* 2020 * First day of January 2020, Wednesday. Thomas Bardot, a brilliant and award-winning physicist for his time travel studies, smoked on his bedroom balcony in the large mansion where he lived with his wife and adopted daughter. He was a man of little expression, 54 years old, his appearance could easily make strangers mistake him for a homeless person. The deep dark circles that denounced his few hours of sleep, his shaggy, blunt hair, stubble and thick messy eyebrows clearly showed that he was the man who no longer cared about his appearance, after all, at that time in life, as a great scholar he was, he didn't have time to worry about natural banalities to other human beings. The smell of tobacco mingled with that of the forest plants behind the house. He was very thoughtful, distant. He threw the cigarette butt on the floor and stubbed it out with his foot. He looked for a box that was kept in the bedroom closet, hidden in the bottom of the wardrobe. He left the room and went down the stairs to the living room.
- Stephanie. - Called the girl who was sitting on the couch scouring social media. - I need you to do something. - Hi Dad. - Steh immediately tried to hear what Thomas meant. - There are some things I need to talk to you about. - He came and sat next to his daughter. He placed the box on the table and crossed his fingers. - There's something we never told you when we adopted you. Your mother preferred you to know when you were more mature to understand. - Dad, you look sad ... - Steh felt nervous. - Is it something bad? - I'll be direct. A few years before we caught you, we lost a biological child. Nikola. It was our first child. Thomas swallowed. - We didn't want to tell you, because at the time you were still traumatized by your biological mother's suicide. And also, because your Elle was afraid that you would grow up with the idea that you had to be a replacement for Nick. - I ... I don't know how to react. - Steh felt sad for the parents. I had never seen that look of pain on Thomas's face. - How did he die?- It was also suicide. We were very focused on work, and we hardly stopped at home. It was the year that I won the awards for my doctoral thesis, so we spent more time traveling than with our son. - Thomas pulled out the box he had brought and opened it to take a picture from inside. He stared at her as he spoke. - He was a very sensitive boy, and started to understand the world too soon. We don't realize when his head got so messed up. - He handed the photo to Steh. Steh looked at the photo and felt deeply melancholy. He couldn't help the tears, and he wanted to cry. That photo showed the handsome boy, with a cheerful smile and neatness. He was very much like Thomas, but he had the eyes of his mother, Elle. He felt a deep affection for that person, even though he had never seen him before. - When the depression got worse, Nick developed Cotard's Syndrome. - The father continued to speak. - He believed that his body was disappearing, and that he was already dead. That there was no point in continuing to strive to live, because he could never really live. Shortly after, the tragedy happened. Thomas patted Steh's head. - I know how difficult these matters are for you. - I'm sorry dad. - The girl tried to stop the tears but she couldn't. - I need you to do something for me. And I can only trust you for that! - Sure! I do what you ask me to do! - Go back in time and protect Nick. Avoid our son's suicide! "What is my father talking about? What kind of absurd request is this ?!" - Dad ... er ... - Steh didn't know how to answer that.- It's possible Stephanie! Believe! I found a way to turn back time. - Thomas spoke with conviction. - And the only person I can trust is you! Thomas had a unique way of being persuasive. This characteristic had a greater effect on the daughter, who was the man's greatest admirer. Stephanie had a deep respect and admiration for her father. She was unable to say no to him, for her immense gratitude, she felt she should repay everything for what she was grateful for trying to be perfect. She was a great student, she didn't leave the house, she didn't object to anything, she was always kind and polite, she didn't demand more attention than she thought she deserved and if she received crumbs, she would bow her head and be grateful for that. The girl had a difficult childhood, part of which was problematic. It was the result of an unwanted pregnancy, as his parent always shouted when he got out of his drinking. The biological mother, a complete submissive, suffered from deep depression and the father was an abusive alcoholic who beat them both. At the age of six, she witnessed her mother's suicide and spent months receiving physical and psychological punishment from her father, being blamed for the fatality, before anyone reported it and was arrested. She was placed in a home for orphaned children. He lived there for a year. If he was having a nightmare at home, that place that was supposed to be a salvation was almost worse. There was barely enough food to feed all the children, many of them were abused by the employees themselves and the other adults closed their eyes to those monstrosities. Steh was mistreated by the older boys, who assaulted and humiliated her by feeding the same idea that her father put in her head: her mother's death was her fault. The only thing that made her endure that