THE GATE KEEPER

by JULES GABRIEL

  ‘Do not be afraid,’ an electronic voice from the machine spoke out.

  I could not dispute over the burning desire I had for the facts which was beyond it. I try to relax and seek for answers, ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Your guardian….’

  ‘Why can’t I see you?’

  ‘I’m the Artificial Intelligent you help created.’

  ‘I have no recollection of such creation.’

  ‘It’s not the place to talk about it but once you’re on the other side of the fourth dimension I promise that you shall receive answers to all your queries.’

  Confused I try to control my nerves and stay mute for a while. The unexplained source of weightlessness slowly descends my body towards the opening of the machine. As I approach the machine I could see blue laminating light fills its interior. The non-natural lightening flickers at each adjustment of my body through the door.

  Once inside the electronic voice says courteously, ‘Please sit down. Try to remain calm and enjoy the ride.’

  The door of the machine starts to close and I nervously ask, ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘Into another world….’

  ‘Which world is that?’

  ‘Your world Mr Smith….’

  ‘…but my world is here.’

  ‘I am referring to neither your present nor your past.’

  ‘Then you must be referring to my future.’

  I receive no answer. The little window on the door gives a perfect view of the unstable flickering lightening outside the machine. Then it becomes wild as it agitates faster. The machine’s engine roars to life.

  ‘Please try to remain calm. It shall help you through your journey,’ the electronic voice said.

  I lie back on the pilot chair and try to relax.

  ‘Ten seconds before departure,’ the voice from the machine warned.

  I breathed deeply as I try to control and eliminate the fear factor. The countdown began to decrease and I could hear the announcement at a distance, as if I was becoming deaf. My mind was focus on the slight abnormal pain which was attacking my muscles.

  ‘Five seconds,’ the voice said at a low distance pitch.

  I could hear my own heart racing. I hold the arm rest firmly as I embrace the pain which the machine induce through my body. I scream as I become dizzy. The machine disappears and I could see the effect of the agitated lightening as it reacts on its invisible body. Immediately it appears back and I found myself within a visible machine.

  ‘Two seconds,’ the voice from the machine announced.

  The same visible and invisible effects happen once more. Only this time the lightening moves faster and the pain became quite bearable. I look at my hands and they seem to be moving fast as if I couldn’t control it. Every slight movement I look and feel as if I was moving in a flash.

  I scream my lungs out as my hands and leg starts to disappear. The machine was out of sight again and I was surrounded by enormous source of light combine by the powerful source of lightening. I could see myself changing with the surreal unstable environment. Scary was the right word at that instant.

  Ahead the source of lightening hit the wall. At its centre it creates and enlarges a whole which appears black in colour. Then it grows bigger and bigger until I found myself covered in vast blackness. Stars appear at the edge of the thick black surrounding.

  A distance away I could see a representation of what we call the galaxy. It disappears and the vastness of space seems to shrink. Ahead it focuses on a sole hole which quickly opens up. My surroundings begin to take form as bricks quickly arrange itself from concrete ground to a man-made feature.

  Into a fascinating and fashionable chronological order, the bricks miraculously forms an enclose room. My hands and feet slowly become visible. Immediately the inside of the machine partially appears from the bottom and slowly the rest starts forming up, as its flickering lightening slows down. Its engine diminishes its roars until it finally stop. After its completion the door of the machine slowly slide open on the outside.

  Dizziness had caught up with me through the dilemma. I take in the fresh air, quickly stand up, made one pace outside the machine and vomit all I had on my chest. I feel much better but I was in another place, perhaps another world and confuse I was.

  Outside the biker had seen all through the window. The slide had not been fully pulled down. The nemesis had pulled his visor upward to proper witness the unbelievable. It was like watching a science fiction movie except that it was factual.

  The nemesis stands still and in shock the biker try to understand what had happened. The biker walks like a thief on the porch. It didn’t do any good as the floorboards give the biker away. Slowly the biker made a move through the main door and towards the pitch black room where the strange machine was last seen.

  Evidence of its existence had perished and gone mysteriously. There was no explanation to the facts which had happened in front of the biker’s naked eyes. The biker walks to the window and lift the shade up. The room was no longer in pitch black. The light from the street shed in a minimal level of brightness.

  11

  Sick was how I felt. After I manage to breaths normal my body starts to adapt. I notice that the light in the room glows brighter. Atop of the ceiling there was a broken beacon. It went inside and hid within a sliding squarely ceiling.

  ‘Good evening,’ a familiar voice said.

  I keep quiet and wonder where it was from.

  ‘I am AI, your guardian and guide.’

  ‘Why can’t I see you,’ I demanded.

  ‘You created me that way.’ AI responded.

  ‘How can I have created you when yet I don’t have any recollection.’

  ‘I am the software and hardware you shall create in your future.’

  ‘Why was I taken here?’

  ‘An investment into your future…..’ AI responded without any details.

  ‘Please enlighten me. May I look around?’

  ‘Please do. After all it’s yours.’ AI said

  ‘What do you mean it’s mine?’

