THE GATE KEEPER (17 page)

I
wish the nightmare would go away. I wanted to go home. I was missing my mom.
The thought of Samantha was also unbearable in this unfortunate event. Feelings
I never thought I had for her struck me though I had not known her that long.

I
feel movement along with a hissing sound. I open my eyes only to found the door
shutting. The underground train slowly starts to move. Its speed quickly
increases.

My
saviour stares at me and says, ‘Now I can start answering some of your queries
you might have. First of all I’m Philip
Shackleton
.
Please you may call me Philip.’

    
     Outside the katana lady watches the train as it
departs. She could not see us but her instinct had brought her to the right
place. She limps forward and vigilantly gazes through the train’s window.

‘Outside,
the odd skinny model with long hair in the samurai suit, who is she?’ I asked
Philip.

Philip
takes a peek behind him through the window and his face demonstrates how he was
afraid of this genuine character. He slides himself in the opposite chair as if
concealing for his life.

He
scarily looks at me and mumbles under his breath, ‘gate keeper.’

The
closest train to the main mother droid had started to move. One of the robotic
insect had managed to fly and slip through the door in time. Second before the
two opposite door kissed and lock. It had scanned exactly eighteen faces within
two minutes within two coaches when it finally had a match.

         
The train was on the move. The mechanise dragonfly took photo shots of the
criminal and his accomplice. Its artificial intelligence analyse them and send
it to the mother droid half a kilometre further away, at the platform. In the
tunnel the train had picked up speed like a bullet in a barrel.

         
Inside, overhead the two criminals the dragonfly glued itself to the ceiling.
Through a transition of sleeping mode it saves its energy. The art of
concealment and surveillance were at work. 

‘Who
are the gate keepers?’

‘They
are the agents that dealt with any high security threat at a national level.’
Philip said worriedly.

Puzzle
I asks, ‘why am I a security threat to the country? I haven’t done anything
wrong?’

He
looks at me deep in the eyes and says, ‘not yet, but in the future your action
shall cost you the loss of friends while powerful men shall rally against you.’

I
was still confuse and hungry for the truth. I had to seek for more; ‘please
what shall be my crime?’

‘Disobedience
to the corporation….’

‘What?’

‘You’ve
heard me….. Haven’t you sense it yet?’

‘What
is it?’

‘You’re
different than the rest of the boys at the college. Successful at everything you
touch. For the moment you’re a simple boy but you shall be the one to start it
and lead us through it.’

‘Lead
us through what?’

‘The
global energy revolution…..’

‘Who
are us?’

‘The
people or shall I say the normal citizen who are not part of the corporation.
You see a few decades from your time you shall be the one to stand against
them. Corporation shall merge and control everything in our life. It all
started in your time after a few oil drilling corporation merged  and
operate underground by buying their way into anything which didn’t go their
way. Sadly, every regime and economic system such as the capitalist, communist
and mix, rotted to the core. The corporation simply splash their money at the
political leaders by sponsoring their campaign in return for obedience. Where
they fail they would simply bribe them or simply put their main source of
energy under siege.’

The
train comes out of the tunnel and rise over ground. The night sky was filled by
the beauty of floating traffic with fancy mobile lights. 

I
catch a glimpse of him, admire the night sky while I think about his story and
ask, ‘How do I fit into the chaos of what you called the energy revolution?’

‘Do
you see everything that surrounds us? You’re the key to make it all happen.’

I
stare at him trying to comprehend this madness and I ask, ‘how could it be?’

‘After
a project that you work on for the government you took notice of a shadowy
corporate force. You saw how the corporation aggressively oppressed
developments and financial contribution to the newly good invented ideas. They
bought off their competitor by buying their copyright in the name of
technological advancement. This of course never really happened. Wonderful technological
ideas with the power to change our ways of lives but so sad that the key for
development got thrown down the drain.’

‘What
kind of energy we’re talking about?’ I asked.

‘The
train we’re on, do you know with what it works with?’

‘I
assume it is electricity or fuel,’ I blurted out.

‘No,
but it’s some sort of magnetism energy only used by the Japanese in your time.
It’s a clean source of energy and it’s faster when it comes to intercontinental
travelling. You help push this technology ahead so that it could get a green
light. In the sky you may have seen those antigravity vehicles. I’m talking
about those without the gravitational engine burning out. Well they actually
works in a combination of electricity and magnetism. The third controversial source
of energy you help developed was the cold fusion. This one could have brought
an end to oil drilling.’

‘Cold
fusion, isn’t it a myth discovered by Tesla and ridicule by the science
community when two scientists proved it in the 1989?’ I asked.

‘The
science community are at times a laughing stock. We’re nearly loses some
greatest discoveries in the past, such as penicillin in medicine and aeroplane
in technologies. They try to ridicule it each time a discovery disapproves with
their existing scientific laws. Usually if it doesn’t correspond with their
academic knowledge they usually discredit the inventor.’