year was her godfather. The home received donations from benefactors and philanthropists allowing them to choose a child to "care" from afar if they were unable to adopt them. Shortly after arriving at that place, Steh was chosen by someone who liked her and exchanged letters every week. It was the first bit of affection she received and someone made her feel special. Upon completing a year in that place, luckily, unlike other children who spent a life in that hell, she was chosen by a wealthy and good-looking couple.It was her memory but happy. she remembered to wear his most beautiful dress, indigo blue, given by that godfather. To sit on the bench while listening to the voice of those adults who would be responsible for it. She was very scared because of traumas she had experienced before, but she was just a child, and his life was all decided by adults. What choice did she have ?! She was shaking her legs back and forth trying to send the nervousness away. The director came to the door and asked her to come in to meet that couple. She shyly walked into the room, and when she lifted her head to look them in the eye, she felt something warm up inside her heart. The woman had a beautiful smile and a sweet and calm voice, Steh felt embraced even though they were within a meter of each other. The man also gave him a great feeling of confidence, and she wanted to be taken at that very moment. It was as if those two adults were there to pull her out of that dark hole and make her life seem less miserable. Even though she was afraid of adults, she wanted to trust those two, and believe that she could have another chance to live a happy and normal life. The girl gained a chance to live the rest of her childhood as a child deserved. She developed such a deep love for Elle Bardot her foster mother and Thomas Bardot, her father, who wanted to be the best daughter he could be, such gratitude. She was renamed Stephanie Bardot and wanted more than anything to establish herself with those two, to make them love her. Unfortunately, he ended up repressing many normal negative feelings during the growth and maturation of anyone, hardly developing his own personality. I was more afraid of rejection than anything else. - Do you know why we chose you? - Asked Thomas taking Steh out of that sea of memories. She thought about it a little, and realized that she was never given a reason to be chosen. And he realized that he had never realized that other than the adoption of other children, the day he met his parents was the day he was being adopted immediately, without the normal bureaucracy of adoptive processes in general. Steh shook his head and waited for his father to tell him.- Why Nick was your godfather in the foster home. Steh's eyes widened and she felt short of breath. - We found out shortly after his death. He registered shortly after he turned 18, the minimum age for sponsorship. We had no idea that he was taking care of a child from afar. Your mother decided at the same time that we knew we should bring you here. - He ... - Steh tried to speak through sobs. - He was the first person who cared about me ... I can't believe now I can know his face. - She felt a deep sadness hit her chest. - I can't believe he died! - Stephanie, you can understand now why I asked you this. - Thomas held the girl's face with both hands. - Only you can do that! She didn't even know if that was really possible. But he was fully aware of how brilliant his father was. His godfather was the first to treat him as someone important, to say words of comfort to him even though letters, and now Steh knew his identity, his name, his face. Maybe if what her father said could happen, she could save the life of someone who saved hers. Nothing would make you happier. - Yes dad, I will! - She nodded and hugged her father in the middle of crying. - Take it! There are a few things about Nick in that box, in case you want to get to know him a little. Here are all the letters you sent him from the foster home. You sure brought him some joy that year ... - Thomas laughed gently looking at those things. Later, lying on the bed in her room, Steh stared at the ceiling, wandering in many thoughts. I didn't know if I was immensely happy, or deeply saddened by the new discoveries. One thing she was sure of, Nick was someone she wanted right then and there. Hug him and say how much he did for her, how much happiness he brought you. He gave her a family.Steh began to fantasize moments of them all together, how many and how many memories they would have created together if he had been alive. She pulled out the box with his belongings and began to look carefully one by one so that she could approach the boy, at least a little. There was so much incredible, he was brilliant. Compositions of songs for guitar and lyrics, poetry about life and death, pieces of a diary with daily outbursts, drawings and all her letters. She clearly remembered the moment she wrote in each of those words. They were perfectly preserved showing that Nick kept them very carefully. Finally, there was an Ipod Classic Fourth Generation at the bottom of the box. It was a 2004 model, so Steh had a little trouble understanding how it worked. When he finally understood, he found several audio recordings that Nikola made over the two years before the suicide. She stayed up all night listening to each one attentively. He had