The Gate

by Jennifer N Hibbert

  ‘That’s ridiculous. It wasn’t nothing. You guys don’t scream like girls for nothing,’ Chris said.

  Monica thumped Chris on the shoulder for making fun of girls.

  Martin leaned over to Morgan and whispered, ‘You saw the witch too, right?’

  Morgan nodded but neither divulged anything more about their experience.

  ‘The witch?’ Monica repeated.

  ‘Shh,’ Martin said, ‘she might hear us. You know how those things fly around everywhere.’

  ‘How would you know they fly around?’ Monica asked.

  ‘That’s what they do in movies,’ Martin said. ‘Who knows where she is? She could be on this ship, listening. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it.’ He started to walk away. Morgan and the rest followed him. Koi, Monica and Chris tried to stifle their laughter.

  ‘Martin, look, she’s behind you!’ Koi shouted suddenly.

  Martin bolted and then slowed to look behind him. He was angry when he saw his friends in hysterics but he quickly saw the funny side and started laughing, too.

  *

  Later that evening, Martin and Morgan made their way to the cockpit after receiving an invitation in the form of a short note from one of the ship’s crew. As they arrived, Martin saw James enter the cockpit; he also had been invited to visit by the commander.

  When the commander saw the three of them, he stood up from his station and walked to the door to greet them. Martin wondered why he’d invited them to the cockpit but, seeing James, supposed it must have something to do with the incident at the Channel of Exchange. Looking around the cockpit, Martin and Morgan beamed with excitement as they gazed through a viewport into space. At the entrance there was a small reception area with a long couch against the window, a single chair and a coffee table, all of which were secured to the floor.

  ‘Hello, gentlemen, thank you for coming. My name is Tidor Thomson.’ The commander extended his hand then gestured for them to take a seat. They sat on the long couch and the commander sat on the chair facing them.

  ‘I want to take this opportunity to thank you personally, and on behalf of the organisers, for the heroic act you performed at the Channel of Exchange.’

  Two of the crew turned around to look at them, but they didn’t say anything and quickly returned to their work.

  ‘Sir, I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say that we just did what came naturally,’ James replied. The boys smiled and nodded.

  Martin’s eyes were drawn to the cockpit. It was similar to that of an aeroplane, except for the huge glass window. There were two seats at the front for the pilot and co-pilot as well as a large and complex computer workstation that included all sorts of switches, buttons, knobs, screens, keyboards, lights, radio communicators and sensor detectors. A giant, pull-down telescope was visible above the pilot’s seat. The commander’s seat was at the middle workstation and had a massive screen and dashboard covered in even more switches and buttons.

  ‘Well, we were very impressed with your spontaneous actions,’ Thomson continued. ‘If not for that, things could have been much worse.’

  Martin and Morgan smiled. James looked calm and collected as he listened to the commander but his emotion showed as he asked the question that seemed to have been on everyone’s mind since they’d left the Channel of Exchange. ‘Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, do you have any more news regarding Mr Stevens’ condition? Is there any chance he could survive?’

  ‘At the moment, he’s in a medically induced coma to stabilise him. I’ll keep you updated as I receive further information,’ Tidor said.

  James sat down quietly, his head down.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ asked the commander.

  ‘I feel responsible for Mr Stevens. I asked him to help me keep an eye on the passengers to make sure everyone was okay – and that’s how he ended up at the back of the queue before the incident,’ James explained. ‘He seemed like someone who loved taking care of others.’

  ‘Oh, James, you can’t beat yourself up. Imagine what would’ve happened if you and Mr Stevens and these two brave boys hadn’t stepped in. Countless lives would have been lost – not to mention the injuries that would have been sustained. You did the right thing and we’re proud of you. All of you should be proud, too,’ the commander said.

  James nodded but didn’t say anything.

  ‘You have to understand that there are times in life when you can’t save everyone. That isn’t your fault. Think of all the people you did save.’

  James continued to nod as he looked through the window into space. The two men were silent for a few moments. Martin’s eyes met James’s but this time there was no smile or nod.

  ‘If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask,’ Mr Thomson offered. James quickly stood up to leave. They shook hands and James left the room.

  Martin and Morgan also got up to leave. The commander shook their hands and Martin and Morgan took another quick look around the cockpit. They were both fascinated by the beauty of the various machines. The commander nodded with a smile and they left.

  *

  Carrol spent her time on the ship avoiding other people – especially the group of five. She scarcely spoke to anyone, other than an occasional hello as a courtesy when she found herself in the same space as other passengers and they offered her pleasantries.

  She visited the cinema occasionally but other than that she mainly spent time in her room, reading e-books, listening to the news and, of course, thinking about the family she’d left behind. Despite the quarrels and name-calling, she missed all of her siblings and her mum. She missed her father most of all.

  She only went to the dining room during mealtimes and she ate quickly and left as soon as she’d finished – unlike many others who stayed late with their friends and soaked up the ambience. Carrol always sat at the end of a bench in a corner of the canteen, close to the long buffet table. Sitting close to both the food and the door was a perfect way to avoid running into anyone. It also allowed her to leave the room as quickly as possible if she felt somebody was looking at her in a strange way – and Carrol thought any attempt at eye contact qualified as a ‘strange way’.

