You step out of the time machine into the warm, neon-soaked air of Las Vegas at midnight in 1971.The Neon ArrivalThe air smells of desert dust, cheap cigarettes, and sweet perfume.Giant casino signs glow in bright red, yellow, and blue.Tall palm trees glint under the electric lights.Your modern neon-infused sneakers and synthetic jacket clash hard with the vintage 1971 bell-bottoms and tailored suits around you.The Surreal BeachYou wander past the crowded strip toward a quiet, sandy shore by an artificial resort lagoon.Cool midnight wind blows off the water.Six young figures sit in a circle on the sand, holding melting ice cream cones.It is the Jackson 5: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, Michael, and young Randy.The EncounterJermaine, Marlon, Michael, and Randy laugh and chatter about their latest radio hits.Jackie sits apart like a silent giant. He is massive, his broad shoulders and thick muscles straining against his tight shirt, sharing equal, terrifying strength with Tito. He says nothing at all.Tito stares at the water, his jaw clenched, seething with a sudden, dark rage.You step on a dry twig, and the noise catches Tito's sharp ears. He whips his head around with a violent glare. Tito: "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STARRING AT? BACK OFF OR I WILL TEAR THAT WEIRD JACKET RIGHT OFF YOUR BACK!" Jackie doesn't speak. He just slowly turns his heavy head, his massive biceps flexing in the moonlight, ready to break concrete if Tito gives the word.Michael stops licking his strawberry ice cream, his big eyes blinking in the glow of the casino lights as he watches you step into the sand.