THE GATE KEEPER

by JULES GABRIEL

  JULES GABRIEL

  THE

  GATE

  KEEPER

  Copyright by Jules Gabriel 2013

  First published as an e-book by Jules Gabriel on September 2013

  Note that this is a work of fiction. Characters, names, incidents and places are either a product of the author’s ideology. It is pure coincidental if the fictitious work bare resemblance to any actual person, living, dead, or of actual events.

  It is the right of Jules Gabriel to be identified as the author of his work. Note that it has been asserted by in accordance with the copyright, designs and patent Act 1988.

  The book is dedicated to the two special women of my life. My mum who inspired me to read and escaped into the magnificent world of fiction. And a special dedication goes to my wonderful wife who stood by me and believed in me.

  ‘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

  Prologue

  High school 2012...

  Frightened was for sure, not that I had exercised my right of becoming a criminal but for the sake of dating my dream girl. I could not turn around to face her nor talk to her. The gut feeling that the class knew the truth haunted me. Though it was a warm Monday, I felt sweat dripping down and under the pressure of her unanswered promise, it became worse.

  It was already afternoon and still no answer from her. She promised to at least give me an answer, I confronted my thoughts. I made a gamble to spill my guts for the price of love or to sit and never at least try to be a man for once. Though fourteen years old I knew that I had to put childish things to the past and try to start a new chapter towards becoming a man.

  Two days ago, at home, Dan told me about the girl he fancied from school. ‘Come on dude, you can tell me. I told you mine and now it’s your turn’ He said as he teased me.

  ‘Well you know her.’ I said.

  ‘No dude I’m in the dark here....helped me out.’ He teased.

  ‘Hailey,’ I responded.

  ‘Is it Hailey Lace?’ he asked.

  I gave him a node. He gave out an expression of excitement which I could not yet comprehend. ‘Oh my G...Dude, you must be kidding...She’s fit, I mean she’s great!’ He exclaimed.

  Surprisingly I had to respond and seek for reasoning. ‘Dude, calm down, she’s not my girlfriend.’

  ‘That’s why you gonna buzz her Dude!’ Dan exclaimed as he goes through the yellow pages.

  ‘Awesome choice dude!’ Dan praised.

  He then screened for the Laces’ phone number on the possible address that Hailey might live at. We both knew where she lived. She’s approximately five blocks down the road. Hailey had to take the main public road that goes straight in between our family’s house and to the school. She had done so since we were in kindergarten. That’s the time I first got a chance to know her. My love for her started from a pet love and grew into a teen crush. She became my secret admirer. The one I felt I was long to live with.

  ‘And what do you suggest I say to her?’ I asked, sounding inexperience and dumb.

  ‘The truth dude!’ He responds excitedly.

  He examined the surnames closely and found only three which might belong to her mother and father. He took a gamble and phone one. As it rang Dan handed over the phone to me. He held his left ear close to the receiver, kept quiet and listen to the ring tone as I did. It rang once and we wait. The second time it rang I wanted to hang up, but he hold it firm as he listen and gestured a negative nod.

  I agreed not to put it down. At a third tone, ‘Hello.’ The voice of an adult female answered. Dan smile and gave me a friendly tap on my shoulder. Inhaled and Exhaled. I seek for the right words and said ‘May I speak to Hailey please?’

  The voice from the other end seems concern and asked ‘Hailey?’

  ‘Yes ma’m.’ I said nervously while I wondered if we truly got the right number.

  ‘One moment please.’ The person at the other end said.

  Jackpot I thought to myself. We waited patiently. I try to free my mind from the pressure of fear. I thought hardly of the words she would like to hear from me. Surrender was not an option, especially when I got the presence of a good friend backing my true emotion and becoming witness of my brave act.

  ‘Hello?’ A young and soft female voice answered the phone. She sounds confused and puzzling. An unexpected call, I thought. I breathed out. Then I respond to the unforgettable and lovely voice, ‘Hailey?’

  ‘Yes.’ She said puzzling.

  ‘It’s me Phil.’ I said.

  ‘Phil Smith?’ Hailey confirmed.

  ‘Yes’ I respond fearlessly. The line went silent. Answer was what she wanted. A reason was what she was after. Without wasting time I brought myself together and said, ‘I phone you to tell you that I like you.’

  The line stayed quiet and I said, ‘I would like for us to be more than friends and would also like to meet you possibly at my place if you want?’ Then the line went silent.

  ‘I would like to know what you think and perhaps give me an answer of your decision.’ I said uneasy. The fear of a negative respond was in my head. I wanted to avoid an embarrassment but it was futile. The deal was in motion.

  ‘I shall give you an answer on Monday morning.’ Hailey respond in a strict and calm voice.

  Excitement faded and a chill of fear kick in as my subconscious realised that I was still in the class waiting for a sign. My classmates murmured among themselves as they waited for the next subject teacher to make her entry. I was speechless. The sweat of fear dripped over my body as I waited for an answer from Hailey. This morning I headed straight for her.

