Beyond and Before

A great mass gathered in front of the great prison, Bastille in Paris. Near the entrance, peasants staged an uprising. Riots erupted, and palaces, cathedrals, and monasteries were plundered and burnt. Bastille Fortress was engulfed in an enormous flame. Great charcoal black clouds of smoke shot up from the rooftops and towers.

A man stood on top of a stool, making a speech to rouse the rebels. His speech was greeted with shouts of patriotism that filled the sky.

"Vive la nation![1]" A farmer yelled, raising a stick in his right hand. A red, white, and blue French flag were tied on that stick.

"En avant![2]" shouted another, rousing tha mass marching behind him to move on towards the prison gate of Bastille. He held a spear. Many of the rioters were armed with firearms.

"The reason for people's raid on Bastille is that the King has been oppressing the people. The people demand a Revolution to crush the king's authority and power. The people demand the release of their political leaders being held prisoner here in this fortress, Bastille," Monsieur Duran explained.

Eleonore, Austin, Eliot, Amanda, dan Geoffry listened to Monsieur Duran's explanation earnestly. However, the five young men and women couldn't take their eyes off the raiding mob with tension on their faces.

"The people got more enraged when they got the news about the mobilization of twenty thousand royal troopers to disband the National Assembly, an action against the Revolution," said Duran among the provocative yells. "Even the National Guard reinforcing the prison guard force didn't intend to spill the people's blood at first. However, they finally launched repressive actions on the people." The last two sentences came true and sparked more anger among the mob, and the uproar became unstoppable.

Among the ranks of the National Guard, some royalists tried to covet popular sympathy.

"Vive, la cocarde noire![3]" Positive cheers reverberated from the royalists' side.

A woman activist emphasized the king's standing. "À Versailles! Ramenons le Roi![4]"

Their claims were obviously in contrast with the peasants, who were at the boiling point with the monarch's tyranny. The angry mob rushed more violently, as one of them brought a wax statue.

"Je vous le prete! Ne le faites pas fonder![5]" shouted a man who dressed like a nobleman. He went out from a wax factory and asked the rebels to keep united in this struggle.

"Just like all the officials in Paris who came to Bastille, this is the place where Monsieur Mirabeau, the nobleman who sided with the people joined them." Monsieur Duran explained further when he saw many nobles among the mass of peasants.

"Release Necker!" shouted the peasant with the wax statue. That half-body statue was held high by three men, and many people followed them, some were women and even children.

"Vive Necker![6]" The wax statue bringer shouted again, followed by many others.

"Vive la nation![7]" Another peasant group greeted.

The hot wind blew, blowing dust trampled by thousands of feet in front of the fortress-like ants on a cake. Amanda pulled Eliot and Geoffry's sleeves, fearing that the passing mob might trample them too.

Too late, the angry peasant mob already trampled those who stood in the middle of the road. Strangely, the rebels moved through the two young men's bodies just like that and nothing happened. Finally, the two remembered where they were.

"Whose statue is that?" asked Geoffry, very curious to know why the peasants wanted the man depicted by the wax statue to be released.

"It's the statue of Jacques Necker, a Financial Treasurer. The King removed him from his office because he sided with the people," Monsieur Duran answered.

And then the furious masses burned the Bastille Prison office, as the prison guard force was pushed back by the attackers' advance.

"Arreêtez ces Harpies![8]" The Warden ordered the National Guards Commander who joined in to secure Bastille and stop the rebels.

"Do you want to see what happens next? We must go closer over there," Duran proposed. "But stay inside the lighted area behind the yellow line! In that part, we shall see the Warden, Marquis de Launay, and eight of his troops fell victim to the angry mob. The rebels then beheaded de Launay, tied the body on a stake, and paraded him around the city. During this period, about 16,000 to 40,000 French citizens were killed. It was horrifying!" said Monsieur Duran.

"C'est la grande peur![9]" Horrified, Eleonore declined this offer. "We better skip this part!"

Then, the skipped part occurred without their viewing. Finally, the riot reached its climax.

"We must suppress this chaos!" The National Guard Commander decided.

"Troopers, ready!"

The National Guard troopers who could only watch them from the roadside all this time now started to point their bayonets towards the raiders, but the peasants still boldly pressed forward.

"Ce serait un massacre![10]" Austin yelled. He hoped a massacre in front of him would be averted.

The tension gradually dissipated along with a change of view in front of the Bastille Prison. The display was now mixed with the view of a courtyard where the Bastille Fortress-Prison once stood.