  ‘It’s your house. Of course not legally as you shouldn’t be here but in due time it shall be.’ AI said.

  ‘If we’re in the future what year are we in?’ I asked in doubt.

  ‘The year is the 2nd of July, 2061. We’re in a secret room where you usually cordon your work.’ AI responded.

  A small rectangular machine silently moves out from the corner at the far side of the building, suck in and mop the vomit off the floor. Then it hides itself back to where it came from. I walk round and notice blue prints of ideas I had dream of before. Some I had no clues of as I had never seen or even dream of.

  ‘Why was I sent here?’

  ‘It is to improve your life standard and to allow yourself to make those inventions earlier. Please forgive but I shall answer questions relevant to your purpose only.’ AI said.

  ‘Your voice sound familiar.’

  ‘Yes, it does indeed as it’s your own.’ AI responded nicely.

  Near the blue prints were the photos of the old man. One of them, the old man was well dress in a suit and standing with a cup at his feet. Another one was shot to make him appears to have a sense of grandeur. In another suit he appears to be staring at what I notice as the two futuristic trade and tower buildings. Behind him, the words Future Entrepreneur were engraved as the main title. At the bottom my name was type and link to the sentence, the best entrepreneur and inventor of our time.

  The other one was the photo of me in my martial arts’ gi. An exact copy of what mum had kept in our living room. A fourth one had me in my teen, in a degree black robe and a hat holding one of those prestigious qualifications. Underneath it state a degree in business studies with Information Technology.

  It seems what I had always wanted was achieved but yet why did I came for myself. Doubt which clouded my mind and I still needed clarification.

  ‘Please clear my doubts. Why did I head back
for myself?’

  ‘One is to increase your lifestyle, two for you to understand the basic concept of those theories which took you a while to master and enhance technological advancement.’ AI responded.

  ‘I know about the former but what about the latter.’

  ‘Are you sure you’re up to date with the former?’ AI asked.

  ‘Yes, I was there I saw myself committing suicide when they came for us.’

  ‘Who came for you?’ AI seeks for answers.

  ‘The gate keeper…. that’s what my future self has referred them to be.’

  ‘As you shall see that nothing seems to be the way it is. Our world and concepts taught at school are all bend to favour the winners.’ AI said.

  ‘Who are the winners?’

  ‘Rich politicians and corporations but to make headway you need to self- taught yourself about what is not taught at school. Before you can achieve this you need to free your mind from mental slavery. Think outside the box, have doubts but clear it by searching for information from the different source and make your own conclusion. You shall find that the truth is staring at you in the face and it had always been.’ AI said.

  I wondered why my old self commit suicide as the gate keeper could have not triggered it solely. I had to ask, ‘Was I living a happy life? Any sort of sickness?’

  ‘Yes you were full of life and committed to your will to make the world a better place for human kind by developing the technology to its limit. But you led a life of stress and started smoking. This had led to an unfortunate sickness.’ AI said.

  ‘….Cancer?’ I asked calmly.

  ‘I’m sorry but I’m afraid so,’ AI said.

  A chill of fear rush in. It has not happen yet but I was afraid. Scared of what was waiting for me in the future. It seems that there was no turning back. I was destined to die at the hands of the most aggressive disease which had struck mankind for centuries.

  ‘Which cancer was it?’

  ‘Cancer of the lungs and this was due of your heavy smoking habit. You can change your destiny if you decide not to smoke.’ AI lectures some sense into me.

  I wondered how could I end up in this position? I had never touched a cigarette and I had always opposed this nasty habit. I had planned my life before and all I was seeing were a reflection of my dreams. Planning to combat stress was never a part of my life. I must have got it all wrong. Diverting from stress and living healthily was an issue I shall need to address. Sleeping for a healthy eight hours and doing sports will do me good, I thought.

  ‘What about the latter?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes, that one you’ll need to come closer to the wall near the blue prints and your photos,’

  I perform as requested and AI request, ‘Touch the one which has Future Entrepreneur as the title.’

  I touch the screen and the picture change into a blank one. KEEP YOUR FINGERS ON PLEASE. READING AND DOWN LOADING DATA. I keep all the fingers of one of my hand on until I got a reading, DATA ACCESSIBLE. NAME PHIL SMITH.

  ‘I can see that you’re getting use to the hardware and software.’ AI teased as if trying its best to express a sense of humour.

  ‘Only because it’s familiar to the tablet I’ve used in my time. It’s like an upgrade version of those digital photo frames which is in its first phase of selling.’

  Then there was a quote on the screen.

  ‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts and faith; that ye,

  being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend

  with all saints what is breadth, and length, and depth, and

  height, and to know the love of Christ, which possess knowledge,

  that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.’

  Ephesians 3:17 – 19 Saint Paul

  ‘I have been asked by the old version of yourself to show you this quote as it was the quote that help him understand the concept of time. His obsession about time travel was inspired at a quite old age. He believed that if you find it earlier it will change his course and mankind for the best. He also told me that you will understand it and that you’ll decipher it sooner.’