  I conquered my fear and walk towards her. She was with her friends. She looked stunning and amazing. Black long hair, brown eyes and a beautiful light brown tan skin colour. It was the Red Indian and Caucasian blood which gave her that unique mix of beauty which I had innocently fall for.

  ‘I came for your answer.’ I said.

  Her friend didn’t felt my presence. They were sharing the weekend news of their private lives.

  ‘I’ll talk to you later.’ She responded in a friendly approach.

  All I had wanted was to make her my girlfriend. Even if I was young and never had a girlfriend relationship I was willing to make it work. She would have been my first love. My intention was purely teenage companionship of an opposite sex to share my heart with. Then in the long term we would have been more than friends. Perhaps in the long term there was a possibility of a mature relationship though I knew the future was uncertain. It can’t neither be control nor mend.

  She gave her word for an answer, I convinced myself, as my mind fought the clouded thoughts that run through. I could not comprehend nor accept the truth of the delay. Must had been compromised, my inner self spoke quietly. It can’t be, she’s not that type, I thought. The class was no longer murmuring and most was talking aloud. In between I could hear some whispering to each other.

  ‘Tell him.’ one girl at the back said.

  Have I been compromised, I seek for a lonely answer from within. Still frightened I sat still and listen. I try to make sense of the whispering among the loud noise of those having a conversation in different groups.

  ‘Yes, tell him.’ Another girl from the back said.

  ‘Phil Smith!’ A female voice shouted at me.

  I recognised the voice instantly and I could not believe myself. The tone felt a bit too har
sh and cold. Unbelievable, I thought. It was Hailey, the one my heart was long to be with. She had brought the noise of the class to a halt. Busted... I needed to see this and take it as a man, I thought. I turned towards her like the rest of my classmates.

  There she was, beauty in disguise and both of her hands resting on her hips as she said aloud, ‘don’t you ever, ever phone at my house again!’

  ‘What happened?’ someone from the back asked.

  My heart race with adrenalin fear and utter embarrassment became a shock to my system. Pathetic and uncontrollable shiver of shyness took control of my body. I wanted to get away but I couldn’t. Hiding under the table became a considerable option though not sanely practicable.

  ‘Can you believe it? He phone at my place asking for me and told me that he like me!’ Hailey cried out stone heartedly. The class gave out loud laughter of joy. Most were in tears of joy. My true friends pitied me as the entertainment and execution move to its next stage.

  ‘What was he thinking of?’ An unknown female voice asked.

  ‘You know what amazed me?’ She cried out and paused. The class stays quiet while they struggle to maintain their uncontrolled emotion. I slowly and shamefully turned my obese self at the chalk board.

  Hailey carry on entertaining the class and said, ‘He even wanted me to come over to his house and I don’t even know what he had in mind!’ The class burst into loud uncontrollable laughter.

  Her arrogant move and miscalculated behaviour set my heart on fire, that it brought our friendly classmate’s relationship to a dead end. That night, the humiliation and sadness of tears was expressed alone, behind closed doors. This was the turning point of my life.

  1

  2061, A Distant future....

  The old man stared at his gaunt facial expression in the mirror. He could not help himself of not staring at the wrinkles, the white hair, trim beard and moustache. Death was at his doorstep waiting for an opportunistic moment. On the other hand opportunistic disease had already threatened his weak and frail body.

  He slowly walked away from the mirror and sat on an executive chair. He reached out for the nose mask attached to a machine. He inhaled the pure oxygen. At sixty five years his lungs felt no longer his. Clean oxygen at the hospital’s hygienic level was vital on a weekly basis for him. He held the mask firmly with both hands as he exhale and inhale from the machine.

  ‘I have condense all the excess gas exhaled into substances, recycle them and vaporising it into pure oxygen. Your lungs should be healthy for another one week.’ The voice from the speakers in the ceiling said.

  The old man listened and acknowledge with a slow unhealthy nod as he concentrate on his breathing. AI has spoken and he trusts it.

  ‘Are you in need of any further assistance?’ AI asked.

  The frail man gave out a negative nod as response.

  ‘Hang in there, breath and try to relax,’ AI responded.

  He laid back and relaxed. AI knew nothing of pain he thought, why would AI cared about me? He got back to his senses and realised that AI was part of his invention. The Artificial Intelligent computer he had invested in to take care of him at home. He had been a successful entrepreneur and inventor of his generation. Without the AI he had helped revolutionised, he would have failed to make headway in further invention he had achieved. After all, AI had played his role in making the right decision in every future task at hand; it had slipped his mind so many times.

  AI has been programmed by him to react on his own decision on the principles of good deed. Of course it was all for the benefit of the old man. The machine’s voice was of his creator. Each time he would converse with it, he felt like talking to himself and in time it became his true companion.

  Memories of his past run through his head like a film. He had been surrounded by those who thought he could be played. Men and woman who wanted to used him. Being a money maker he became an irresistible business magnet. He had succeeded all of them. His office has been in his mansion for forty years. It was the time when his name came into the public eyes that he was forced to open up his world. In the name of expansion he set the foundation for the Bushido Corporation establishment.