"Sorry! Time's up," said Monsieur Duran to the youngsters.

The group was relieved because they didn't get to see that dismal scene of a massacre and the session was ended. No word was spoken from the four youngsters' lips. They were still thrilled by the whole Attack on the Bastille Fortress scenery.

The scene of bloodshed in front of the Bastille has disappeared and was replaced with new scenery. They found themselves on a paveway with lots of lamp posts whose lights have been turned off. The glowing yellow lines now became the borderline of the tourist area. The line was made to avoid injuries to the tourists because of bumping into invisible building walls, things on the pavement, or falling into a gutter during the tour.

"Let's go back to the entrance and let the next in the queue come in," Monsieur Duran directed.

Kindly yet straightforwardly, Duran asked the five youngsters to follow him, while another group entered the tourist area in their stead.

Outside the area, the guide asked Austin and his friends to take their wireless earphones off and handed them to the technical crew. At last, Monsieur Duran left them after saying some parting words and then go back to meet the Wahana Time Travel crew.

The five youngsters realized that they were in the real world. And then they talked merrily about the recent experience while strolling along Champs-Élysées, commonly regarded as the "most beautiful avenue in the world". They blended with another group who had just come out from the same tourist area.

It was almost evening when they took a stroll along the avenue that was once one of the time travel tourist traps managed by Tunnel Educations in association with the Paris Board of Industry and Commerce. The almost two kilometers long and seventy meters wide avenue was crowded with tourists like them.

On weekdays, the tourists can walk casually on the wide pavement of the avenue full of luxury shops. The finish line of the world's annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race, Tour de France was in this area too.

At the same time, on their back, several TV crews were broadcasting this tour live.

"... in a short time, the world is overrun with the time travel tour fever. Everyone, everywhere talks about the sensation and experience of somebody who tries to go to the past," said a TV reporter standing in front of the camera to convey an opening statement to the viewers at home.

He then continued with a greeting. "Good evening, world. I, Victor Bazin convey a live view of this year's Bastille Day. It's a special day to commemorate the 1789-1799 French Revolution. It was a radical social period of political turmoil in France with a permanent effect on the history of France, and in a broader sense, on Europe as a whole. The absolute monarchy dynasty that ruled France for centuries was toppled into ashes in just three years.

The dispute between the supporters and the opposition of this revolution went on for the next two centuries. The French Revolution, in a political sense, has resulted in the advancement of liberalism, which demands democracy and individual freedom, that gives birth to democratic republic nations, and revolutionary actions against absolute rulers.

Since the scientists from Tunnel Educations Inc. invented the ChronoTours virtual time machines, now we don't only commemorate, but we can also experience firsthand the social revolution that occurred three centuries ago."

During the recording, everyone on the avenue can watch Victor Bazin's live broadcast on outdoor giant OLED TVs.

Just then, one of the five friends was reminded of something. "Err," said Geoffry, the tallest of the lot, "Where are we going to next?"

They stopped walking towards the bus stop almost abruptly.

"Don't you want to buy a pin, Amanda?" Geoffry asked.

"Ah, right. You want to buy the tees too, Austin?" Amanda also reminded her other friend. Finally, they took a detour and went to the stalls selling souvenirs.

Amanda was a pretty girl with a sweet smile. Her shoulder-length jet-black hair, her yellowish Asian-like complexion, and her tall posture were a near-perfect combination for an haute couture supermodel material.

Along the Champs-Élysées, there were fancy restaurants like l'Atelier Renault and Ledoyen. There were some nightclubs too. Not only that, the world-class luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and so on had boutiques here. There were also shops showcasing apparel from the more affordable yet world-class, famous brands like Banana Republic, Abercrombie, Sephora, and many others.

However, the five young men and women were students who obviously wouldn't try to come into the glamorous places, mainly to avoid being overdressed and underfunded. They contented themselves to just strolling, window shopping, or buying souvenirs.

"Look!" Amanda yelped, pointing at the outdoor monitor.

All five of them were starstruck as they saw themselves in that giant outdoor OLED monitor. Coincidentally, they were standing right behind Bazin. Playfully, they acted silly because they were on TV.

Seeing that, Bazin didn't get angry. He used that moment instead.

"Hi, there! This is a live broadcast, the whole world is watching," Bazin greeted. "Don't you mind sharing your experience on time travel?"

