THE GATE KEEPER by JULES GABRIEL Page B

with the baseless ideology of a pathetic
lunatic.
    Some
of his words made sense from the garbage he had spit out. A part of me wanted
to leave the crazy man alone. My curiosity beg my other half to stay and listen
to what he was about to say. After all maybe he might make some sense out of
the science fiction .
    ‘Please
can you get to the point?’
    I
wanted to believe in him but there was no hard evidence to support his fact…
Maybe he had something in the end, something small and futuristic...
    I
wanted him to stop beating round the bush...
    Patience
he had told me….
    Maybe
he was saving the best for last and perhaps it was worth waiting for….patience.
    ‘Yes
I shall get straight to it. I can see that you’re impatience for the truth but
nothing come easy in life as you had already noticed. Anyway back to the
cultural movements.’
    ‘The
cultural movements are the renaissance, the age of enlightenment and the age of
reflection, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yes,
Phil. Now let us take another famous scientist whose work also inspired us.
Isaac Newton…’ He paused and asks, ‘do you know which field he developed?’
    ‘Yes,
it’s all about gravity and its effect on the orbits of most planets.’
    ‘Indeed
you’re partly correct. The mechanics and its gravitational force were what he
contributed in physics. It fully came into good use two centuries later after
being improved into the three universal laws of motion. This brought the smooth
use of the industrial revolution at the start of the twentieth century. Without
it we were all doom for headway.’
    It
becomes interesting and educational as the story progresses with a mixture of
history and science. Eager to understand the concept of the story I didn’t want
to miss anything.
    As
he took a breather I asks, ‘what movement was he part of?’
    ‘Newton
belonged to the age of enlightenment. Lastly the age of reflection also known
as romanticism is a combination of important subjects, such as organic
chemistry and astronomy. William and Caroline Herschel are the two astronomers
who defined the milky ways, also known as the solar system.’
    He
takes a breather and carries on, ‘…of course they are all histories but they
all are relevant to the top secret project known as black bird. It shall take
place thirty years from your time. I and two colleagues had to study those
people’s work to materialise the project. It took us ten long years but we
finally did it.’
    ‘What
was the project?’
    ‘I’m
afraid you already know the answer to that question young Phil.’
    I
had assimilated everything that he had told me but I wanted to hear it from
him. The study of famous and vital ideologies that goes centuries’ back in
time. Astronomy, the universe, organic chemistry, flights, gravitational and
mechanical advances, all was a perfect ingredient for a perfect space ship.
    ‘A
space machine of some sort which can travel very fast,’ I said uncertainly.
    ‘We
simply call it the time machine. The army call it operation black bird.’
    The
frail, old man said, then he exhale and inhale slowly.
    ‘Who
are you really?’
    ‘Let
me tell you about me. I was young and in love with a girl which I had gone to
school with. The first time I laid my eyes on her was at crèche. Though I was a
child I had never seen anything as beautiful as her. She sat in a circle with a
group of other kids outside the school’s playground. I was passing by and
playing with some other kids but somehow could not resist by not staring at
her.’
    He
pauses and took a slow breather. The story seems similar to mine. Who are
you? Patience he had said…
    ‘She
pretended to be a dentist and her friends became her friendly patients. Those
of her friends who had wobbly milk teeth she took it out with a piece of
thread. As we grew up and went to primary school I fought my way to sit near
her. I became rude to other boys who sat near her. Yet the pet love I had for
her was pure and innocent. Inside