I
was amaze with Philip. The amount of information which my enemy had been scared
to unleash he was making me aware of it. I took it in and enjoy the knowledge
he was offering. Doubts clouded my mind as I thought of the impossibilities
being possible.

‘Interesting
but how does the cold fusion work in those machines?’

He
looks puzzle then smile and says, ‘fantastic question and the answer are
simple. If the inventor who have no degree could understand this concept so
could you. An American mechanic somewhere in 1994 created the water fuel
injection system. This technology delivers water, ionised gases and
non-combustible gases in the cylinder of an engine. Mix under pressure, the
water which is made of hydrogen and oxygen produce some sort of energy. This
same principle you somehow brought it to perfection in a hidden lab and
workshop.’

Soon
the train was outside the city. Afar from civilisation and away from the sky
scrapers we move through the lonely and dark arid land. Suddenly it slows down
as if approaching a train station. I couldn’t believe what I was ascertained.
Out in the middle of nowhere a town filled with moving lights grows bigger at
the horizon.

‘We’re
home at last. I shall heal you and we shall rest until tomorrow.’

Suddenly
the train come to a complete halt. Philip helps me to stand up. He rests my
arms over his shoulder. Then he adjusts his walk with my limping and we walk
out of the train. We went through a small crowd of passengers who immediately
got on the train. Behind us I could hear the swishing sound of the closing door
and the low magnetic mechanical sound of the moving train.

Before
we could get a chance to head outside the station we come face to face with a
group of men. A group of five lawmen stands before us and staring at us as if
we were criminals. They all dress up in desert brown coat. The front man was an
old man with a white hair and moustache. His eyes remain covers under the
cowboy’s Stetson.

‘Philip,
you’re not in a hurry aren’t you?’ The old man says to my saviour.

‘I
am sheriff….unless you’re got something for me,’ Philip replied frowningly.

‘Yes
we have, but I need to know where your friend got hurt?’ Sheriff suspiciously
asked as he laid one of his hands on Philip’s chest.

He
stares at my injured leg as if examining the nature of my wound. With cold eyes
he stares back through Philip’s eyes as if searching for the truth by examining
his response.

‘Well!
Can’t catch your tongue?’ The sheriff arrogantly pressurised Philip.

‘My
friend fell down by accident. Is there a problem Sheriff?’

‘In
fact there is something fishy going on here. Your friend bleeds too much for a
simple fall,’ sheriff scowled as he spoke his mind.

‘Is
there a law on how my friend should bleed after a fall?’ Philip sarcastically
demanded as he tries to force his way by diverting the gang of lawmen.

Sheriff
stands in front of us, scold Philip firmly by his collar and says, ‘Pay great
attention to what I’m about to tell you son. Your friend is bad news for all of
us here. Message from the gate keepers is that you’re on your way to my town
delivering a hot package. Nobody come into my town and get away with crimes.
Both of you need to come with me for further interrogation at my station.’

Philip
put his head down. Weak and without energy I look at him while I wait for his
reply. He stares at me and I produce a negative nod to him. Philip stares at
the sheriff and kick the sheriff in his belly. He flows backwards into the arms
of his four lawmen. They all catch him.

He
went for his gun which was hidden behind his coat in a holster as his men bring
him to his feet. Immediately Philip went for his gun at his side and point at
them.

‘Don’t
you even dare to think about
it!
’ Philip harassed him
in order to neutralise the threat.

Sheriff
was the only one with his weapon out but he did not have a chance to aim it.
His men’s hands were behind their coat. Their face clearly defines numbness.
Philip’s move had been unexpected.  

‘Put
the weapon on the floor and there’s no special treatment for your boys as
well!’ Philip seriously barks out to the sheriff and his men.

Sheriff
stares at both of us with that cold look.

‘You
hear the man, drop it.’ Sheriff said as he laid his gun on the floor.

His
men did the same.

‘Kick
it towards us.’ I ordered with hardhead intent.

They
did as requested and Philip
kick
each one in the
magnetic rail, still pointing his weapon at them. Cautiously we divert them
without taking our eyes off them. Being afraid of losing their lives they
slowly back off as we left for outside.  A vehicle floating inches to the
ground comes to life with a swishing sound. It moves for us and we both ride
out of the train station. 

Still
on autopilot Philip dictates, ‘Destination home.’

The
computer on board tails its owner’s vocal and a screen in the middle displays
the upload. Our vehicle silently and quickly slips through the floating traffic
as it climbs towards the sky. Down on the ground outside the blazing station,
the sheriff and his deputies walk out and stares at the illuminating dark sky
of traffic.  

