I'm stumped. Where do I begin the search? My only clues are the yellow coat, light shooting out of the woman's palms, and the presence of a fast creature that knocked her out. Google search didn't give any hints.

I think that if I were to know more, I have to dig deeper.

Or, perhaps it's up in the air.

Have you ever wondered why you wake up one day and you can't move a muscle? Of course, you remember that yesterday you had done some high intensity interval workout, or you just got home from work, and lying down might seem an attractive alternative to walking like a baby.

Suit yourself with that thought.

I woke up one day, cramps and all, and I found a note on my desk.

It said, "Check your e-mail. -Oldman"

Thanks, but you've just added more mystery in the book. Who is this Oldman? If you know who that is, care to introduce me?

While pondering upon the mysterious note, an e-mail came.

=========================
To: Jarvis <...>
From: <...>
Subject: (blank)
Message:
Thank God you're reading this.
If you're alive, then we must meet.
See me here: 45.610475, -122.680134
Don't tell anybody.
Godspeed, Comrade.
-Oldman
=========================

Comrade?

A quick Google search reveals that the location is somewhere along Interstate 5.

What's in there?

What's going on?

Who is this Oldman?

=========================
To: <...>
From: Jarvis <...>
Subject: Re: (blank)
Message:
Who are you?
Why should I listen?
Is yellow your favorite color?
==========================

==========================
To: Jarvis <...>
From: <...>
Subject: Re: Re: (blank)
Message:
We can help you. We can protect you.
Why should you listen?
Because if you don't move right now, that blaster would hit you.
===========================

What b---?

BOOM.

My PC exploded.

I distanced myself from the PC and went towards the window.

My door has a big circle of charred wood. A hand reached out and tried to open the locked doorknob.

Yeah, right. Instead of blasting his way through, he had to unlock the doorknob. It kinda tells you what kind of person that was.

The person who went in was wearing the same yellow coat--it looks like wool coat to me. Also, the intruder had a smiling white mask. That person stretched out one of its hands and light gathered on the palm.

Then he froze.

Another guy walked behind him.

"Sorry--" BANG "--for that."

As he walked in front of the guy with the yellow coat, he took out a gun and shot it point-blank on the forehead, as if giving a tetanus shot.

The head didn't explode because...

"Oh, you must be wondering why the head didn't explode, right?" While swirling the gun around and trying hard to do a Captain J*ck Sp****w, he continued. "You see, I just can't move on with just killing him. I kinda want to see what he looks like. You know... Name's Gerty, by the way."

The man named Gerty grabbed one of my hands and shook it.

"So you stopped time?"

"Yes, that I did. If not, you're a dead man, he's a dead man, we're all dead men. Hahahahaha."

Oy!

"Well?"

"Oh, let's see." He grabbed the intruder's mask and saw a face made of metal. "So they've succeeded, huh? Jarvis, I think we should get out of here."

Walking outside and after reaching a certain distance, we heard a gunshot.

He turned to me and dragged me into the woods.

"Where are we going?"

"Oldman, of course."

"How did you know me?"

"Oldman, of course."

The guy led me to a pickup truck parked on the side of the highway.

"I'm curious. Why are you all wearing coats? Is this a mafia movie?"

"Nah. I just came from Sicily, 1950s. Work-related hazard, I know."

"So you can also travel back and forth time?"

"Everyone around Oldman can. Shall we go to the resto?"

"Sure."

Will I be led around this time? Let's see what this Oldman can offer.

yolo

twenty one pilots make me emo |-/

Have you ever wondered why you wake up one day and you can't move a muscle? Of course, you remember that yesterday you had done some high intensity interval workout, or you just got home from work, and lying down might seem an attractive alternative to walking like a baby.

Suit yourself with that thought.

I woke up one day, cramps and all, and I found a note on my desk.

The note has the words "Check your e-mail. -Oldman" crossed out and under it...

The note has the words "Gerty will kill you. Don't go out but let him kill the intruder." crossed out and yet another message was under it...