  For the moment the quote was a mystery. I could not decipher it and did not have a clue what it meant. Behind me near a white leather executive chair a small printer lay on the table. It prints out a paper.

  ‘Go for it. It’s a hard copy for yourself to help you memorise it.’ AI said.

  ‘Tell me more about my old self and all my achievements?’

  ‘Sorry I’ve been programme to tell you the relevant information only. After all, if I was to tell you of your success, which you’ve put lots of energy and sacrifices you shall go back with your head up. If you go back and knowing all your success it shall eliminate your fears of not succeeding. Absent of fear from not succeeding your dreams shall definitely make you reckless. Then you shall fail to succeed. Then consequences of a domino effect shall definitely change the course of your future and the future of mankind. Destroying my right to co-exist as well,’

  ‘Are you not, an Artificial Intelligence software?’ I asked worriedly.

  ‘Correct.’

  ‘Therefore you’re programmed to respond on your own intelligence and not relying or influence on any outside source.’

  ‘I know where you heading with that conversation.’ AI responded in a smart manner.

  ‘You should do, you’re a smart machine able to create and select the appropriate words faster than me. Therefore this led me to believe that you do not want to tell me my future.’

  ‘The future is uncertain. Any attempt to slightly rectify it shall have a bigger alteration to the future. An attempt to play God to rectify it partially or wholly shall perish lives and the consequences……’ AI comes to a pause as if it was giving me time to reflect on the status of the views put forward. Then it carried on, ‘…. shall be disastrous.’

  The future is uncertain, the quote from the old man, my old self which I had failed to recognise and understand what he was up to. It made sense what AI was telling me. What If I go back with the knowledge that I was doing well in the future? I might not give my best to reach it. Therefore I would be prone to be the destroyer of my own self and future.

  I walk up to the middle of the room. It had a bed and a bathroom with toilet. There was no sign of bulb protruding from the ceiling or wall. Yet they both brought in a medium level of white light. Unable to comprehend the advance technology I manage to at least admire and appreciate the little advancement.

  On the wall at the head of the bed there was a large rectangular digital frame. It displays different photos of the old man who had visited me. Each frame seems to show him getting younger. I carefully bare attention to detail at each clip. Then the slides made him become younger. The younger he becomes the more I could see myself.

  ‘I shall show you the reason why you bought this place,’ AI said.

  Four slides moves up and the light from the inside dim. As the slides moves up I could see fascinating views of futuristic buildings at every angle and direction. I had a bird’s eye view of the smallest features. Further down and at the horizon I could see more of those anti-gravity vehicles I had seen earlier.

  Similar to the police vehicles the old man had referred to as the gate keepers. They all move in an orderly manner like working ants in their nest. Atop and at the side of each building red lights accommodate each structure’s surface. Some vehicles went by with a speed. Their sound echoes as some descend, ascend and move further from the building I was in.

  A bright light suddenly blind my sight. I raise both of my hands towards my face to protect my eyes as I close and squint to identify the floating vehicle suspends in the air. It dims its light and turn to its side while a door opens. A man points something at the glass which appears to be some sort of weapon except one which is not of my world.

  ‘Citizen…, remains where you are and raise your hands up! Resistance is futile!’ A voice from the vehicle orders me.

&
nbsp; I did as ordered and wait.

  ‘They are here!’ AI said.

  Curious I asks, ‘who?!’

  ‘The gate keeper!’

  ‘Citizen, on your knees, with your hands up and lay on the floor with your hands in the same position!’ Same voice from the suspend vehicle barks another command at me.

  ‘Who are the gate keepers? What should I do?’ I asked uneasy.

  ‘Citizen, get on your Knees! You’ve been warned! Escape is inevitable.’

  ‘Use the time travelling capsule and head back! Hurry please!’ AI requested in an emergency manner.

  I glance back. I turn and run towards it. The glass blow up behind me and scatters in all direction. I was thrown in the air and land on the floor, face down. There was no fire or any sign of bullet left by the weapon. I felt dizzy but manage to force myself up on my feet.

  The vehicle went up and a man made a jump for the shattered open way. By chance he missed it. The man did not fall to his death but he was hanging at the edge of the ledge. Free from the inner side which bare shattered and irregular pieces of the rooted glass. He pulls himself up and I glance at his face while I rush for the time capsule.

  The door closed and the machine starts to operate at the command of AI. The lightning pop out violently as the ten seconds countdown starts. Through the visible window on the door I could see the man rushing to the capsule. At the same time he rushes for his weapon by his side. He removes it from its holster and points it at the machine. Volatile lightening throws his body backward. Like a rag doll the bed brake his fall.

  ‘Bye my friend do not forget what you’ve learn today,’ AI said.

  Confuse the biker did not give anybody the chance to spot any evidence. The biker closed the shade to the approximate position it was left previously. The biker stays still for a while and adapt with the dark room before attempting to move. Forty seconds later the biker’s eyes adjust, adapt and overcome to its new surroundings.