THE GATE KEEPER

by JULES GABRIEL

  ‘If it wasn’t for my boss I would have already waste you.’

  ‘What have I done to you to deserve this hatred of yours?’

  ‘You see, with me it’s personal. I was once married to a lovely wife. Her name was Hannah and she had a luggage of wealth before we met. Her wealth was education. She had all the qualification to rise as a manager as she had a degree in the relevant matter. You see, she chose the wrong company to work for. They used and abuse her good nature of hard work. They made her work late and never gave her a promotion. Her less qualify bosses always search for an imbecile excuses to suppress her from rising through the hierarchy.’

  ‘What does this got to do with me?’

  At the dark horizon of the sky we could hear the muffling of the rotating machines becoming a bit louder and closer.

  ‘Patience Mr Smith, you’ll soon learn how you turn out to get entangle in this personal affaire of mine. Anyway where was I? ....Yes at her work….the suppression…..the excuses. They state that her English wasn’t professional enough as they know that she was a Mexican naturalised as an American. At times they came up with bull shit ideas such as she’s too quiet and doesn’t participate enough to the corporate party. Sometimes they also state that if given the opportunity to rise she won’t even be able to lead.’

  The man stand there sobbing and fighting off the tears that he couldn’t control. It rolls down his cheek and I kept quiet. Funny as it seems to find that the assailant was human after all. After all, the soldier needed to get it off his chest.

  I felt the urge of telling him how I was feeling. Innocent was my status. A victim of future events which were bound to happened. Uncertainty, I thought, my future is bound by it. ‘I can’t see the point of you telling me something that I don’t have a clue, when in fact my life is on a balance. Why don’t you let me go?’

  ‘Are you begging for mercy?’

  His story didn’t make any sense to me and yet I could not say so. After all he holds the key of whether I live or die. The faint noise got closer and I had to think of something quick. I felt like something bad was coming for me.

  I felt like I had to at least try to convince him. The survival instinct from within kick in and I said, ‘No, but I believe that it’s the right thing to do. And a man who was once honest and good would have done the same thing right now as he would have done a few years back when she was alive.’

  ‘You think you can simply talk your way into it. Unfortunately you can’t as your company drove her to the edge that she threw herself off the building and plunge to her death. Unless, you can trade your life for my wife which sound impossible and inevitable if it could had been done.’

  ‘I don’t own a company. Instead I live with my mother.’

  ‘Not yet, but according to this year we are in, you are a wealthy businessman but somehow you’ve mysteriously disappeared. You can’t walk out of your destiny now as this is who you are. Your kind, are greedy for money and power. Enough is never enough.’

  Behind him out of the darkness a big machine in the shape of a plane comes to a halt mid-air. The faint sound came from its two massive blades which rotate rapidly at a forty five angle at the edges of its wings. Then dark moving blades sluggishly move towards the sky, as if turning the plane into a chopper.

  ‘All you have to do is to give me the weapon and I shall leave. Nobody has to get hurt.’

  He quickly glances at the plane and back at me. Then he said, ‘My master is here with us as we speak and from now, your life laid in his hands.’

  Sands and weightless pebbles fly and disperse towards us. Like a helicopter, the plane descends straight, in a gentle control manner and lands safely a few metres from where we were. Straightaway the back door gently opens downward. Behind us I could hear the footsteps of someone. My assailant glances behind me and squint in disbelief.

  ‘What are you doing here? A female voice said.

  He raised the unarmed hand at his forehead overshadowing the light from behind me and responds, ‘Oh, Nastassja, welcome. We had to oversee the attack and make sure that he did not get away.’

  Behind my assailant I could see the silhouette of somebody walking down the back door of the plane. The person was neither in a hurry nor in a relax mode.

  ‘I see that you’ve brought company with you,’ the female he had identified as Nastassja expressed.

  ‘If it has to be done it must be done and beside, I’m just obeying orders,’ the assailant confirmed.