"Follow Gerty. -Oldman"

Thanks, but you've just added more mystery in the book. Who is this Oldman? Who is Gerty? If you know who that is, care to introduce me?

While pondering upon the mysterious note...

BOOM.

My PC exploded.

I distanced myself from the PC and went towards the window.

My door has a big circle of charred wood. A hand reached out and tried to open the locked doorknob.

Yeah, right. Instead of blasting his way through, he had to unlock the doorknob. It kinda tells you what kind of person that was.

The person who went in was wearing the same yellow coat--it looks like wool coat to me. Also, the intruder had a smiling white mask. That person stretched out one of its hands and light gathered on the palm.

Then he froze.

Another guy walked behind him.

"Sorry--" BANG "--for that."

As he walked in front of the guy with the yellow coat, he took out a gun and shot it point-blank on the forehead, as if giving a tetanus shot.

The head didn't explode because...

"Oh, you must be wondering why the head didn't explode, right?" While swirling the gun around and trying hard to do a Captain J*ck Sp****w, he continued. "You see, I just can't move on with just killing him. I kinda want to see what he looks like. You know... Name's Gerty, by the way."

The man named Gerty grabbed one of my hands and shook it.

"Who are you? Are you trying to kill me too?"

"Oh, no~ I'm here to save~ you."

"Who is Oldman?"

"He's my boss. You see, we find people with incredible powers. Everybody in PsyHigh have the abilities to topple this world's governments but you... You can manipulate space. If you're lucky, you might get to manipulate time itself."

Gerty examined the body lying on the floor.

"Oh, let's see." He grabbed the intruder's mask and saw a face made of metal. "So they've succeeded, huh? Jarvis, I think we should get out of here."

Walking outside and after reaching a certain distance, we heard a gunshot.

"What did you do?"

"Oh, that... well, I manipulated time around his head such that the bullet tears his head apart after we've left the dorm."

He turned to me and dragged me into the woods.

"Where are we going?"

"Oldman, of course."

"How did you know me?"

"Oldman, of course."

The guy led me to a pickup truck parked on the side of the highway.

"I'm curious. Why are you all wearing coats? Is this a mafia movie?"

"Nah. I just came from Sicily, 1950s. Work-related hazard, I know."

"So you can also travel back and forth time?"

"Everyone around Oldman can. Shall we go to a resto?"

"Sure."

Will I be led around this time? Let's see what this Oldman can offer.

Gerty drove the vehicle past the bridge, leading to a small island that separates Portland and Vancouver, I think.

As he was driving, I took a nap.

When I woke up, I was underwater and had ropes tying me to the driver's seat. My hands were also tied up.

As I drew my last breath...

...I immediately choked. I coughed up the water that had entered my body.

I found myself inside a small room. There are no windows. Light comes from a small incandescent lamp hanging from the roof supports. The roof itself is made of galvanized iron sheets. What ceiling? Is that tasty? The concrete walls were bare, with no paint nor wallpaper.

The bed I am sitting on is made of plywood and had no linens.

Suddenly, there was an old man squatting in front of me, acting like a spectator in a zoo.

"When did you come in?" I said.

The old man didn't immediately reply but when he spoke, he looked angry.

"You... are a troublesome lad. Always dying. I should have carried you away when we had the chance or did we? Yes, we had. That's why you're here."

"Are you Oldman?"

"Yes, I am. I am the old man in the mountain, away from the people. With a good reason, of course. People called me 'Oldman' because even I don't remember my real name."

Oldman stood up. When I was about to look up, he disappeared.

Someone spoke from outside. "Come here and get some breakfast."

I summoned my strength and walked towards the plain-looking wooden door. Opening it, I saw the sunrise.

I went out of the room and into a barren wasteland.

When I went out, my eyes were blinded by the sparkling sand, some of it riding the arid air. A harsh ball of light in the sky did little to make my face sweat bit it did made me close my eyes. When my sight adapted to the scenery ahead, the clear blue sky calmed me down.

