The Gate

by Jennifer N Hibbert

  The Gate

  CHAPTER 1

  THE MEETING OF THE RULING BODY

  It was the year 1998 in the Midwest of the United States of America. Atta Rogers was travelling in a bus with some of his colleagues. His head rotated from side to side once they left the main road, which was flanked by woodland, and turned onto a narrow, tarred drive. He knew this route very well. Breaking into a mild smile, he turned slightly to look at the passengers sitting behind him before setting his eyes forward to a road that stretched as far as his eyes could see. There were no houses or buildings in sight until a shiny black metal gate, trimmed with gold, appeared in the distance.

  As they approached, Rupeta Kaya, who was sitting in the front seat on the passenger side, keyed in the code on a tag that had been issued by the meeting council. The gate swung open. Inside the compound stood a magnificent building; the large, stone office block looked very small in comparison to the huge surroundings in which it was set.

  The area around the building looked deserted, apart from the numerous cars parked there. Their long black bus made its way inside and stopped in the car park. The side door of the bus opened. Rogers, who was seated alone, shifted slightly in his seat by the door. He sat there, bending over to adjust his shoelace. Slowly, he drew in a breath and let it out while anticipating the form today’s meeting would take.

  Rupeta Kaya opened the front door and climbed down, leaving Rogers, the driver and the rest of the passengers inside the vehicle. The driver was one of the astrobiologists; he turned off the engine and exited.

  Rogers stepped down too, then popped his head back in the bus. ‘C’mon, young men, we haven’t got all day to sit in the car park. We have pressing matters to attend to.’ He spoke with exuberance, waving to signal the boys’ to exit the bus.

  ‘Yes, sir,’ responded some voices.

  Rogers scanned the parking area, checking to see if he could recognise the other vehicles. He had already attended many meetings here with Rupeta Kaya, especially since they had started working on the Mars project. He felt the gentle breeze, and his eyes were quickly drawn to the blades of grass in the open as the breeze drove them from side to side. It was a glorious evening; the sun had fallen, leaving just the clear blue sky.

  Rogers was soon distracted when four skinny young men emerged from the bus and gathered in front of the driver, who looked to be the same age as them. For the first time Rogers noticed that they all wore glasses; it was the thickness of the lenses that caught his eyes. He stared steadily at one in particular, a young man named Zebe, whose lenses were as thick as a drinking glass. Another thing they all had in common was the way they combed and gelled their hair backward, leaving the comb tracks visible.

  Rogers glanced at everyone in his group. They were all dressed in black trouser suits and ties. Three of the young men regrouped and headed towards the entrance of a large building. On at least three separate occasions they had also attended these meetings with Rogers and Rupeta Kaya.

  The other two, Zebe and Joe, were distinctive looking; neither was more than four feet ten inches tall. Rogers was happy to see the excitement on their faces, since it was their first time at such a distinguished meeting. He remembered only too well how strange and apprehensive it felt the first time he was invited to join the inner circle of the management team.

  Rogers had a flashback to the discussion he’d had with Rupeta Kaya and Cush Abraham at Rupeta’s office. That had led to him meeting a man named Calbas and his assistant, Tobus.

  One day Rogers had been invited to Rupeta’s office. When he arrived, he saw Rupeta sitting with another man called Cush Abraham, the head of the astrobiologists. It was the first time Rogers had met Mr Abraham in person.

  Rogers was shocked and wondered why he’d been summoned; he immediately feared the worst. He’d only joined the astrobiologists’ management team a little over a year earlier. However, seeing how cheerful they both were at his arrival gave him hope.

  ‘Take a seat, Rogers,’ instructed Rupeta Kaya, waving his hand towards a vacant chair next to Mr Abraham.

  Rogers side-stepped a little before sitting down.

  ‘By the way, this is Mr Cush Abraham. He is the overall head of the astrobiologists. You must have heard of him?’

  ‘Yes, sir, I have,’ Rogers responded, nodding.

  ‘Sir, this is Atta Rogers,’ Rupeta said, pointing towards him.

  Mr Abraham shook hands with Rogers.

