Thursday, October 3, 2013

Recovering the Past

2123

I had always been eccentric. I took up Archeology for my extra credit class, which is different from 99% of the population in our institution. Out of the 900 kids who could afford education here in my subdivision, only 17 of us took up archeology. According to history, men used to excavate the soil in order to attain artifacts. There was no land present in earth anymore, as all the ground was covered in asphalt for convenience. Normal soil would collapse hundred of buildings in a small hectare of land. For   now, reading something from paper is what archeologists do.

I went to the biggest book mine to start my final requirement. I floated to every isle, looking for quite an interesting topic to discuss about human behavior. For sure, the topic about something called nature would prevail among the class. I looked through all sections ranging from Religion, Languages, Social Sciences, as I reached the Fiction section. I used to go here to laugh at all the assumptions of the human kind of the human kind were, and how absurd they seemed. But alas, this library contained and preserved far more books than the normal library I went to. It had a section very unfamiliar, as it was the first time I encountered such word. Romance.

Once, there was a myth that a lady travelled through time in order to fullfill her dreams of being in love. Love was a very unnatural thing to say, as love was something made by mankind ages ago to procreate. We have test tubes, sperm banks, egg incubators and all of those in all hospitals owned by the government. We do not need love anymore. But the story says that once she came back, she could not stop crying. According to her, she lost the feeling that made her feel alive and a human once again. She commited suicide right at that moment.

I got curious and I picked a book from the shelf. It was entitled "Lovers Lost In Space". I grabbed some gloves from the shelf as the book was delicate due to old age. The cover was pretty bleak, just a picture of a rose floating in space, its petals slowly cascading. It was hardbound, just like most of the books in this library. The paperbacks were contained in a specially airconditioned floor, and I hate the cold as much as I hate being more careful than being informed. It looked very common, as most books I have touched are pretty much similar to it, belonging to the era of the last set of published books in 2078.

On the contrary, the feelings that transpired to my brain are very unusual. There was also the tingling sensation in my spinal bone, the cloud of mist developing in my stomach, my blood rushing to my vessels as my heart was pumping more than the usual rate per second. It was a feeling of a rush I have never experienced, as I have never witnessed something that bizaare in my whole existence. Is that the feeling of love? Is that the feeling the woman wanted so much that she exchanged her own life just to get it back? 

Curiosity spread like a wildfire in my brain as I checked out of the book mine. I needed a proper research, so I switched on the data connector chip implanted on my brain by clicking the switch behind my ear. I needed a pass to the alternate dimension. That was how the woman was rumored to travel through time. I booked my shift in around 30 minutes, allowing me to pack up and prepare for the travelling. I ordered an elixir to lessen drowsiness and flesh deterioration as my journey was counterflowing through the natural course of energy in the time continuum.

I turned on my light shield, wore my safety goggles and shut my eyes. This is going to be a fun ride.

2012

My eyes opened and I saw an unfamiliar territory. I know that laboratories are very prominent in our era, but it was a lot different to the one I am seeing now. There are wires everywhere; networking bulky computers and equipments that seemed so medieval in my era. People are actually walking, and it's weird that they still seemed like they lacked body maintenance. Perhaps it was because of the change in diet- everything was grown organically and manufactured using no oil, as there was none left, and people technically ate the same things. Chemical engineering was highly improved at around the year 2025, and it continued to evolve throughout the years. I blinked a couple of times to adjust my vision, and we were welcomed in a highly secured area the government is protecting.

Alternate dimensions were developed in the in the early 2100's. Ever since, the government made an agreement with the government of the past. There were a few conditions for the so called "time travelers" to follow. First, any person existing outside the era should not alter anything in the existing era. Prevention of deaths, accidents, miracles, and other future altering actions are not allowed since it is against the natural law. Second, no one is supposed to know of the credentials of the time traveller. Such action may result to the non-existence of time traveling, as people will merely expect someone to patent the formula of alternate dimension shifting. And lastly, all people who were involved in one's duration on that era are subjected to remove any memory of that person. 


I was entitled a semiannual stay in this dimension, as my school funded my entire trip. After a world economic shutdown, capitalism ceased to exist. People and their talents were utilized to improve the world, and not much money was involved. I went around: seeing trees, feeling the grass and eating all sorts of exotic delicacies such as the burger. The nostalgic feeling of being a little child was running through my veins. I met different kinds of people, telling them I am an exchange student from a secluded island which seemed to be as civilized as the city. I went by the name Gabriel. Many people believed me. Everyone except for you, Isabelle.

You were interested in geography. Memorizing different states, knowing every island, and basically figuring me out. I violated every rule prescribed by the government, as if describing your future world is just natural. I was elated seeing your face light up every time I answer your curiosities.  We sometimes hung out by the lake, sipping our cups of what you call coffee and exchanged views on everything in this world. You taught me what values are, what faith means, and what happiness was. You told me everything that ceased to exist in my time, and I told you what the future upholds in mine.

I was coming close to the end of my trip. Finally, I gathered up all the confidence I have to ask you:  What is love? You stared into the murky waters of the lake, seeming deep in thought. You looked at me, gave me hundreds and thousands of definitions for love. You told me, love is having that strange feeling the moment you knew your names rhyme, knowing that he is from another time yet you took the risk of being attached, and having the absurd thoughts of breaking the rules for someone

I patiently waited for that adrenaline rush. For the blood to rush to my cheeks. For my heart to start accelerating irregularly. For me to feel this love I travelled in time for. But there was none. All I felt for you was empathy, as you sit there, with streams flowing from the corners of your eyes. I could not connect to you the way you connect to me. I am incapable of feeling love.

On my last day, I placed my remote sensor in front of your forehead. I wished you the best of luck in life. You gave me a bud of a white rose, placed it on my pocket and tapped it in place. You closed your eyes, signaling me that you are ready. I gave you a promise that we'll see each other sometime in the future. You knew that it was highly unlikely, if not impossible. And when I pressed the trigger, I was transported back in my era. 

And in about a week or two, I can't remember anything I have done in the past six months. I saw a decaying matter at the edge of my desk and threw it in my incinerator. And I tried to keep my sanity and not reach for it in the flames when I remembered what it was.




No comments:

Post a Comment