Published: 2025-11-04
Gabriel De La Rosa had been a social recluse for years. Although well-versed in physics, he decided to abandon his post as a reputable researcher at the University of New Town; his basement, equipped with only piles of boxes of foreign research, became his new laboratory. The mental faculties of the once-considered brilliant man were brought into question by many, although those closer to him understood the reasons for his eccentricity.
He paid no attention to the murmurs, as a man of science, he was less concerned with the people’s opinion and more with the facts. Fact: he was in full possession of his mental faculties. Also fact: the work he has been doing while recluse in his basement was of the utmost importance to the future of humanity. And last but not least, fact: he was close to achieving a breakthrough in his research.
He walked to and fro in the humid basement, mumbling to himself and gesticulating. His face displayed a range of expressions as thoughts raced through his mind:
“If my assumptions are correct, the very fabric of time can be bent at will, and what’s better, the energy requirements are thousands of times smaller than those needed to launch a rocket.”
He spoke with excitement, a smile started to draw on his wrinkled face, he didn’t pace the room anymore.
“Yes, energy. It was never about whether it was possible or not; it was always about how much energy it would take to make it happen. I not only found a way to make it possible, I also found the most energy-efficient way too! You know what that means, Susan? We—”
He turned around, but there was nobody there. He let a sigh out and walked towards the corner desk. A white monitor beamed light from its curved screen, partially illuminating the otherwise poorly lit room. Gabriel sat in front of it and typed a list of commands on a black terminal; he then grabbed the microphone that rested next to the monitor and started speaking:
“November 4, 1994, New Town. A new development has occurred regarding energy consumption levels; the machine will be recalibrated to operate according to the new parameters. The feasibility of the project has increased from 37% to a staggering 80%. A detailed report can be found in the corresponding folder.”
Gabriel then walked to a white refrigerator that stood near the desk, but this was no ordinary house appliance; it featured a control panel with an LCD screen and keyboard in the door, and opening it revealed a complex machine. The interior was upholstered like a luxury car, with a comfortable seat; a metallic helmet with wires attached to it hung from the top of the machine.
Gabriel fiddled with the back of the machine for a minute or two before putting it back together. The new changes were ready, and Bill the white rat would have the honor of trying it.
Gabriel put a tiny helmet on Bill’s head; it was specially designed for it and the other rats that served as Gabriel’s partners in science. He closed the door of the machine and input a set of numbers before hitting the Start button.
A white flash illuminated the room, followed by a cloud of smoke. One might think that the experiment had failed, but Gabriel was convinced otherwise.
“It worked. It finally worked. Time, space, and matter, all intertwined. I was right.”
He looked at the seemingly burned floor around the refrigerator as he spoke. The machine had been displaced through space and time and had made it back.
He opened the door to find Bill sound and safe. The small rodent had moved through time and space and lived to tell the tale. It was too much to process for Gabriel; he had to measure Bill’s brain activity, check the machine for possible damage, and document his findings, but his joy was such that he ignored his rational brain and jumped into the machine.
The interior of the machine featured a second control panel, which allowed it to be operated from the inside. Gabriel set the date to June 19, 1990, and without hesitation pressed the Start button.
His expression was one of pure joy as the machine started rumbling and vibrating. His eyes seemed to squint as his big smile pushed his wrinkled cheeks upwards. The years of ridicule had finally paid off.
As the machine moved through time, reality seemed to distort, shapes becoming abstract splashes of color until they could not be distinguished anymore. Light became darkness, as the machine seemed to accelerate. Gabriel, overwhelmed by the surreal spectacle, grasped at his seat as if his life depended on it; the smile had disappeared from his face, his eyes transmitted only dread.
The machine came to an unceremonious stop. Gabriel grabbed the door handle with much enthusiasm and pushed it outwards, hoping to see the world of four years ago. But there was nothing to see. Nothing but darkness.
Gabriel checked the screen on the control panel, hoping to pinpoint his exact location in time and space, but the screen marked no latitude and longitude; numbers kept changing rapidly as if it were a broken gasoline pump. He tried to reset the date in the control panel, but it wouldn’t respond.
A serene and almost soothing voice echoed through the void:
“You have been dealt a tough hand, Gabriel.”
Gabriel looked in all directions, startled by the voice. He started doubting his own sanity.
“I’m afraid you cannot see, for I lack a corporeal form.”
“Who are you?” Gabriel asked.
“Not a who, but a what, and that I don’t know.”
“Where are we?”
“The void. Nothingness. The edge of time.”
“How do you know?”
“I know everything, because I see everything.”
“Oh, yeah. What happened to my machine then, Mr. Smarty Pants?”
“It broke down. Your hastiness blinded you; you didn’t service the machine after testing it on Bill.”
“How do I get out of here?”
“That, Gabriel, as implied by my presence here, is the one thing I do not know.”
Gabriel took both of his hands to his face as he shook his head. He broke down into tears.
“I just wanted to see my wife again.”
“You live outside of time now, Gabriel. You can see whatever you want.”
“There’s nothing I want to see besides my wife.”
“Consider your wish granted.”
A sphere of light in which he could see the entire life of his wife appeared before him.
“Susan…” Gabriel said.
THE END.