How often is history changed by a simple twist of fate? Not chance, mind you, but fate: "That which is destined or decreed; appointed lot." Is there anything which is chance, pure chance, and nothing more?
There is a woman. She calls herself Sharon Williams. A simple name. Common enough to bring her no attention, but not as common as Smith or Jones or Brown as to be suspicious. It is not, of course, her real name, her given name, but that does not concern us. She is a researcher, piling up data and conclusions in old New Orleans, the Vieux Carre, the French Quarter. It is exciting, for this is her first trip alone. Although she has been well-trained, there is nothing as fearful and exhilarating as that first solo trip. It is an important test for her, in many ways.