  The lady comes at rest near me and says, ‘I thought I gave you a simple order to stand down until the mission was over. You’re compromising the mission.’

  ‘Twice he had kicked your butt. All we wanted to do was to make sure the task is done properly. Besides, the orders came from beyond your pay.’

  ‘Who authorise all of this?’

  ‘I did!’ a voice from the back shouted.

  The man from the back walks out of darkness and expose himself to us. The outline of his face comes in view. Still I could not make out the definition of his face. Inefficient light from behind was my only ally I could rely on to see him properly. The man my assailant had called master. Behind him the aircraft’s blades produce a humming stealthy roar which violently scatters the desert sands. Red lights flickers, underneath and atop of the shadowy aircraft.

  He walk towards me and said, ‘by now your mind must be filled with questions which is begging for answers. Wondering why we are after you? Why we want to destroy you? Why, why and why? The question you should be asking yourself has always been staring at you. What is your purpose?’

  ‘Do I,’ I asked. Pause to think and says, ‘I meant my purpose.’

  He walks in circle leaving me, my assailant and Nastassja in the centre. As if we were the centre of attraction. ‘You don’t really know do you?’ He sceptically demanded.

  ‘We don’t think he knows it yet shihan,’ Nastassja replied with certainty in her voice.

  Shihan, the Japanese word for Master, I pondered.

  The man she had called master was hidden behind me. Conceal his face in pitch black. Ahead at gun point I notice how puzzling my assailant was. The disbelief, how could the teenager that lay before his eyes be innocent. Remorse was what he could not afford to feel for me. Fuming vengeance was what he felt for me.

  ‘Master no matter how innocent it may all seems we must remind ourselves that he’s destined to change the future. Corrupted it to his grave and leaves a rotten system for us to forcefully abide by it.’ My assailant odious out his thought.

  ‘That doesn’t mean that we can make him disappears. There’re great consequences to that.’ Nastassja gave out the reality which she believes shall obscure the future.

  ‘Yes, Yes, I’m aware of that. Catastrophe consequences as we may alter the future if he is truly the origin.’ The old man summarised his own justification.

  The assassin grips the weapon firmly at my forehead. ‘Weapon cock and ready for firing,’ a robotic female vocal from his gun announce as he stretch his arm.

  ‘What about the consequences of those that lost their lives because of him!’ the assassin berserk with grief.

  ‘We have no time for personal vendetta! We have to be smart. If he is the right one and we take him out of the equation we just going to upset the balance of time.’ Their master exhorted his concern.

  The katana lady intervened and says, ‘sensai is right, killing him without a proper investigation could change our world. Beside, look at him, he’s pure.’

  There was only a humming noise of the aircraft blades as they all kept quiet. In the meantime mother-nature did not favour us as drizzling rain scatters on us.

  Their frail master quickly walks to the futuristic flight. He lifts his right hand up. He glanced at it as if waiting for a response. It illuminate into glowing orange colour. He made a quick repetitive circular motion and says, ‘let’s bring him in.’

  The blades of the plane accelerate violently towards the sky.
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br />   ‘You’ve heard sensei, ...both of you first,’ Nastassja advised her colleague.

  Shocked and amaze with the outcome, my assailant gazed at me as he forcefully concurred with their terms. Courteously he conciliates with his own anger and says, ‘that means me and you got to stay acquainted for a little bit longer than I expected. By the way…!’

  With an emphatic smirk on his face he whacked me at the back of my head and uncontrollably I felt my body heading towards the ground.

  ‘I’m Mac. My friends call me big Mac.’ He said as he caught me half way to the ground.

  Dizzy, I pass out.

  ‘I would need helped to take him in,’ the assailant suggested.

  Agent Nastassja Taylor was behind shihan ready to board. She stood still, turn back to the boy and his captor. His hand was tied to the front as he lay dormant on his back.

  ‘Sure,’ Agent Taylor muttered.

  With utter amazement she stares, wonder how a tall and well build up man like his colleague couldn’t lift the young boy who was not yet a man.

