THE GATE KEEPER (11 page)

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 2
^nd
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.

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.