  ‘We’ve invited you here to discuss the furtherance of our work. We hope that our discussion will remain top secret. Issues arising from this discussion can only be discussed with authorized personnel. Do you understand?’ Rupeta asked, looking steadily at Rogers.

  Rogers nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’

  Then Mr Abraham spoke up. ‘You will be assisting Mr Rupeta Kaya when he attends a discussion session with the head of a secret organisation of supernatural beings called the Gatekeepers. Have you ever heard of them?’

  ‘No, sir,’ Rogers responded. His eyes made contact with Mr Abraham.

  Mr Abraham continued. ‘They are the keepers of the whole universe.’ He waited a little, perhaps to allow his words to percolate and allow Rogers to come to terms with what he’d just said.

  Rupeta pulled out a folder and handed it to Rogers. Rupeta and Mr Abraham exchanged a look; Rogers’ mind translated this as a reassuring look that they’d made the right decision by giving him highly classified information. Their eyes returned to search Rogers’, perhaps still checking to make sure he was fit for the level of trust accorded to him.

  ‘You may study the content of the file. If you have any questions, you can always return to me,’ Rupeta said cheerfully.

  ‘Well, that’s all for now,’ Mr Abraham said, with very little expression.

  And that was the end of that conversation.

  *

  Rogers eyes returned to Zebe and Joe. They wore frumpy black trouser suits and ties; their shoulder pads extended beyond their shoulders while their sleeves hung down over their hands, which were clutching black-paper folders tightly. Despite their dishevelled look, genius shone from behind their thick spectacles. Standing close to them, Rogers listened to what they were talking about.

  Zebe whispered loudly enough for Rogers to hear, ‘I can’t believe we finally made it to “the meeting of the year”.’

  With wide eyes, the two exchanged a warm glance and giggled.

  ‘Yeah,’ Joe replied. ‘This place is remote but beautiful.’

  ‘Look at that office block. The stonework makes it look ancient,’ Zebe pointed.

  ‘Maybe it’s really old, like hundreds of years,’ suggested Joe. ‘We’ll Google it after the meeting.’

  ‘I don’t think it will show up in Google since it’s meant to be a secret location,’ Zebe said. At that point in time, Google was a recent development; it had quickly become essential for ‘nerds’ – a term most normal people didn’t even know existed.

  ‘That’s true, but this is Ohio. How hard could it be, if we map it out in sections? I’d say it’s doable. Wow, I love this place. I wonder what kind of people live and work here. There are no other houses in sight,’ Joe said, still looking around in awe.

  ‘It must be kind of lonely and scary to work here. Especially if you are the last one to leave the office,’ Zebe said.

  ‘You sure know how to turn something nice into something scary.’

  ‘That’s not true! I’m just observant, that’s all. Besides, you started it,’ Zebe said.

  ‘Started what?’

  ‘You said there are no other houses in sight.’

  ‘Scaredy-cat!’

  Zebe shrugged. The two were used to squabbling with each other; despite that, their friendship ran deep.

  Rogers gl
anced at Rupeta Kaya. Now in his late sixties and the oldest of them all, Kaya was taller than anyone else in their group. In his heyday, he’d had women competing for his attention – the kind of women whose images were worthy of movie scenes, the theatre, magazines and the posters that some young men plastered on their bedroom walls.

  Rogers’ eyes contacted the other man’s deep-blue ones. Kaya’s eyes had once shone brightly but now were dulled and surrounded by deep wrinkles, reminders of times past – both good times and bad. His hair had turned almost completely white but was well groomed. He flashed a smile and nodded at Rogers.

  Smiling back, Rogers asked lightly, ‘Are we ready to go in?’ to which he received no response. He wasn’t expecting any; he knew that Rupeta Kaya was as deaf as a post and that he felt no desire to think about anything except science and interplanetary travel. Rogers remembered their conversation earlier that day before they had set off for this meeting – though he thought it had been more like a lecture than a conversation.

  ‘Old boy, this is it. We’ve done all we can. I’m pretty sure we will get our approval for this project today. We have everything we need to close the deal,’ Kaya had said. Rogers had nodded without saying a word.