  At twenty five years old in a time of the computer era he managed to revolutionised changes of the way machine was used. The important Artificial Intelligent software was made by him and two other computer geeks. Now the computer inherited machines has become addicted to it.

  On the wall were the photos of his success. Near it were the A3 blue print diagrams of his inventions which he called his babies. The old man stared at the new one. The one which had involves several groups of engineers to create its varieties of useful parts. None of those smart minds knew each other. Even knew how important their work was.

  He had delegated each task purposefully, worldwide and kept them in the dark. They could not even visualise the big picture of his invention. Its blue print glowed under the pale blue ultra-light which was on the wall above the diagrams.

  AI has reduced the main ceiling light to fade. AI knew what his mentor and inventor expected of him. AI has come to terms of learning more of his habit and desire to succeed. ‘The process has successfully completed.’ AI said. ’Your next one should be next week.’

  The old man took off the mask. He slowly used both of his hands on the arm rest as he brought his frail self to an erect posture. He felt better and able to breath, on his own. He sorted his black tie underneath his white shirt and fixed his black suit properly. He walked to his left, away from the blue prints and into the darker part of the room.

  AI slowly brightens the light from the ceiling. The dark room slowly became visible. In front of the old man a device came to life. It was similar to the latest diagram on the blue print. Its bottom was flat and round. The top was similar and its body was cylindrical in shape but in an oval appearance. The shiny metal was open and inside pale blue ultra-light from above shone on an empty space. The old man slowly got in and stood in.

  ‘Warning, the door will close for departure.’ AI said.

  An orange beacon bulb came out from a hidden squarely space in the ceiling and suspend outside of it. Then it came to life, flashing and illuminating orange safety light within the room. The door of the machine closed with the old man in.

  ‘Warning, departure is inevitable. Ten seconds countdown. Nine, eight,’ AI said.

  From the only-see-through available on the machine at the front of the door the camera from the ceiling could get a close eye view of his creator. AI, the only witness to the operation focused on any threat that could menace and jeopardise the mission. Its lenses zoom in the image at a close up as it made the countdown.

  ‘Warning, four seconds left.’ AI carried on with the countdown.

  White and blue lightening sparks up the machine. Then it became bigger and longer as it spreads outwards. The old man fell to one knee. He rested his left hand on the double glazing glass at the only door. With his head down and his chin rest on his stomach, he laid still.

  ‘...Two seconds, one second,’ AI said.

  The old man quickly raised his face up, stare at the focus lenses and gave out a cried. His eyes gave out expression of excruciating pain. The lightening agitates rapidly and uncontrollably. The volatile source of energy transformed the machine into a transparent view. The old man was exposed kneeling and shouting but his voice was trapped within the appearance of the transparent crystal like machine.

  ‘Shutting down is irreversible,’ AI said.

  Then he became transparent and reappeared as normal. The volatile lightening blew up the emergency beacon. Both the man and the machine became transparent. The energy field grew bigger. It focused the whole energy on the machine and vanished with it. Papers from the old man’s office table flew around. The machine was nowhere to be found. It vanished without a trace. AI shut the light in the whole room and kept it in pitch black.

  2

  Present day 2nd July 2014

  My eye
s opened and I found myself staring at the ceiling. Awoke, I gave my body a few minutes to adjust itself and thought about the important aspect of the day. Higher learning was an important aspect which I had learned to embrace through my single mum and the bullies at school.

  I know longer was the unfit and bulky little boy of my class. Through hard work and dedication I had changed myself into an athletic freak. What I truly desired from the past had become my present worse enemy for I no longer crave for it. The more I stay away from it the more worried my mother became. She had even stated that I had become anorexia.

  Deep down I knew what damage the excess food had done to my physical frame. I could not tolerate the corruption of my body and allowing my weight to crumble under my feet. The perfect teenage male’s appearances outline my true concept of my devotion and discipline towards sports. I simply referred it as the one that got away. I had been enslaved under the psychological addiction of uncontrollable hunger. Changes had to happen and the bully allowed me to see it clearly. Now the hardest part of maintaining the athletic figure remains to be seen for the upcoming years.

  I brought myself up and stretch out both of my arms towards the ceiling as I release the tension from my cracking backbone and spine. Then I walked out of bed. Opposite the foot of my bed was the door which led to the first floor’s hallway. I head towards it and came to a halt at the doorway. Attached overhead with the door frame was an adjustable chin up metal bar insulated with black rubber.

  I jump and got hold of the pull up bar in a wide arm position. I bend both legs in a ninety degree angle and crisscross it over each other while my hands bore the weight of my body. I easily brought myself into the morning routine by lifting my own dead weight towards the metal bar. Then I drop it under control as I breathed out. Downstairs the door’s bell ring. I sucked in the fresh air as I drag my shoulder blade towards the bar with my head facing downward. A second tone from the door’s bell rings.