Of course, they jumped on the offer. Being interviewed on TV was a rare opportunity for them. So they instantly looked around for a currently live, on-air camera.

"It's freakin' awesome!" Eliot shouted before he was asked to.

Bazin smiled in amusement over that typical young adult behavior. Finally, he joined in this fresh, cheerful atmosphere.

"Let's ask this pretty girl here," Bazin resorted to Amanda because Eliot was enjoying himself acting in front of the camera.

"Did you enjoy having a blast in the past as you did just now?" Bazin asked, offering a microphone to Amanda.

"I'll come here again," said Amanda with a plain answer. Bazin shook his head on that.

"Manda, why don't you tell Monsieur Bazin that the inventor of the virtual time machine was your grandfather?" asked Geoffry, noticing Amanda who hid her identity from the media.

"No way," answered Amanda. "He'll ask too much and I don't want to be under the scrutiny of the media."

Geoffry shrugged. But now he saw Bazin didn't give up and turned to him, offering a microphone, saying, "All right, lemme ask you instead. Who knows I can get a more synced answer."

Seeing Geoffry on camera, his friends cheered to encourage him.

Geoffry smiled to see them teasing him, but he was ready for Bazin's questions.

"Did the time travel to the past impress you much?" Bazin asked.

"Oh, it was like watching an IMAX movie as usual," said Geoffry.

This is an unexpected answer, it made Bazin raise his eyebrow.

"Really?" Bazin inquired. "How come?"

"I think they've tricked us! You see, there are no hi-tech gears at all, except maybe some bulky electronic pieces of equipment commonly used in music festivals or sorts."

"Didn't you see one when you bought a ticket in the building?" asked Bazin. "There must be a crew room where the time machine and the crew who operates it are."

Geoffry wouldn't give in to an argument. "But at least, we can feel the weather at that time, or a breeze, not just images, and sounds!"

"But it's different!" Austin interrupted. "In augmented reality time travel, we dive into that world, not just that ancient IMAX show with rocking chairs and stuff like that."

"That's what it is, Geoff," Eleonore added. "What do you expect? Blood splattering on your face?"

Then Eleonore turned to Amanda. "Manda, why so silent? Give Geoff a protest or something! 'Twas your grandpa who invented this ChronoTour virtual time machine, wasn't it?"

"Just let him be," Amanda retorted. "You know, I am disappointed myself. Geoff's right. This virtual time travel machine, ChronoTour doesn't bring us into the time and space we want."

"But didn't you say your grandpa invented the time machine for that purpose, not bringing time and space to us like a virtual reality-added IMAX?"

"Je sais pas[11], El," answered Amanda. "On the next summer vacation, I'll go home to Indonesia and find out why."

"By the way, I'm sorry I can't come with you to try that original kind of time machine," Eleonore said regretfully.

"That's too bad. I wanted you to come with me there."

"Non[12], I have plans with my boyfriend. Anyway, you'll be with your boyfriend, Herman, right?"

"That's true. On this vacation, Herman will come with me to Jakarta. But I shall go home first because he must finish his thesis in Germany."

The two girls were chatting, Victor Bazin suggested something to Geoffry.

"Geoff, you must try another event," said Bazin. "For example, you can go to the nineteenth century, during the Napoleonic War."

Bazin pointed at the Arc de Triomphe monument at the end of the avenue. It was built by Napoleon Bonaparte's order in 1806 to celebrate his victory in the Battle of Austerlitz. Now it became a landmark of Paris, along with the Eiffel Tower.

"You will see the difference between real battles and the Hollywood souped-up ones."

And then Bazin concluded the interview with them as he got an instruction from the Program Director to switch to the other reporter in Phoenix, USA.

At the same time, through the OLED monitor, the viewers could also see the time travel towns being held altogether in several countries in the world.

What attracted the viewers the most was the time travel tour in Phoenix, USA, which was the birthplace of the virtual time travel machine invention.

A female reporter was seen waiting patiently.

Bazin waited for the instruction from the station that directed the show to synchronize the displays, so the viewers could follow his teleconference with the reporter in Phoenix, thousands of miles away.

Finally, Bazin heard a voice from the central station that the connection was successful. "Bonjour, Michele Wicaksono. Tu vas bien[13]?'' Bazin greeted his fellow reporter in Phoenix. "You look marvelous today."

Michele blushed at Bazin's compliment. "Hello, Bazin. I'm very well here. I see it's so festive in Paris." Michele greeted back, cleverly diverting the attention of the flirty French reporter from herself to his background.

