The sudden appearance — and the equally sudden disappearance — of a middle-aged woman named Eli Kaizer, who claimed to be a time traveller, has caught the attention of not only our city, but the entire world.

Social media went raging on after her press conference, where she declared that she was a time traveller from the year 2084 and that she was a celebrated engineer from the future.

People debated whether she was an imposter, about her intentions, and particularly why she chose to open up to the public even if she indeed was a time traveller.

On the other hand, the few who believed her pointed out that there is absolutely no record or ID of her past; no one could even identify her. Her supporters theorised that she was here to warn us about a catastrophe or disaster that would strike shortly.

Although many people considered this whole matter to be a publicity stunt, her disappearance has now added fuel to the fire.

After that press conference, Star Lifestyle had the opportunity to interview Eli Kaizer. This publication does not endorse her story in any way. It is the readers' discretion to believe her or not.

Star Lifestyle (LS): So many questions -- where do we even begin?

Eli Kaizer (EK): It doesn't matter where you start from. All that matters is where you end up. At least that's what time travelling has taught me! Ask whatever comes to your mind. I have answers!  

LS: Is time travel a common thing in 2084?

EK: I want you to rethink this question. If it is common in 2084, it means that it is common in 2024 as well, right? Or in any era for that matter!

Okay, I'll answer frankly. The time machine -- as you all would call it -- was invented in 2070. Even in 2084, from where I come from, it is still a very new technology.

Illustration: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

LS: Is time travel used as a kind of extreme adventure sport? Or is it more for scientific research?

Only a couple of top trillionaires in the 2070s time-travelled for "fun". The ownership lies with an investment corporation, of which I am the chief engineer. We travel back and buy stocks and shares that we know would become profitable.

Seems to be a trivial reason for such a monumental invention, right? Money makes the world spin -- even in 2084! -- Although cash or paper money is hard to come by. It's fully a cashless society now.  

LS: What is Dhaka like in 2084?

EK: This may come as a shock, but the truth is that Dhaka is no longer the capital city of Bangladesh.

LS: What happened?

EK: Dhaka is a ticking time bomb. The city is already choking. Don't you see? So many people, so much pollution! Just look at what you are doing to the city's river. Speaking of which, Buriganga does not exist in 2084. The river has dried up long before, and land grabbers took the opportunity to slowly make it into a commercial area.

One day, Dhaka's air will be what can be termed as poison. That's not even the biggest threat. The final nail in the coffin would be an earthquake that would bring plenty of buildings down to the ground. Many lives will be lost.    

LS: A big earthquake is going to destroy Dhaka?

EK: No, PEOPLE are going to destroy Dhaka -- by not following building codes, not having the most basic safety measures, by building mindlessly to cater to the ever-growing population. So, do not blame it on any earthquake or fire. It's the greed and corruption that will bring Dhaka down.

But the silver lining is that the city will be rebuilt afterwards. Air quality will improve too. It'll be an ultra-modern metropolis. You won't recognise your city if I could take you to 2084.  

LS: Will there be another World War? World War 3?

EK: If you think of it, the world is already in a war. Okay, again, I'll be more frank. Yes, there will be a Third World War. You will see it in your lifetime.  

LS: What is going to start that War?

EK: Fighting over resources -- at least that's what I believe -- oil, energy. We are still looking for cleaner fuels in 2084. That's what the top scientists are working on because although we have found ways of slowing down climate change, we are still very much under the threat of global warming.

LS: What would be some major technological advancements in our society? Is Artificial Intelligence, AI, really going to take over many jobs?

EK: You can't even imagine how advanced AI is going to get. ChatGPT is just the beginning. Mankind will realise the full potential of AI within the next 10 years or so. Prepare for another Industrial Revolution.

True, companies will lay off and undergo downsizing to a large extent. You know what, though? There will be many new jobs as well, which will involve developing and running AI machines and systems.

Look at what happened in the past as well, not just the future. When cars became more accessible, they replaced horse-drawn carriages, but, they did not replace people's need for transportation.   

Illustration: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

LS: Will there be flying cars in the future?

EK: I think they're called helicopters! Sorry, no flying cars even in 2084 the way you are thinking in your mind.

But I can tell you that at some point food delivery companies will popularise and normalise the use of drones in Dhaka. So much so that there are going to be larger, centralised drone stations, with in-built kitchens, from where delivery will be made. Your favourite burger will be grilled in the sky.

Also, do you see this Metro Rail here? There will be tiers and tiers, stacked up on top of one another, to cater to the demand of a growing number of commuters.

LS: What about space travel?

EK: Now, that's exciting! Yes, mankind has set foot on other planets, including Mars. Elon Musk's SpaceX made leaps and bounds in making space travel relatively more cost-efficient, with reusable rockets, among other things. That was before he became the President of the United States of America.  

Eventually, SpaceX became one of the several dozen companies that offer scientific expeditions as well as tourism packages to the Earth's moon as well as to Mars.

LS: Any alien contact so far?

EK: None whatsoever, no sign of extraterrestrial life yet.

LS: Back to our country -- did we win any of the cricket World Cups yet?

Sorry! I think both you and I have to wait longer for that.

LS: That's just sad. Any good news from the future to cheer us up?

EK: Cancer has a cure. No one dies of cancer anymore.

LS: Good to know! The only thing is, I don't believe you.

You don't believe me as in "it's too good to be true"?

LS: No, what I think is that time travel isn't real. How did you overcome the grandfather paradox? If someone travels back in time and kills his parents or grandparents, then how will he be born, let alone grow up to use a time machine to go to the past and kill his grandparents? We definitely can't go back in time.

EK: It is possible to overcome grandfather's paradox. The company where I work has spent billions to make this happen. There are alternate and simulated worlds that can be controlled, and in every case someone time-travels to the past, and a separate universe is created, much like the concept of a parallel universe. In 2024, mankind still has not progressed far in the field of quantum physics and quantum mechanics to understand this.  

Some decades ago, if a person told you that you could have a conversation with someone thousands of miles away -- hearing his voice, seeing his face -- would you have believed him? 

LS: I wouldn't.

EK: Exactly my point! Just know that you have been warned. Dhaka has been warned.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this article are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.