  Rogers remembered the longest conversation he’d ever had with Mr Rupeta Kaya, after they’d met with Calbas and Tobus, the Universal Gatekeepers, to discuss the pressing matter at hand. The issue of interplanetary travel and the possibility of humans inhabiting Mars, as Mr Cush Abraham had instructed them. When they left the discussion session, Rogers had asked Rupeta Kaya how old he thought Calbas was. It was a question that he later regretted, due to the copious detail he received.

  Rupeta’s response was mind blowing. ‘Old boy,’ he said, focusing his full attention on Rogers. ‘I don’t know for sure. I have not forgotten the remarkable and the lengthy introduction Calbas gave, the first time Cush Abraham and I laid eyes on him.’ Rupeta beamed. ‘A remarkable introduction indeed, I tell you. Here is how it went.’ He started relaying the ‘remarkable introduction’.

  ‘“I, Calbas, the head of the Gatekeepers, was born just after the universe was born. The universe was beautiful in all its glory. I was formed at the beginning, before the world and everything else was created. I was born before the oceans and springs bubbled forth their waters, even before the mountains, the hills, the fields and the soil were created. Outer space was void and empty, but soon enough it was teeming with creatures both large and small.

  ‘“The Earth also was filled with human families. I was among the first to be appointed the chief Gatekeeper of the whole universe and all that is within it. I paid particular attention to human families to make sure that no harm would come to them and their world. Ever since then, my colleagues and I have watched over the universe’s many gates into all the planets, realms and kingdoms, which stretch from the lines of the earth beneath to the horizon and the open sphere of outer space and beyond.

  ‘“During the Dark Ages, our work was easy. Humans did not know of our existence. We carried out our benevolent activities in secret among humans without running the risk of being detected on planet Earth or in the universe at large. Because we are supernatural beings, we can change our form into whatever we want. So, we moved effortlessly among humans without giving anything away during this period.

  ‘“All the other planetary creature, were content to remain within the perimeters of their planets without accessing or trying to enter other planets, even though they had supernatural powers of teleportation, time travel, shape-shifting and so on. The situation changed as time went by with a shift in thinking due to the invention of the telescope and the Copernican assault on the geocentric cosmology.’”

  Rupeta chuckled. ‘I rudely interrupted Calbas and said, “Once they established that the Earth was merely one planet amongst many in the universe, the idea of extra-terrestrial life forms in outer space moved towards the scientific mainstream.”’ He rolled his head, as though he was disappointed by his own actions. ‘I’d say, there was a stare of agreement although Calbas didn’t vocalise a response.’

  Rogers opened his mouth to ask a question or say something but quickly closed it; perhaps something in the past had taught him not to interrupt or because Rupeta showed no sign of slowing down.

  Rupeta met Rogers’ gaze. He cracked a smile and swallowed hard. ‘Old boy, I’d say this is remarkable, don’t you think? How could anyone forget such an introduction? Anyway, moving on,’ he said.

  Rogers looked like he could explode with the many questions inside him, despite having his first question about Calbas’s age answered in a way. He blurted out, ‘Are the Gatekeepers gods of some sort?’

  ‘Old boy, we may never know! No one dared to ask Calbas any questions after such a fascinating introduction of himself and the work the Gatekeepers do. You may pass by my office later for more information about them,’ Rupeta added, without giving Rogers a chance to respond.

  Rogers stared at him aghast; so much had been left unsaid. And that was the end of that conversation.

  *

  Today, Rogers saw Rupeta Kaya’s face beaming with the zest of accomplishment and pride. Rupeta rummaged through the pocket of his trousers looking for his lucky pen, which he carried with him everywhere he went.

  Rogers knew how excited they all were, especially Zebe and Joe who had worked hard to be here. Whoever got the credit for this ground-breaking achievement, he knew those two guys had something tangible to add to it.

  Rogers stared at them for a moment before walking over. He set one hand on each of their shoulders and said, ‘Congratulations, gentlemen. You’ve made it to the summit! Quite frankly, you deserve to be here as much as anyone else.’