"Michele, I heard now you are interviewing the CEO of Tunnel Educations, Inc.? Go ahead, I hand the spotlight over to you. We in France also want to see and hear what you will convey from Phoenix, USA."

"That's right, Bazin," greeted Michele. "Right now, we in Phoenix present a short interview broadcast with Richard Wearnstein, who will deliver a speech at the launching of the new ChronoTours time travel ride in Phoenix."

The image was zoomed on the gorgeous reporter Michele Wicaksono from TVMaker who had the opportunity to interview Mr. Wearnstein exclusively.

"After staging big promotional campaigns in several big cities in the world, finally the grand launching of the ChronoTours time travel ride in Phoenix, Arizona will take place this summer, marking a new historical milestone for Tunnel Educations Inc. and the world," said Michele as an opening statement.

And then the camera tilted towards Mr. Wearnstein as the number one man in Tunnel Educations Inc.

"Tunnel Educations has appointed Phoenix City as the gate of the world. In this city, Tunnel has sold out all the tickets issued during the opening gala last night. With me is Richard Wearnstein, who as CEO of Tunnel has appeared personally on-site with his charisma as an entertainer.

Mr. Wearnstein, with this promotional campaign, the nights in Phoenix become alive as though the city never sleeps. Even last night Tunnel had to sort out and prioritize among a long queue of ticket holders. How did you feel?" asked the reporter earnestly to the middle-aged, yet a charismatic man in front of her, perhaps more charming than Bazin altogether.

"Well, ecstatic, very ecstatic," Wearnstein replied. "This morning on the second day, visitors were crammed together at the entrance of the well-arrayed building. Inside, Tunnel has placed world-class popular artists to entertain the visitors with songs, music or other attractions."

"Tunnel Educations also sells time-traveling merchandise that sells like popcorn. All items were sold out fast and no exceptions," he added proudly.

"Mr. Wearnstein, let me ask you about a serious matter," said Michele.

The CEO nodded, ready for the next question.

"How's the prospect of Time Travel in the future? It has been a euphoria for weeks, but can you guarantee that people won't get bored with this kind of vacation that is hard to differ with illusion?"

Wearnstein's shoulders shook on that question. And then he answered confidently, "The FBI has been collaborating with us, using a time travel machine to solve criminal cases. We have even been successful in solving previously unsolved murder cases. Now our time travel machine can be used as a proofing method by FBI, pending the Act from the USA Congress."

"Oh?" Michele was shocked to hear this. And then, she continued with another question. "There has been a rumor, that this time travel machine will be used to discover whether Jesus was crucified or not. How's your opinion?"

"Well, we got to admit, with a time machine around, every great mystery in this world can be unveiled to get the truest truth. But we need a lawsuit for every sensitive request like this. And until now, this kind of request is still controversial. That's why we don't want anybody to sue us if there is no lawsuit to back us up."

To save the Tunnel CEO, this increasingly very busy man's time, and to make this interview more efficient, Michele hastily asked another question.

"Will the time travel ride that is launched in Jakarta at the same time as in Phoenix will be as successful as in America and Europe?" asked Michele.

"Absolutely!" said Mr. Wearnstein, still confidently. "Just like in other countries, Indonesia is considered a country rich in legends, culture, and history, and Jakarta is no backwater, a prestigious big city of the world like the others."

Just then, two cameras were focused on Michele, with an Indonesian family name because of Richard's courteous words.

"The problem is," Michele continued, "the history of America is globally well known and always fascinating. There are wars between Indians and cowboys or the Federal Army. In Europe we can dive into Medieval times, watching the prowess of the Viking sailors, the voyage of Columbus, and many more. Or in Egypt, we can witness the greatness in the time of the Pharaohs. How about Indonesia? Do you want to show the world how colonization has begun? Or perhaps the Golden Age of the Majapahitan Era?"

This time Wearnstein smiled amusingly at Michele's statement. "Well, Indonesia has a long history that is as great as Europe's or other nations in the world," he clarified. "One of the most sought out mysteries in the world, also a proof of Professor Arysio Nunes dos Santos, Ph.D.'s research is that Indonesia was the site of the Lost Continent of Atlantis."

"R-really?" exclaimed Michele.

Before she could ask again, the CEO added, "But better don't ask about it yet. It's still a trade secret now. The Indonesia ChronoTours grand opening will be held at the same time as here and all media are invited."