I was in a desert. I tried looking for Oldman but I can't find him.

"Young man, over here."

A few meters to my right, an obnoxious light blue marquee protected another old man from the sun. The old man was sitting in front of a large rectangular wooden table that almost covered the entire length of the marquee. I walked towards him and saw that he was sipping tea from cups that looked similar to the ones styled Alhambra. I know this because my mom had kept a set before the toddler me broke them.

"Quite a strange place you got here. Hasn't it made you puke?"

The old man took his time, sipping his tea. Now that I remember, he was wearing something different now. He was wearing a bowler hat, a nice tailored suit, and--I can't really see his shoes. Not that I'm particularly interested in what everybody wears; it's just that his calm attitude towards me is different from the man who met me in the room before.

"Looking for something, young chap?"

"Actually, there was a room--" I looked behind me. Nothing. "--a room, over there, just a while ago."

"Hmm... most curious. Who are you, young man? Please sit down."

Seriously? You were shouting at me just a while ago like you've known me well enough to actually rescue me as I breathe my last. Calm down, Jarvis. You need this man to go home.

I sat down on the chair at the other end of the table. In an instant, the long table became small and round. He passed a cup and poured me some tea. Or is it just hot water?

"Jarvis...sir."

"Jarvis jarvis jarvis...ah, that Jarvis. What day is it? Come on, tell me."

"12th of January 2016, sir."

"Really, now? A lot of things happened and now, I'm just sipping tea or what was left of it."

"But this is just water."

"You may say that, yet I refuse to accept it. This pot I'm holding right now contains the last serving of tea this world can offer. Come on, drink. Once you do, you can faintly taste and smell that pleasant smell of dried herbs."

I did as he asked. It's just water. It's also lukewarm. "I insist. It's just water."

"What a preposterous idea you were saying! To say that this tea has nothing... You know nothing. You don't know what it feels like to stay in the middle of this wasteland, being the...last...hu-"

Then he stopped. "It's coming... the memories... you."

The old man's calm expression suddenly changed. His eyes grew wide and a smile formed.

"Me?"

"You brought it. Hahah! I remember. Brilliant! You brought it."

"Brought what? You're scaring me."

"Hope, silly. You brought me hope. Everything you saw today, don't forget it. This tent, these cups, this table...everything!"

The old man stood up and grabbed my face. His wrinkled face formed a frown. Tears formed from his face as he looked at me. "Listen very carefully. What ever you do from now on, be careful. I...I remember this place. I remember you. I remember that vigor, that life. Save me, save everyone, I beg you."

"Sir, you're really scaring me."

"Sir? You idiot. I am YOU."

"Jarvis!"

"Yes, what?"

In an instant, Oldman appeared. He was shaking me. It looks like I'm in the middle of a small suburbia on a house near a lake. Supposedly, I should be on the threshold of the house but my consciousness wandered off elsewhere.

"Jarvis, what did you see?"

I told him everything that happened in the desert. He listened attentively. But when I told him about me being that old man in the future...

"Oh, God...no..."

He released his grip. "I'm so stupid. I'm sorry, Jarvis. I can only imagine how it must have felt. If what you were saying is true, then that means we've failed..."

He moved away and headed towards a car. The car didn't look like anything I knew. Was it even a car? The thing didn't have wheels but it floats and I can faintly guess how it works. Before all these timey-wimey, I was planning to study engineering, after all.

"Or we're about to fail. But as long as we strive hard enough, we will endure. Come on, we have a lot of things to do."

"Yes, sir."

Oldman turned on an engine that sounded like a white noise. The noise then died out as we ascended into the sky.

We reached the space just before low Earth orbit, taking care not to bump into floating space junk.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Where everything started."

"Where exactly?"

"The beginning of time, of course."

Oldman turned the vehicle towards Earth and flew towards it in a way that it broke through the event horizon.

I had a dream. Or something similar. I don't know.

[...]

