Nexus - 0502 - New Times Magazine-pages

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could see what resembled a night sky with twinkling stars above. We have overtaken your system many times before, but, of the My first impression was that of being inside a flying saucer which _years that have passed between, you could never begin to con- had landed in some secluded place. The chair was of simple ceive. Your planet was not always inhabited, although others in design, modernistic with straight lines. It was made entirely of your system have been before yours; but the years have made the shiny metal. It tilted backward slightly so that I had a full changes, and many civilisations have died on other bodies in your view of the area in front of me where the dais was located. family of planets, while others are to be yet created. Once again I was thrown into complete darkness. I tried to rise "Most of the smaller bodies revolving about your planets were from the chair but found that although I could move my arms and _at one time parts of the planets themselves, but were thrown clear my head I could not raise my body to a standing position. A when the bodies took their ultimate shape and cooled down. The bluish light began to make itself present on the dais directly nearest planet to Earth at one time nurtured a great civilisation behind the tubular object; then, out of nowhere, a wall panel slid which was destroyed by marauders from another system of plan- open and someone stepped onto the dais. The panel closed, the ets in an orbit beyond ours. They will once again make their person walked to the edge of the dais and spoke to me (his lips did appearance in the future when they reach this same spot in their not move). trip about the central body. Almost every system of planets that "Welcome to our domain. We now meet under different condi- has an orbit about the central body contains some sort of intelli- tions. You are where no other Earth creature has ever set foot. In gent inhabitants, but not all the same in body structure, being this domain you will witness things that will be most astounding adapted to the various conditions that exist on their particular to you, things that you did not know of on your planet, things that worlds. Because many of these are far advanced in their ways of will make you disbelieve what your very eyes are witnessing." life, your planet Earth will constantly be under surveillance by As he conveyed this message, he seemed to be using words I these systems as they overtake you and pass you by. Your planet could speak myself, somewhat as if I were talking to myself—this is yet an infant as far as progress is concerned, and you have far to is the very best way I can describe it. I go to accomplish what many others could understand everything well. I in your neighbouring systems have assume this and other communications . . already achieved. were carried out by means of telepathy. "Your planet Is yet an infant as "Your planet has been dispropor- Whether it was < ted mechanicall A tionately cursed in s atters, wie vasa mesh | far ag progress is concerned, and if‘ cn some mater tinued to deliver the message. you have far to go to accomplish which slows your progress. For "Behi ill see a la circu- F instance, lanet has but wang mele laws cee” what many others in your fs or ness es on upon it I will endeavour to tell you some- neighbouring systems have your many races and national thing about ourselves and why we are . roups, there may always be con- here." , already achieved." flict which may result in the com- He made a motion with his hand and plete destruction of your world. the large circle immediately came to life, "We have been within reach of in some ways similar to a television your system for a number of years, screen. but will soon pass beyond the point of no return. So we have "The first pictures you will see will show you the part of the found it necessary to accomplish our task speedily. universe from which we come. We are far from the reaches of "We have been taking a valuable chemical from your seas. your Earthly telescopes." This substance is vital to our existence, so whenever we come With this, he motioned again and a spectacular view appeared. within reach of a planet that contains such sea water we go there It seemed that the tube had come to life and that I was actually and take the material without harming anyone who lives there. there. It had a fluorescent appearance, yet was in full colour. I | We process the sea water to remove this substance. A sticky could see a group of glowing objects on a dark background that _residue that remains floats back to your planet in the form of long appeared to be blue, yet at times seemed to be a velvety black. I strings. In the past we have been careless and have allowed some can best describe the picture by comparing it to a "3-D" movie, of this to fall upon land areas; but we are now more cautious and but this will not do it justice. Added to the stereo effect was a make certain that it returns to the sea from which it comes. As the peculiar identity I associated with it—almost as if | were a partof sea water is broken down and the vital product extracted, it is the picture itself! He then continued. shipped immediately to our own planet by a spacecraft capable of "The view you now have on the tube is our home. It is many, speed you could hardly imagine possible." many light years from your small system of planets. We are He then paused in this discourse, and with a motion of his hand much older than your system, for we were created long before the changed the picture on the tube. I saw a landmark familiar to Earth or any of the planets revolving about your central body. All every American: the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the sur- of these systems of planets and their central bodies have been rounding area. formed from a central source so powerful that you could not even "You wish to know why I am showing you this view," he con- approach it by light years, for if you did you would be immediate- tinued. "It is only to inform you that we have some of our people ly destroyed. It is a vast, glowing body so immense one cannot stationed in your so-called Pentagon while we are visiting your calculate its density. It is the creator of all of us, and more fami- planet. We have them stationed in numerous places about your lies of planets are constantly being formed and thrown off into planet, to keep us informed of all that is taking place." orbits. Such systems are not always perfect, and some disinte- The next scene showed a vital spot in the United States, but grate after a few years. unidentified as to locale. It was one of our atomic stockpiles. "We do not all revolve at the same rate of speed, and eventually Then, continued changes of scene exhibited similar storage places some of us overtake others after billions of your years on Earth. in the United States and other countries including the Soviet screen. "The first pictures you will see will show you the part of the universe from which we come. We are far from the reaches of your Earthly telescopes." With this, he motioned again and a spectacular view appeared. It seemed that the tube had come to life and that I was actually there. It had a fluorescent appearance, yet was in full colour. I could see a group of glowing objects on a dark background that appeared to be blue, yet at times seemed to be a velvety black. I can best describe the picture by comparing it to a "3-D" movie, but this will not do it justice. Added to the stereo effect was a peculiar identity I associated with it—almost as if I were a part of the picture itself! He then continued. "The view you now have on the tube is our home. It is many, many light years from your small system of planets. We are much older than your system, for we were created long before the Earth or any of the planets revolving about your central body. All of these systems of planets and their central bodies have been formed from a central source so powerful that you could not even approach it by light years, for if you did you would be immediate- ly destroyed. It is a vast, glowing body so immense one cannot calculate its density. It is the creator of all of us, and more fami- lies of planets are constantly being formed and thrown off into orbits. Such systems are not always perfect, and some disinte- grate after a few years. "We do not all revolve at the same rate of speed, and eventually some of us overtake others after billions of your years on Earth. NEXUS - 67 FEBRUARY - MARCH 1998