  One afternoon, perhaps one and half months into their journey, everyone was rushing in and out of the canteen as usual. The early eaters were just leaving and a fresh batch had arrived. Carrol walked straight to the buffet table, picked up cutlery and a plate from the pile in the corner and started scooping rice with beef stew onto her plate. She returned to her bench and shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth, her head bent over the table.

  The group of five walked in and headed in her direction. When she noticed, she swallowed hard to force down the food in her mouth, both chewed and unchewed.

  Monica approached her and asked gently, ‘Is this seat taken?’

  Carrol tried to speak but choked a little, causing a piece of food to go down the wrong way. She took a moment to clear it. ‘No!’ she finally answered, coughing at the same time. She picked up a glass of water and gulped some down before adjusting her glasses, which had slid towards the end of her nose.

  The group sat down beside her. After a moment, they got up again, went to the buffet table and collected their food before returning to the table.

  Carrol was shocked to see the group in the restaurant at this time of the day, let alone sitting next to her. They were usually among the first people to eat. Shaken, she sat quietly for a few seconds, trying to gather her thoughts. She watched them getting their food. They seem awfully quiet today, she thought. She hurried and finished her food then quickly cleared her plate and cup and rushed back to her room.

  *

  Three months into the journey, Martin and Morgan went to the games room to play on the machines. After they’d been there for a while, Morgan whispered, ‘Look at those two men. Are they together or what?’

  ‘Where?’ Martin asked, looking around.

  ‘There!’ Morgan said pointing them out.r />
  Just then, a crew member came over and handed Martin a note. They had another invitation to the cockpit. James arrived at the same time. Martin was surprised that the crew were looking at them with pity.

  The commander approached them again at the reception area of the cockpit. ‘Gentlemen, I have news regarding Mr Stevens. I’m sorry, but he passed away last night. As you know, he suffered severe injuries and it would’ve been a miracle if he had survived.’

  At this news, James slumped down into the chair by the window. He covered his face with his hands as a tear trickled down his cheek. The memory of that day flooded back; after all, he had held on to the man’s hand long after it’d been severed.

  Martin and Morgan exchanged shocked looks but said nothing. Martin remembered how Mr Stevens had screamed in pain and how he and Morgan had tried to separate the elevator doors and get him out.

  The commander patted James’s shoulder. ‘James, it’s okay. Remember that none of this was your fault. You gentlemen did a fantastic job, better than any of us would have done given the circumstances. I’m very sorry that Mr Stevens lost his life but remember that it would have been even worse without you,’ he said.

  A few of the other crew members nodded in agreement but James was still sad, despite what the commander had said.

  *

  One day, Martin approached Morgan in the courtyard. ‘There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. Why are you sitting here staring into space? Let’s go and play some games, man,’ he said.

  Morgan turned to him. ‘No, I don’t really feel like playing any today. I’m pretty sure I’ve played everything in that games room,’ he replied grumpily.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Martin asked, rummaging around in his pocket.

  ‘This was wonderful for the first few days, weeks, even months, but now I’m bored with being in one place, crammed in with everybody else for such a long time. I’m sick of seeing the same people day in, day out, all competing for every bit of space. I’m telling you, man, it’s starting to take a toll on me.’

  ‘Have you got a problem with some of the passengers?’ Martin asked curiously.

  ‘No, it’s nothing like that. But being in a confined space can sometimes expose people’s eccentricities. Have you noticed? There are these two men in their forties who do exactly the same thing every day. How weird is that?’ Morgan said.

  ‘Which guys? Where have you seen them?’ Martin stopped checking his pockets and gave Morgan his full attention.

  ‘You know, those two guys who are always in the games room. I’ve been checking them out for some time now,’ he said, sounding serious and tense.

  ‘What do they look like?’ Martin asked.

  ‘I pointed them out to you the other day. They’re both tall and look alike, except one is slimmer than the other. They always sit on the tall chairs against the walls, close to the machines. They never play any games – they just sit there, watching the lights. It’s like they are following a routine,’ Morgan said.

  ‘Oh yeah, I remember who you’re talking about. They’re there at almost the same time every day. Maybe they have mental-health issues,’ Martin said.

  ‘They didn’t seem to know each other prior to this trip but their behaviour is exactly the same. It seems like they’re watching the red lights that beam from the top of the machines.

  ‘The first time I noticed one of them, I thought he was waiting because he couldn’t find a free machine. I finished my first game thinking he wanted to play but he never moved from his seat. That’s when I noticed the second one nearby. Crazy, huh?’ said Martin.

  ‘And that’s not all. They occasionally stare at the lights flashing from the machines in the same sequence, like they’re spellbound,’ Morgan said, widening his eyes and raising his eyebrows. ‘They leave the room to eat but then they immediately return to the games room and do the same thing all over again. I only know that because one day after I’d watched them for a while I decided to find out where they normally go, so I followed them to the canteen. By the way, they sit at separate tables.’

