"Project Sawyer," the Research Director began, "is the first attempt to make practical use of an experimental technology that transmits feelings and physical sensations from one person to another via the fourth dimension."

For a moment, the professor considered the meaning of her boss's words. "Time? You mean I would feel what someone felt in some other time?"

"Yes, Dr. Calvin, and a bit more than that. You would actually share those sensations, in the sense that the intensity of the experience would be distributed across both of you."

"That sounds intrusive. I'm not sure I would appreciate sharing my feelings with someone else."

"Ordinarily, no. But you might appreciate someone helping you to bear a heavy burden, something too intense for you to carry alone. Dr. Calvin, are you aware that in earlier times, spanking and flogging were not primarily used as erotic activities, but were often used to inflict pain on unwilling participants?"

"Yes. Yes, of course," she shuddered. "It must have been horrible."

The director was not surprised by her intense reaction to the mention of corporal punishment; her profile had suggested this would be the case. "Yes," he affirmed gently, "and we have no way to change the terrible crimes of human suffering in our history. For the first time, however, we think there is a way to make some of them more bearable for a few of the victims."

"You mean... a volunteer from our time would take the pain of someone's beating from the past?"

"Part of the physical and emotional pain, yes. We believe people today will, in fact, pay to do so, whether for altruism, eroticism, to satisfy a curiosity, or some combination. We can use the money not only to profit our corporation, but to fund future endeavors to relieve forms of suffering people may have less desire to share."

She nodded. "You are asking me to be the first volunteer because I have all three of the motivations you just mentioned."

"I did not expect you to guess that, but you are correct. It will make things easier."

"How much pain would be involved?" she asked, trying to conceal her fear.

"We do not know," he told her honestly. "We may need to experiment and make adjustments. That is why the first volunteer is particularly important, and must be particularly brave. It is also why we would not begin by sending you into a brutal experience, like the flogging of a woman suspected of witchcraft. Using old letters and diaries, we have identified young women unjustly punished by fathers, teachers and others, and you, if you are willing, will bear some of their pain. We named our team Project Sawyer after a hero from pre-computer age literature who took a beating to spare his classmate."

Dr. Calvin sighed. "I know the story. It was one of my favorites growing up. I suspect you already knew that."

A non-committal smile was her only answer.

"When do we start?" she asked.

"Now."