  Big Mac and Nastasja stood the opposite side of the young unconscious body. As if reading each other’s mind they systematically kneel down. They grab him by intertwining their arms into his.

  ‘On the count of three,’ Big Mac confirmed.

  ‘One, two and….,’ she made the count.

  ‘Three,’ Big Mac said as he gave out the momentum rhythm for the first lift.

  As a team they lift him up and drag him towards the stealthy plane. The drag felt light as they combine forces. They had felt his legs lightly brushing the floor. For them this had been inevitable.

  At the plane big Mac glanced at his partner as he looked at the last obstacle. The thirty five degree incline door. He could neither feel a slack nor a desire to stop from the other side. She had kept up with it. She showed no sign of weakness. Born ready with robust personality proven availed in hard circumstances, he thought. Inside red lights flickers. Their employer watched them as they both walk up at the same speed.

  On board their master waited until they were across the pivot line of the door. Once inside both dump him in the closest available seat at the back. Big Mac quickly secure the package by reaching for an attached V shape metal harness from the seat and drive it down. Tightened against the boy’s body he gave it a sudden pull. It produce a mechanise sound. This was enough to assure him that the lock was forging its purpose.

  Master had given the on board computer the right to secure the door by gesturing his hand with an erect finger in a circular motion. Sensors from within had detected it and the door was moving up. Agent Taylor had walked towards him. She stretched her arms and shoulders while they waited for big Mac.

  The plane took off as its door sealed. The assailant turned his head sideways and rotated his shoulders in a circular motion. They cracked. He felt better. The tension of the weight had been released.

  He proudly walked the aisle of seats facing them. The empty seats of unused metal harness which were locked and facing the ceiling. He head for them. The man he had called master and his ninjutsu colleague.

  I felt weightless. As if gravity seized to co-exist. I could see myself through a tunnel. Except it wasn’t a normal tunnel. Its wall of marvellous rainbow colour captures my mind. It moves fast. I had no control upon the inertia of my body. It bends down and sideways. I close my eyes as the agony of my head prevails.

  Everything seems to be moving fast until I open my eyes. Ahead a white light could be seen at the edge of the tunnel. Closing in I notice a crystal clear substance. Upon reaching a desired velocity my body’s momentum deduced.

  Suspended in a strange, circular and vertical motion I notice how it emits the light at the other side. Beautiful glowing patterns of light tempted me to touch it. I reach out for it. I wanted to feel its presence.

  I felt close. The water like effect of what appears to be a substance was simply amazing. With my hand inches away I felt an abnormal force pushing my body through. The light felt intense. My eyes got sting by the sun.

  I had no choice, except to shield my face and eyes with my arms as I got thrown forcefully. At the other side with my face on the ground I felt compel with fear. Face down on an unknown sedge ground I wonder what had happened. My heart races sending adrenaline fear rushing through my vein.

  I take a peek at the back. The circular door of water-like substance merges and vanishes with its environment. Gone was for sure.

  Chuckles of amusement and a sense of shyness caught my attention.

  Sound friendly, I thought.

  ‘Phil there’s no need to be on the ground.’ An amicable female teased.

  It felt like a pitch I’ve heard before. I know you…, I challenge my sanity.

  Once more I overheard the familiar chuckle. The same tone of friendly voice. Unafraid I look around. I could see us at the back of the school. Yes us, at least that’s what my heart and mind had concluded each time I met her.

  That tingling sensation I had been accustomed to since when I first met her at school.

  Samantha Burk, she had told me.

  She was displaying her thin modelling body. Her long blonde hair got caught up in the gust of wind. Samantha looks at me flush and chuckle as she walks towards me. I end up swallowing saliva as she playfully modelled for me.

  ‘How you bring joy to my life Phil Smith.’ She expressed with sensual delight.

  Though I had not known her that long, she had made it easy for both of us.

  ‘What’s the matter, pretty boyfriend can’t catch his tongue? It’s only me,’ Samantha teased with a sense of humour.

