Memoirs of the Time Traveller
In a quiet suburban neighborhood, nestled in a cluttered, quaint, old Victorian house, lived Franklin Goddard, a seemingly unassuming man, but known as a peculiar eccentric. His eccentricities were surrounding an unyielding claim that he was a time traveller. No one quite believed him but was always fascinated by his vivid stories of the past and future. His favorite recollection was about his journey to the year 3456.
One chilly December night, Franklin sat by his roaring fireplace, regaling the tale of his visit to the 35th century to a group of awe-struck children from the neighbourhood. This was not the first time they had heard it, but they found the story intriguing enough for countless retellings.
As per Franklin, his journey started with him stepping into his time machine, a creation that took him many long years, if not decades, numerous failed attempts, and countless sleepless nights to build. With a twinkle in his eye, he narrated how the machine hummed to life and took him through a vortex of a colourful tunnel – a place where the past, present, and future exist simultaneously.
Upon reaching the year 3456, Franklin found himself in an era where humanity had seen exponential growth, technology far beyond what the 21st-century mind could comprehend. Cities spanned miles high, filled with skyscrapers dwarfing any present architectures. Flying cars buzzed around in set lanes, efficiently plying on green energy. He described, with childlike amusement, catching a holographic concert of Beethoven, creating symphonies centuries beyond his time. Attempting to teach children the value of environment, Franklin lovingly narrated how the society was symbiotic with nature, where urban forests thrived, forests teeming with flora and fauna inconceivable in the present time.
He spoke of his encounters with the people of 3456, their clothing glowing with soft luminescence, their homes smart and sentient, meeting their every need with an unspoken command. Fostering a sense of unity, he recollected his time there, experiencing a society with no racial or ethnic boundaries – a world where everyone respected and celebrated diversity.
The journey was not all roses though. Franklin also described the challenges humanity faced – primarily their quest to become a multi-planetary species, wars against rogue AI, and the struggle to maintain biodiversity. The children sat wide-eyed listening to his vivid description of the inter-galactic space battles, and the efforts humans undertook to ensure harmony between technology and nature.
As per Franklin, the most significant achievement was the harmony and unity among the human race. Despite being in an era of advanced technology, humanity hadn't lost sight of its true essence – love, unity, and respect that defined them.
Ending his story, Franklin leaned back in his old chair, eyes twinkling at the young, captivated audience. For a while, nobody spoke. The room remained cocooned in a magical silence, the essence of the story hanging in the air like a specter from the future. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the youngest of them, 'Mr. Goddard, can we visit that future?'
Franklin chuckled warmly, his gaze glancing at the innocent, curious, hopeful faces before him. 'One day,' he said, his words slow yet full of conviction, 'You will create that future.'
Satisfied and filled with dreams, the children left the room, carrying pieces of a far-off future. Franklin sat back, a smile adorning his seasoned features. The fire in the hearth warmed his face, and the cold December night outside carried whispers of the tale that was just narrated, stirring once-upon-a-time dreams of a future era.