When I opened my eyes, I was underwater. Submerged in green liquid inside a glass box, I tried to reach towards the top of the glass container with my small body. My small wands waddled through the liquid; however, the density of the liquid was less.

With no buoyancy to escape the glass box, I made a fist with my tiny hands and hit the walls, a woman with streaks of white on her long black hair and wears a lab coat approached me. The woman's eyes showed signs of panic as she looked at me.

The woman gestured towards her aide. The aide, also wearing a similar coat, approached one of the corners of the box and manipulated some controls to drain the green liquid. When the top of the liquid reached my nose, air came into my lungs. I coughed up drops of water after another until I felt dizzy...

[...]

I looked at my hands and they were bigger. My limbs are longer and my body, heavier. I was lying down on thick snow. My overcoat has long soaked some melted ice. A woman in a blue frilly dress, complete with a fancy headdress, who looked like she's in her 20s offered her hand.

"George, are you alright?"

I took the lady's offer and stood up. However, as I stood up, the shoes I'm wearing slid ahead and I am once again sitting on the ground. This time, I stood up by myself.

I looked around and saw a scene that I only saw in the movies. There were carriages driven by horses...no, all of them were carriages driven by horses. There were no cars, and people were either walking while talking or walking fast. None of those junkies walking with their smartphones. A boy was walking around, lighting up the lamp posts.

"I'm fine. By the way, where are we going?" I didn't ask her name as not to arouse suspicion. The owner of this body I'm using and the woman who was holding his arm seemed close. No, they are close. Close enough to go on a secluded place along the Thames to hold their tryst.

[...]

No, no, no... why did it have to end? The woman in blue was about to... you know...

Anyway, right now I was standing in front of an old woman, crying while lying on a table. My hands were raised, holding a knife with both hands. When I regained consciousness, the knife already plunged deep into the old woman's chest.

Crimson dyed her clothes.

No... no... I didn't mean to...

The woman's eyes stopped moving. She was staring at me until the end. Two men took away the corpse, wiped away the blood, and put another person on the table.

I dropped the knife and tried to escape. Men wearing the same metallic garments I'm wearing grabbed me and dragged me back to the table. "Do your duty," they said.

"No, this is not right."

"Are you saying that Osiris should not have servants in the afterlife? Such heresy!"

The men took out their daggers and they...

[...]

I was slapped.

Oldman was standing outside the vehicle. A monkey slapped me so hard that it woke me up.

The scenery outside was festive. Anthropomorphic beings had stalls around a fountain. This must be some kind of plaza.

"Welcome to the beginning. This is it."

"I was expecting something that has a 'bang' on it."

"Pffft. That's nonsense. Big Bang? More like E- Construction Firm. This is not even the Earth. If you look closely into the sky, you can see the ongoing construction. So, where are we?"

"No way."

"Yes, way."

Oldman went to a stall to buy some barbecue-like stuff.

"Barbecue. This is made from pig, imported from a farm in 1987."

"..."

"Eat faster. Once you're done, we'll start our work."

"What work?"

"We'll create humans."

Humans.

The process was unnatural, so unnerving. Everything about the process doesn't feel right. Oldman placed two unconscious Kanzi inside a chamber filled with nutrition mix. He explained that what would follow would be a simulation of forced evolution. Kanzis where an anthropomorphic beings that walk on four legs, have tough leathery skin, and capable of performing tasks like collectively building an entire livable planet using appropriate equipment. Yes, Kanzis have been developed enough to have a stable civilization here on Earth. What is Oldman thinking?

Inside the chamber with time acceleration, Oldman, the monkey, and I watched as the Kanzi evolve into humans. Satisfied with the creation of a thousand early humans, Oldman removed the humans from the chamber and led them to an empty warehouse.

The Kanzis do not know what is happening next. As of writing, Oldman is instructing the humans other than myself on communication and the art of warfare. I fear that what he wants will not be good. I don't think I can go home. Farewell.

If a piece of me is alive somewhere, if you are now reading this, beware of the stranger with flaxen coat.