The Creation Chronicles

Saint Louis, October 28, 1965. It was a time of celebration when all Saint Louisans could come together. They were happy to celebrate a brand-new symbol of their city—one that would stand and represent them for a long time to come. There also happened to be a freak snowstorm in the middle of a ridiculous October. It was the kind that seemed to come out of nowhere and would be hailed as a shocking event. Some called it a little Halloween Magic. People across Saint Louis had their decorations up, so the snow added to the magical feeling of Halloween. It was a very festive time.   The evening is approaching. Construction workers miss their families, as they have traveled from all over—including from Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis, just to name a few—to put the finishing touches on the Gateway Arch. It would be known as the Gateway to the West, a beacon of hope for heroes. It stands tall. A full-blood moon rises slowly; the Gateway Arch seems to sparkle in the red moonlight. Many of the construction workers are hungry, horny, tired, and irritable, among many other feelings, as construction had meant many fourteen- and fifteen-hour days. It is nearing the end of their shift. A scientist, about 60, with fading hair and a gray beard, and a smile on his face, slowly approaches the Arch: Bill O’Connor. At this particular moment, he looks like a mad scientist. He holds a Kodak Retina Reflex Three in his hand and is photographing the Arch.   The project foreman, wearing three layers of clothing when it was supposed to be warm enough to wear one, walks over to Bill with his hands up, to make sure Bill can see him clearly.   “You can’t be here. There will be a ceremony tomorrow to reveal this thing, but until then, this place is off-limits.” Bill laughs to himself, looks at him, and says, “I think it’s you who need to get out of here. But it’s not all that important anyway.”    The foreman is surprised and confused by Bill’s statement. Who the hell is this guy? Is this some kind of joke? Maybe his buddies had bribed someone to give him a hard time at the end of the day.  “Who the hell are you?”   Bill decides to be very patient with this man, as he would find out the answers to his questions soon. The foreman, though, is already becoming irate.    “We don’t take our orders from you. We take our orders from somewhere else, and that’s none of your business.”   Helicopters suddenly swarm the field around the Archway, seemingly from nowhere. At first, there is no noise; then, the loud beating propeller blades rush to their eardrums. Six helicopters land in the field. Scientists pour out of the helicopters as quickly as they can. The foreman realizes that this isn’t some kind of joke. Bill pats the foreman on the shoulder.   “You just gave the Travelers permission to come. Our plan has gone perfectly, and it will go down in the history books as such. Once history is rewritten, you will be rewarded greatly.”   Currently, many trees surround the field and the Archway. There isn’t a huge downtown just yet, which will afford future entrepreneurs many grand opportunities. A military Jeep comes busting through the trees. There is a United States general riding in it. The Jeep approaches, slowly, though, to be cautious. The foreman looks at Bill.   “What the hell is a Traveler, anyway?”   Bill smiles at the guy and nods his head.    “You’re not going to believe me, but I’m from the year 1900. I was on this very same snowy field when I fell through a time portal, and I was given a chance to help save the past, present, and future. I understand what needs to be put into motion now to prevent what is coming. I’m glad we’re here. We’re not going to let the Archway get destroyed.”    The foreman begins to think that everyone is arriving to destroy the Archway. The foreman begins to worry that these people are terrorists from a foreign nation.   The foreman does something that Bill never saw coming—he picks up his hammer in defense. He is ready to protect the Archway at all costs, which is what Bill is doing as well, though the foreman doesn’t realize it.   “We, we were hired for this by the city of Saint Louis. It’s taken years—you can’t just come here and demand that it be torn down. You’ll have to go to the City of Saint Louis.”   Bill replies, “That’s what I think you don’t understand. I don’t want it to fall, but that general coming our way; he wants to let this all burn down. He has gotten intel about some threat.”   The foreman’s eyes are full of rage, as though he would attack the United States general. Bill must stop him.   “It’s a monument. It will give Saint Louisans something to stand by to make our city stand out.”   Bill shakes his head.    “It’s what will hopefully save the city in the distant future, as well as bring a wave of destruction.”   “They can go inside and explore places and experience things they never experienced before,” the foreman pleads.    “Excellent. Listen to me: There’s no need to attack the general. He’ll try to convince you otherwise, but I have this under control. But your men need to leave now to avoid what’s coming.”   The foreman shakes his head.   “We will never abandon our post. We’re proud of what we have done and the work that continues to be done, and we are going to stand by it, no matter what.”   Bill shakes his head, realizing that this i***t does not understand that he and his crew need to leave. He switches tactics.   “Look, what’s going to happen is that a portal is going to open, and thousands of Travelers, refugees from a future place, are going to come here, and they are going to bring with them destruction. However, some will bring peace. If your men leave now, they won’t have to experience it. We can erase their memories.”   The foreman is fidgety.   “Look, man, I just work here. Take it up with the city. We are not moving, especially not for some crazy man babbling about the destruction of the city. What are you on? Are you in some kind of cult? Is that what this is?”   Finally, after all this, the general’s Jeep stops in the middle of the field. He hops out deftly and swiftly makes his way over to the foreman.   The general pats the foreman on the back.   “I’m sorry, son, but we must tear this down. Just get out of here and come back tomorrow, and it will all be okay. We will make sure you are generously compensated for your work. Don’t worry. You can trust us. We are the highest command of the land.”   The foreman looks closely at the general. They lock eyes, and the foreman raises his fist.   “To be honest with you, we were rushed by the city. We don’t honestly know if this thing is safe to enter. I think it would be better to test it first, and I’ll be the one responsible if it collapses.”   The general rolls his eyes.   “We warned the City of Saint Louis not to build on this spot. We begged them; we pleaded with them. We knew it would endanger the people of Saint Louis and possibly the world. We had intelligence that told us that much.”   Bill tilts his head down and shakes it. He whispers something into the foreman’s ear, and for a second, the general swears that the foreman’s eyes glow brightly. However, it happens so quickly that the general thinks it’s his imagination.   “Okay, that’s all. We’re finished. We’ll come back tomorrow.”   As the foreman speaks, his words seem to echo across each of the construction workers. Their eyes briefly light up as well. They nod and move off the field. They would not remember the conversation. Tomorrow would come for them, and the last half hour would be forgotten.   The general looks at his men.   “Tear it all down. Make sure nothing remains of this Gateway Arch. Shoot it all down; make sure this portal never existed.”   Bill makes eye contact with the general. He puts his hand on the general’s shoulder. The general feels uneasy, like something bad is going to happen quickly.   “I don’t really think you understand the gravity of the situation,” says Bill.   Six soldiers exit the jeep like circus clowns. They take aim at the Arch, ready to fire on the general’s orders. They will do or die by this man.   “When that portal opens, kill everything. Make sure there are no survivors. I’ll pull the pin on the grenade and that will be the end of it.”   Bill looks down and swallows nervously.   “Listen to me. I don’t think you understand the gravity of what has just happened. I don’t think you see what is going on.”   The general whips Bill around.   “What the hell does that even mean? Are you out of your goddamn mind? Never go up against the Army or the government because we strike fast and lethally.”   Bill decides that telling the truth may be the best option, even though it could backfire terribly.