  ‘Thank you, sir,’ they responded simultaneously. They looked at each other before turning to face Rogers again.

  ‘No, seriously, guys! I’m telling you, you earned this! You worked so hard and it’s paying off, isn’t it?’ he asked, not expecting an answer.

  ‘Thank you, sir,’ they responded, again in unison.

  Rogers headed towards the entrance and they looked steadily at the ground as they fell into step beside him. They were happy to receive his approval and commendation of their work, especially since he was the head of the committee that dealt with interplanetary matters.

  Rupeta Kaya, Rogers, Zebe and Joe soon joined the other three astrobiologists, who were already at the entrance to the large office building, and they entered as a group.

  *

  Rogers was euphoric that the day had finally come. Looking at the faces of the other astrobiologists, he could tell that they were, too. Rupeta Kaya, as spokesperson for the astrobiologists, had called a summit of the world’s governing bodies and requested the Gatekeepers join in secret to discuss their final plans about how to build a new city on Mars. Calbas, the head of the Gatekeepers, and two others would be attending the meeting. Mr Anderson Motos, along with his colleagues, would represent the world government.

  Rogers and his group entered and so did the other delegates. The stewards, all dressed in white, directed each group – the Astrobiologists, the government representatives and the Gatekeepers – to sit in their designated seats.

  The room was big and square, with a huge round table in the middle. A bottle of water and a pile of papers were placed in front of every chair. Rogers sat down and slid his pile closer before raising his eyes to look at the dimmed wall lights, which peeped between large folds of the thick dark curtains that hung from ceiling to floor on every wall. He knew the light in the room was dimmed on purpose to protect the identity of the attendees. A chandelier hung above the chairman’s seat; the light was angled in such a way that it was impossible to make out his features clearly. The chairman was not a member of any group.

  Rogers watched the new astrobiologists, Zebe and Joe, to see their reactions. They beamed from ear to ear as they looked around the room. Joe was squinting in the direction of some of the guests; perhaps he was trying to make out th
eir faces. Meanwhile, Zebe was looking down at the pile of papers in front of him, using his finger to scroll through the lines. A few reading lights were dotted around the table. They shone steadily, illuminating Zebe’s hand as he scrolled down the paper.

  All the guests, both male and female, were dressed in black trouser suits and ties. The table had glass panels sectioning each group, meaning they could only speak to the members of their own group before the meeting commenced.

  ‘Thank you all for coming,’ said Rupeta Kaya, calling the meeting to order. Everyone gathered the papers in front of them and started looking through them. ‘As you know, we have established that frozen water exists on Mars. We also know that the Red Planet has some form of atmosphere. Armed with the evidence to support our findings, we’ve decided to put forward a proposal to stress the importance of this project to humanity.’ He paused for a few seconds.

  ‘Tell us the value that this project will add to human life,’ Mr Anderson Motos said anxiously.

  I’m glad he asked, Rogers thought sarcastically. He wondered how anybody could ask such a question when the pollution of the atmosphere was staring them in the face.

  At this meeting, Rogers and the rest of the Astronomical Society would put forward a proposal to build a new city on Mars. They would then request the world government’s approval to use ordinary people as guinea pigs to test out the project. They would also request financial assistance to help them fund the construction of the new city.

  The astrobiologists’ group was requesting the help of the Gatekeepers, supernatural beings whose duties involved protecting the whole universe and who would respond to human suffering and pain. The astrobiologists wanted the Gatekeepers to provide security against other planetary creatures that might seek to frustrate their efforts. Rogers and his group were confident that, with the help of the Gatekeepers, minimal life would be lost for great gain.

  Mr Rupeta Kaya responded. ‘This project will help us to demystify the complexity of other planets so that mankind can take full advantage of intergalactic travel. If successful, the programme could relieve Earth of the weight of humans’ reckless, bludgeoning activities – or at least distribute some of the weight to another planet. Humankind’s insatiable greed for riches and inordinate desire to gain and hoard wealth is creating climate change and damaging the atmosphere. Dire consequences will result from failing to redistribute the effects of these activities on Earth.’