  ‘I didn’t realise they were following the lights with their eyes. Next time I’ll watch them,’ Martin said. ‘Ah,’ he continued, as though he had just remembered something. ‘Man, if you say they follow the lights in a particular sequence, I bet they are aliens. What other creatures follow lights besides aliens?’

  Morgan gave it a thought before shaking his head. ‘No, they don’t look like anything special. If you ask me, I’d say they’re just some goofy guys. One day I heard two people talking about them in the canteen and they said they were very intelligent.’

  ‘Seriously, dude, don’t forget that aliens are very intelligent, too. Think about it logically. Why else would they be watching the lights? Maybe they are simply waiting for the right light – you know, their signal. Then they will take over our ship,’ Martin suggested dramatically.

  ‘Martin, are you sure you’re not saying something you’ve read somewhere or watched on television?’ Morgan asked.

  Martin burst into laughter. ‘Maybe you’re right. It sounds like Doctor Who or something! Oh yeah, wait a minute. That’s the movie I saw on the train on the way to the Channel of Exchange.’ They both laughed.

  ‘Man, jokes aside, what did they do to you?’ Martin asked when he’d calmed down.

  ‘They haven’t done anything to me. Nobody has done anything, I’m just trying to tell you how tired I am of watching the same people do the same things over and over again,’ Morgan said.

  ‘Forget about them, Morgan. And quit complaining already! Look, at least everything is done for us here – we don’t even have to pick up after ourselves. That’s awesome, isn’t it?’ Martin said.

  ‘I know. Don’t get me wrong, I was loving every part of it but it doesn’t seem fun anymore. Like, I love food, you know that, but even mealtimes have become mundane. Similar food at appointed times every day.’

  ‘Man, you’re depressed, that’s all. I’m pretty sure you are taking their lovely hospitality for granted because they’re not charging us any money for such an awesome adventure.’

  ‘Yeah, at least it’s free,’ Morgan said with a smile.

  Martin started pulling out his pockets, searching for something.

  ‘What are you looking for?’ Morgan asked.

  ‘I think I’ve lost my room key card,’ Martin replied.

  ‘Retrace your steps. Where was the last place you had it?’

  ‘Man, what kind of question is that? If I knew the last place I had it, I’d go back there and get it!’ Martin said. ‘Let’s go to the service centre so I can ask for another key,’ he suggested. They went to the reception centre and Martin collected another key.

  Martin suspected that Morgan’s view was shared by many of the other migrants; he remembered their dragging footsteps along the corridor, unlike when they’d first arrived on the ship. Perhaps what had once felt like a futuristic paradise had come to feel more like a sterile metal coffin.

  As time went on, Martin and his friends spent their days playing computer games or inventing their own fun. They sometimes played hide and seek, running through the corridors for hours. One morning Monica raised this subject over breakfast. ‘Guys, I hope you’re all going to take the warning letter seriously and stop running around in the corridors,’ she said.

  ‘What warning letter? I’ve not seen any warning letter,’ Koi said, surprised.

  ‘Me neither,’ said Morgan.

  ‘One was slipped under our door. We saw it this morning,’ Chris said.

  ‘Oh, no wonder I didn’t see it. I never pick up any of the papers that are slipped under my door. I have a heap of them,’ Martin said.

  ‘Well, you’ve received a written warning to stop running in the passageways. Your names are mentioned in the letter. It says you’ve collided with a few of the other passengers. You’ve also been ordered to respect the other passengers using the communal spaces and keep the noise level down,’
Monica said.

  The boys started laughing.

  ‘Seriously, guys, you have to respect what they tell us to do. You don’t want them putting you in a cell on the ship or throwing you into prison when we get to Mars,’ Monica said with a hint of frustration in her voice.

  The boys didn’t answer; they just kept laughing.

  Martin and the boys were quiet for a few days but the warning didn’t deter them for long. They continued to play their games and run around in the corridors as boisterously as ever – but Monica was happy to see that at least they slowed down when they saw someone coming towards them. Martin could tell from the faces of the other passengers that they weren’t happy about their behaviour, but no one submitted a complaint against them.

  CHAPTER 13

  CARROL AND THE LARGE, COLOURFUL LIZARD

  Carrol returned from lunch one day to find her bedroom door slightly ajar. She didn’t think anything of it; she thought she must have forgotten to close it, or perhaps it had been the cleaning staff. She had often wondered what time they came to her room because she’d never met them, which was surprising considering the amount of time she spent there. Still, she regularly found clean clothes and a freshly made bed waiting for her. She thought it was so nice and such a change from home, where she and her siblings always had to divide the chores. The others ganged up on her, wanting her to do their work for them, then they’d call her names when she refused. That’s what started most of their fights. Instead of stopping the argument, her mother would tell her to hurry up and finish her own chores then get started with whatever job was being disputed. This was a regular issue in their house and Carrol usually cried before completing the tasks. If her father was at home, he would tell them off, but this did not happen often.

  This ship is like a giant flying hotel that we don’t have to clean, she thought as she pushed open the door. So, from that point of view, it’s great!