Michele fell silent, restraining herself to ask about it further to appreciate Mr. Wearnstein's goodwill.

"The point of all time travel tours is the nostalgic values. You'll see, even international universities make these tours study materials for references and research," he said, making his point. "You see in Paris, for instance, the French Revolution is the proof that time travel can be useful for academic research."

Michele Wicaksono nodded, confirming the truth in this youthful middle-aged man's statement.

"All right! Thank you for your time, Mr. Wearnstein." Michele closed the interview by extending a hand. "Good luck in your future endeavors!"

Wearnstein shook Michele's hand, saying, "You're welcome." He then walked backward, turned around, and went away to blend in with the visitors and greet them in a friendly way.

"That's it, viewers at home. That was a little 'sneak preview' from Richard Wearnstein, the CEO of Tunnel Educations. Now let's go to Jakarta, a twelve-hour flight away from here," invited Michele. "Our correspondent reporter, Sonia, will report on the hype in Jakarta on the eve of the time travel launch."

For a while, Michele waited for the contact from the central studio in New York to join Sonia in Jakarta. Not long afterward, the connection with Sonia was established.

"Hello, Michele and the viewers worldwide, how are you?" Sonia's greeting ringed clear in Michele's earphones. The camera still displayed Michele's image.

"Sonia!" Michelle replied as excitedly as her colleague did. "You sure look excited. How can you describe the hype in Jakarta, now at night time?"

"Yup, Michele. As you can see on my back, as well as the viewers, live. It's so hyped up here!" Sonia shouted, trying to make her voice heard through the noise and commotion in the building.

"Sonia, I hand the live broadcast to you so we can feel the hype more," said Michele.

The monitor now displayed the full image of Sonia in Jakarta.

While Sonia continued to deliver her live report, in her background there was a group coming out of the theater building with cheerful faces.

At another end of the corridor, a small family was looking at the panel above while holding their online tickets on their cell phones. They were already sure their number was up next, according to the QR code on their tickets.

Still, on her live report, Sonia recognized a man among that particular family and excitedly rushed towards him, not forgetting to give a signal for the cameraman to follow her.

"I see Professor Marwan Batubara!" Sonia reported, intercepting Marwan politely. "What a surprise, Professor to find you here. May I ask for your story and opinion with the viewers at home worldwide about the time travel ride?"

It seemed Marwan didn't mind being bothered with Sonia, whom he knew. Most likely, he used to be Sonia's resource person. But at the same time, Marwan got a notification from his smartphone that his family's turn was up.

"Sorry, Sonia," said Marwan with regret, "it's our turn now."

Sonia realized that her timing wasn't right, but she didn't give up and insisted on asking for Marwan's time.

"If you don't mind, I'll wait here."

Marwan only shrugged. It was obvious, that he wouldn't miss out on a chance to go out with his wife and his two teenage daughters, and booked three months in advance for this time travel ride, ChronoTours.

They have chosen the Economy Class, which was time travel back to thirty years ago when Marwan was twelve years old. It was the first time he met his best friend, who later became his girlfriend and now his wife. He once said to his wife and daughters, that he wanted to come here for that romantic nostalgia, remembering one of the best events in his life. He said to Sonia that he wanted to share a very precious moment of his life with his family, and it would take half an hour to do so, following the time limit of the ChronoTours ride.

Finally, Marwan walked away from Sonia, who said again that she would wait until he was back, and the scientist only waved without looking back.

One might wonder, why Sonia was so determined to wait for Marwan Batubara? Besides knowing Marwan well, she must thank Marwan and regarded him highly, because since her last interview with this Quantum Physics Professor, her talk show ratings were sky-rocketed and her career as a journalist soared even higher.

And so, Sonia said to herself, thinking, "I must interview you no matter what, Professor. Your opinion counts because I think ChronoTours is, by itself, a great, big mystery."

French Language Glossary:

[1&7] Hail France!

[2] Move on forward!

[A great mass gathered in front of the great prison, Bastille in Paris. Near the entrance, peasants staged an uprising. Riots erupted, and palaces, cathedrals, and monasteries were plundered and burnt. Bastille Fortress was engulfed in an enormous flame. Great charcoal black clouds of smoke shot up from the rooftops and towers.

A man stood on top of a stool, making a speech to rouse the rebels. His speech was greeted with shouts of patriotism that filled the sky.

"Vive la nation![1]" A farmer yelled, raising a stick in his right hand. A red, white, and blue French flag was tied on that stick.