The Paradox Corridor

Chapter 18: I Remember

"A long time ago," began the custodian.

"In a galaxy far, far away," interrupted Andrew. James and Amber both glared at him, and he shut up.

"A long time ago," re-began the custodian, "When I was just a small child, my life was turned upside-down. It was a day just like any other. Me and my brothers played outside the whole day, and my parents worked the fields. Sometimes they would ask us to help, and this was one of those days. I remember: I was helping my father sow seeds that day. My mother called us in to dinner, and I prepared to run full speed toward our house. But then, from behind me, my father called out to me. I walked back to him confused, but he took and hand and stooped down so we could see eye to eye. He told me, "Son. I just want you to know that I love you." I, of course, told him I loved him too, and we ate dinner and went to bed.

"Gee, sounds really sad," interrupted Andrew again, "Tell me when this old tale is over." The custodian looked straight at him and said,

"I used to be like you, once." That shut Andrew up immediately. Then he turned back to Amber and James. He continued, "My loving father disappeared that night, and no one ever saw him again. He went to bed, and the next morning he simply wasn't there. I looked all over for him, we all did, but we never found him. I would spend hours upon hours looking for him, hoping to find some clue as to where he had gone. Tearfully we mourned his loss, and we all stopped talking about him, as if he had never existed. But not me. I continued the search. One day, while I was following a trail of clues that eventually got me nowhere I noticed a small barn in the middle of the field. I was shocked, because that field has been empty all of my life, and still is."

"Wait, what?" said James, "What do you mean 'still is?' Doesn't that imply that there was nothing there at all?"

"I'm getting to that part, James, now listen. I walked over to it slowly. I remembered being frightened for my life, but I didn't know why. I didn't know what it was then, or why I was so scared, but I know now that it does that to everybody who finds it."

"Finds what? What does it do?" asked Andrew.

"The 'what' is the Paradox Corridor. That was the day I found the Paradox Corridor. When I opened the door, the feeling of anxiety immediately faded away. Inside that old barn was the Paradox Corridor, which at that time was completely inactive and only intact by its own will."

"Wait, whoa. Hold on", said James, "You didn't build the Paradox Corridor?"

"What do you mean, 'It's own will?', asked Amber at practically the same moment, "Machines don't have wills!"

"And anyways, why was it broken? And how did you, some random hick, manage to fix it?", asked Andrew. The custodian smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"One at a time. I will answer you one at a time. Now, yes, you are correct, James, I did not build the Paradox Corridor. I simply found it. Amber, this machine is not only not of this world but not even of this time. Your machines may not have wills, but this one does. And, Andrew, I don't know what happened to it, but it had absolutely no power, which is why it was broken. I simply gave it a power source." Everyone sat there for a minute, trying to drink all of this in. Then, Amber asked the obvious question.

"If it isn't from this time and place, from when and where is it from?" The custodian nodded his head.

"The obvious question. The answer, of course, is not so simple. I don't understand it that well myself."

"Well, then how do you know it's not from here and now?" asked Andrew.

"The Paradox Corridor," started the custodian, "is made of a metal that is only found on one planet. And that planet doesn't even exist yet."

"Hold up, what? If it doesn't exist yet, then how do you know about metal that comes from it?" asked Amber. The custodian walked over to the glowing door, and patted it fondly.

"Alright, time to wake up", he whispered.

"Ummmmmm," said Andrew, "Is it me, or is he talking to a-" His voice trailed off. The door had just shook. It was violently vibrating now, and tons of the electricity was flowing through the tubes. A giant screen hidden above the door frame slid out, and a text box opened up. Then, without anyone saying or doing anything, words began to appear on the screen. Once it was done, Amber and James gasped, and Andrew took a couple of hurried steps back. The screen read:

"Talking to what? A door?"