  Speechless I stare at her wonderful figure which was shape properly in her long evening gown. It fit her nicely that it gave her the appearance of innocence. An angel sent to extinguish and suppress hate. Her presence mysteriously enlightened and broadened the love I taught I never had.

  Her hands reach out to touch mine. Still on the ground as if under a hallucinating spell I stretch my right arm. Instantly the sunny day turn moody. I felt it but nothing could prevent me from reaching out for her. She slowly turns her head skywards.

  Imitating her I turn sideways and stare at the sky. Dark thick cloud races towards the marvellous blue sky and covers the sun. Intensity of the wind builds up as lightning traces its path through the dark sky and thunder roars. Tremor starts to shake the ground. Unbelievable cracks made its way from underneath our feet to the school nearby.

  Tearing sound of grassy ground to bricks brought shuddering terror from both of us. With horror we glance at the volatile and progressive move of the crack. Then we patiently look at each other.

  ‘Phil what is going on?’

  I didn’t have an answer but I felt like she deserved some sort of comfort though I could not think of any. ‘I don’t know.’

  The bricks fall apart. Trees went down crashing on the ground. The ground mysteriously got swallows up. Samantha looks at me with watery eyes. Uncontrollable fear drastically quivers her body. She gasps for air as tears rolls over her cheeks. Panic seized control of her.

  Deep down I had felt the same. I close my eyes and suck my fear in. I stand up. I try to settle my body’s equilibrium against the moving ground. Hopeless and thrown to the cracked ground I forcefully struggle to stand up. Struck with mortal fear I shockingly watch Samantha’s body gradually lifting up.

  ‘Phil! Help! Please!’ She screamed as she open her arms to reach out for me.

  With my back to the ground I stretch my hands. Half a metre away from me I had no choice. I had to stand up to reach her. Impossible under all that chaos, I thought. Behind her an immense powerful circular doorway sucks everything. Chunks of bricks, ground, trees and concrete footpath went flying by.

  Samantha flows backward.

  ‘Samantha!’ I cried out.

  ‘Phil!’ She cried out.

  Debris of concrete and trees flying by knock her unconscious. She was gone. I close my eyes scream and weep.


  Unknown shudder woke me up. Dizzy with hallucination I remain calm until my vision starts making sense. My hands were tightened together. A ‘V’ shape metal harness had strapped my body to an unknown surrounding that seems to operate either up and down.

  Opposite to where I was sitting were seats similar to the one I was in. Each of them has metal harness facing the ceiling. I turn to my right and notice that the wall was slightly raised at an incline angle from the floor.

  ‘I see that the turbulence has brought you to life Mr Smith,’ someone from the opposite direction said.

  Immediately I turn around to face the stranger. I saw all three of them standing rigid. Staring at me and yet two of them seems to be fixing their strange uniform. The lady assassin and my captor were standing opposite to each other. They help each other strap the strange uniform.

  At that point I realised that Samantha was not dead. At least not for real as it felt surreal after all. For now I know that she was dead only in my dreams. The thought of seeing her again boost up my moral to live.

  The man the muscular assassin have called master walk towards me. ‘Ready for the next round?…cause we are,’ he said joyfully as he take a peek at his foot soldiers.

  I was busy looking at his two specialists behind him. Devotees to unknown cause which I was yet to comprehend. As their master move closer, they had carry on to help each other with the strapping of some weird futuristic suit.

  Their leader was close. Gazing through my eyes and tracing it to the targets behind him he smiled. With a jovial smile on his face he says, ‘Impressive isn’t it?’

  Mute I kept on staring.

  ‘Let me introduce this technology to you. Exoskeleton technology…’

  His foot soldiers turn and face both of us. There were thin metal straps with their strange robotic boots. It protruded part work in harmony with their body’s outline. It extends upwards to their hips.

  ‘…outstanding mechanise piece of kit,’ the old man proudly said. ‘…..in your time, its blue print had just been electronically pen down and had not been transformed into reality. Science fiction in your time and science fact within ours…’