an incredibly beautiful voice, but the recordings became more and more pessimistic and sad over time. I had no doubt, if there was a way, she would do it to save that person's life. The next day, he communicated the decision to his father. Thomas didn't think twice, put the girl in the car and ran the New London Institute of Scientific Studies. He called several people on the way and summoned them on the spot at that very moment. It was a 56-story building next to Baker Street, lined with mirrored panes and an oval shape. Thomas and Stephanie quickly entered the room, crossed the immense entrance hall where employees greeted the man with respect. While the girl wondered which floor they would go up to, Thomas pushed a button that directed them both towards the basement, revealing a confidential floor that people without access had no idea existed. The elevator opened and they were soon faced with large titanium doors that could only be opened with fingerprints registered in the system. As soon as Thomas put his thumb against the biometric reader in the middle of the door, the noise of the locks could be heard and the signal that the doors would open revealing a huge corridor full of doors on both sides that led directly to another door like the one that it had just opened.Thomas asked the girl to enter one of the first rooms on the left side of the corridor and to wait until she was called. Steh obeyed and entered that room. It was a large room with a shiny white marble floor. There were several booths full of appliances, parts, electrical wires and countless things that she had no idea what they were for. In the middle of the room, there was a large window displaying black clothing made of a material she had never seen before, with cable entries on the back of the neck, arms, hands and ankles. She leaned against the wall, started to get anxious and worried. Everything was so sudden. "How will things be going forward?" I thought. He shook his leg frantically as he gnawed on the skins of his fingers. Ten minutes later the door opened and a woman a little younger than her father, but with wrinkles that revealed she was over 40, wore rectangular glasses, pixie haircut and a white coat over her clothes with the institute logo. and your name. - Hi! -She approached Steh and held out her hand for a greeting. - Nice to meet you Stephanie! I'm Dr. Helena. - Nice to meet you! - Steh replied shyly. - I want you to know that this project is a dream! You are helping us a lot, thank you. She continued to speak and headed towards the large glass window. - I worked over 15 years on this with your father! Come on, I'll put the costume on you. Steh undressed and started wearing that outfit with the help of Dr. Helena. It fit her like a glove, as if it had been made to her measurements. Then with a screwdriver, Helena fitted several nuts to the cable entries and tightened the clothes on Steh's body. - Doctor ... - Said the girl. - Can I die? Helena approached with a friendly smile and put her hands on her shoulders. - Your father would never risk his life. He dedicated himself for a long time until he was convinced that the project was successful. Do not worry!- How exactly is that possible ?! - Steh was trying hard to believe it was real. - Ask Dr. Darla, I believe she can simplify the explanation for you! She is a woman as extraordinary as her father. - Helena walked to the door and called to Steh with her hand. As they approached the second big door, Stephanie felt a deep panic start to arise. He started to think if he shouldn't give up and reflect on that a little more. Helena presented the fingerprint to the door, and in seconds it opened. As soon as she crossed, Steh's eyes widened in shock at the size of the machine in the middle of that room. It consisted of a large central cylinder 4 meters high and 5 meters in diameter. Large pipes of the same material that came out of the top of it and connected to four other cylinders of the same proportions positioned horizontally. He stared at that gigantic object for seconds. Her father was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs in front of her. - Come, almost everything is ready! - Said Thomas taking her attention. Steh saw that there were several computers scattered around the room before the machine. There were three other colleagues of Thomas typing non-stop. - Welcome Steh! - A woman in her thirties, with a beautiful face stopped what she was doing and greeted him. - I'm Dr. Darla, I'm happy to finally meet you! - Good Morning! - A man who looked a little younger than Darla approached. - I'm Eydan, the engineer responsible for the project. - Doctor Marcos. - Said a man a little older than Darla from the corner of the room without taking his focus off the computer. - Good morning everyone. - Steh replied. Thomas guided Steh to the big cylinder. Steh went up the ramps with his father and the object's doors opened to reveal a kind of seat full of cables and wires connected to him. Just behind came Eydan with a type of helmet that completed the uniform. He fitted the object to her head, which caught instantly on her clothes. Then he connected all those cables to the clothes and those that remained in entries present in the seat that locked around Steh's wrists and waist as well as the helmet.