The
tiny robotic dragonfly had caught it all. It has tape the confrontation. It had
move furtively above Philip and Phil. Outside it had a magnetic field which
enable it to fix itself on the hovering air mobile. It laid in dormant mode as
the vehicle hovered for the dark sky.

16

‘I
chose to live here close to this little town as it’s in the middle of nowhere.
The best place to hide and as you can see most of us here are a fan of your
work.’

‘What
do you mean?’

‘In
Texas we’re not a fan of the black gold. We simply do not entertain oil
drilling and we all used the clean energy technology as you can see for
yourself. Some are a bit outdated like those that depended on the sun and wind
to move but your team had managed to modify it for those who are after cheaper
vehicles.’

I
look through the window and enjoy the futuristic vehicles and machines passing
by. They were of different forms, shapes and size. Some hovers off the ground
but I was curious about their movements. They did not have any gravitational
source of energy attach at their side.

My
curiosity forces me to call for science fact, ‘how do those without any sources
of anti-gravitational machine managed to float around?’

‘Have
you heard of the term anti-gravity propulsion mechanism?’

‘Isn’t
that the same principles that scientist suggest that the unidentified flying
objects spotted worldwide from 1948 and 2011 work?’

‘Switch
on mind, you’ve got and indeed it is.’ He confirmed.

We
watch the passing hovering machines as they move around. Some even have the
shape of the UFO design. The disc like object seems to be moving faster than
the other vehicles. They operate at different heights.

‘This
technology came into development during world war two by a German under the
name of Nikola Tesla. After he passed away the prototype disappeared. Somehow
the corporation manage to get their hands on it and suppress the information
from us. For century, since 1948 they had kept us in the dark for too long.
This technology mysteriously opposes the laws of dynamics. For the science
community it’s just a slap in the face. They simply denied its existence and
used the term science fiction to it.’

There
was a strange sound with our signal and the computer on board responds, ‘a
locator signal at a low pitch is being spread within our region.’

Philip
looks at the screen and demands, ‘where is it from?’

‘Still
unknown for the moment but like usual it holds undetectable information,’ the
computer rectifies.

Riddle
with question I ask, ‘what’s a locator signal.’

‘An
information signal unleashed to locate a certain target. It’s usually used by
the secret forces for them to locate the opposition. It contains information
vital for their enemies but at the same time the data is used as a bait to
trace the intended target.’ Philip expressed as he glanced at the night sky of
traffic.

Curiously
I ask, ‘can’t we listen to it?’

‘Like
I said it shall be a suicidal to try and do so. Unless….’

‘Unless
what?’

‘Unless
I ask the computer to deliver the message for fourteen seconds before we’re
spotted. Note that after decrypting the vital message we’ve got fifteen seconds
to assimilate and knock off the air. If we corrupt their signal as we open
their file it shall lend us another fifteen minutes. Each time they think that
they have found us they shall end up with a bogy. We shall be everywhere in
another country or states. Otherwise they shall found us and pin triggered an
electronic magnetic field. Once this hit our vehicle we shall head down without
power. Hitting the ground from this height?’ He says joyfully and carries on,
‘well we’re doom, suffering from the crash, mutilation and burn alive.’

I
glance at him and have to admit, ‘fourteen seconds of learning about my future
is still worth the risk.’

‘Computer
decrypts the locator signal, corrupt their signal and cut it off two seconds
before their computer find us.’ Philip explained.

Mute
the computer performs the instructed operation. We could hear the noise of the
signal being decrypted as the screen displays lines of frequencies against the
search frequency. Immediately it found it and a three dimensional image of a
man well dress in a black suit appears.

The
hologram image says, ‘greetings gentlemen to where ever you are. I assumed you
already know who I am. Hand over yourselves is the only alternative you’ve both
got. Beside we won’t get rid of you as you must have known that you’re too
vital for our history. Erasing you from the equation is simply tempering with
our past and affecting our present and future at the same time. There’s no
chance of you who they call the saviour shall ever win. Take a look at us in
your time. We’re everywhere in everything you buy and consume. Do not allow us
to waist our resources to find you as we shall not be merciful.’

‘Twenty
eight seconds,’ the computer warned.
The warning which allowed us to know
exactly how much time we got left before they can track and lock our position.

Philip
glances at me and says, ‘done!’

‘Thanks.’

‘The
honour is mine.’  Philip responded as he smiles at me.

         
Our vehicle hovers in the dark arid land. The screen displays night vision mode
imagery. It splits into two, one displaying the back and while the other shows
the front. I stare at it while I rest in agony.  We ride out in the open
desert. Out of nowhere a port from the ground open and we ride in it. We
descend underground while the door above us close and the lights on the side
wall switches on.

Tiredness
and thirst beyond recognition got hold of my body. I could no longer control
myself as hallucinating image overrun what I was truly seeing. My head becomes
heavy as the light fades with blurry vision. Blackness takes over and I pass
out.