and a rather iffy situation involving Ben Franklin, but none of them were Elliot’s. Finally it was over, the lights went on for good, and Treebaun turned to us, his lined face serious as he took the time to look each of us in the eye.

“You will not make the same mistake again, will you, cadets?” he asked.

“I will not,” I responded in unison with the rest of the room. There was no other correct answer. Everyone stood up, but I stayed in my seat a heartbeat longer. He’d forgotten to show Elliot’s simulation. How had he forgotten? Treebaun never forgot anything. The rest of the kids filed out the doors as I sat there fuming. But then I saw Elliot get up, and I grabbed my stuff and shouldered my way through the crowd and out. No way I was going to allow him to gloat face-to-face. A few people grumbled, but I made it through the door and headed down the hallway toward home.