- Steh, I'll explain more or less how we're going to do things. - Said Dr. Darla entering the interior of the machine with the others. - This object around us is the final end of a particle accelerator that occupies several floors of this building and a few blocks from the basement of this neighborhood. We will accelerate countless particles at the speed of light elsewhere in this place and guide them through various tunnels to the cables connected to your body causing them to collide with your body. This suit you wore was carefully developed to absorb all the radiation produced by the shock of the particles. Thus, your body will suffer a type of disintegration, speaking in a less complicated way, and through the countless calculations we have made, we will define the exact coordinate where we want you to go. Got it but less? - Sort of ... - Steh didn't really understand anything. - It's really complex. - Darla approached Steh. - But please, as soon as you find Nick, protect him, for your father! If Darla set out to explain in detail the bases of scientific studies of years to achieve the perfection of that project, it would take months for someone if they want to be able to assimilate everything clearly. Eydan, who was watching with a worried face, pulled Thomas out of the machine while Darla talked a few more things with Steh.- There's still time to give up. - Said Eydan trying to persuade Thomas. - Let's not go back! - Dr. Thomas was not willing to change his mind. - Sir, if anything goes wrong, your daughter may be broken into millions of pieces, or at best develop a cancer that will kill her in less than a week, or be burned alive. It's very dangerous! - Eydan was almost neurotic. - Don't be hypocritical with me Eydan! Thomas pushed the man's hand off his arm. - We killed hundreds of people over the years in that shit, so don't pretend you care just because you're my daughter. - Everything is ready, Doctor. The city will probably be without power for about ten hours - Helena said to Thomas. - It's all right! Take your positions! He ordered, and Eydan snorted with no choice. Darla wished the girl good luck and took up her role during the process. Thomas got into the machine one last time before it was closed to say goodbye to his daughter and hugged her tightly - I trust you! - Said the man with certainty in his voice. - I'll give my best dad! - Steh was smiling under his helmet. A few seconds before the machine doors closed, he had the impression of hearing his mother's voice shouting for her name from outside. But he thought it must have been just her imagination because of concern that she hadn't spoken to Elle, since she wasn't in town that week. Everything was very immediate. He couldn't hear anything that was going on outside, but he was almost sure he could hear his heart and all the arteries in his body racing. His hands were almost shaking so much that he was shaking and so he clenched his fists to try to stop shaking. Shortly after two minutes, he heard a deafening noise explode inside that place, and the bowels of the machine started to work, at the same time that part of his body started to burn as if burning. A terrifying fear ran through his body. "I'm going to die! MY GOD I'M GOING TO DIE! SOMEONE TAKES ME FROM HERE!" Her entire body tingled. Then his vision was overshadowed by the appearance of the brightest light he would see in his entire existence. A light brighter than a thousand Suns shining upon it at the same time. The sensation of reversing at an absurd speed shook all the girl's senses and soon that light was gradually being covered by darkness where she floated without stopping, she didn't feel her body, she felt nothing, she could have sworn that if there was a soul, that was it what it was at that moment, if the moment existed, if it still existed. Soon, his conscience was also lost, wherever he ended up.
* 2006 *
First day of January 2006, Sunday. The day dawned sunny in New London. At the Bardot mansion, Nikola, an 18-year-old boy with dark, wavy hair, a handsome face and black eyes, fair skin and generally good looks had just woken up. He felt as if he had a time bomb on his head about to explode, such was his hangover. It took some time before he regained consciousness and noticed that someone else was lying on his bed, he was startled. She was a girl he didn't remember seeing before despite the strong djavú that made him more dizzy than he already was and that looked at him as if he was a little scared. Big green eyes, a spot on the side of the left eye, straight brown hair, brown skin, and normal face. What caught Nick's attention were the burns on his face and neck, as if someone had just burned it with a hot iron. He could clearly smell a slight burning smell from her, and he found it bizarre.
- What's your name? He asked. - Sorry, after I blacked out yesterday I don't remember anything.
- Steh ...- Her voice came out in a whisper as if she had no strength to speak, her heart felt like it was going to come out of her mouth, her eyes watered and she thought repeatedly: "I came back ... Did I come back in Time? Did I really come back? "
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
最後の鏡 ( O último espelho/The last mirror)
General Fiction"My father asked me to go back in time, so that I could protect his biological son and prevent his suicide. If I wanted to believe that it would be possible to regress 14 years in time, things became more absurd when I discovered that the whole coun...
