Nexus - 0503 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

glowed a deep red as we seated ourselves directly before it. One satisfy my curiosity upon so many points and to hear the escort arose, went to a panel of buttons at one side of the panel swers direct from the ‘head man' of the saucer people on and pressed one of them. With a hum, the panel slid open. He Earth. Giving the matter quick but considerable thought, I decid- A large panel faced the row of chairs, and over it a large bubble H« indeed was the moment I had awaited; an invitation to motioned to us and we arose and followed him through the door, ed I must ask questions of importance for I didn't know how much down a long hallway to yet another panel. We stopped for a few time would be allotted for the interrogation. seconds, whereupon a red light glowed above the panel, and the My first question came out without great hesitation. same escort again pressed a button and the panel opened. "How long have you been on our planet?" I found myself in another semicircular room, though larger than He answered unhesitantly, "Since the year 1945 in your length the first. The walls were covered with glass screens of milky- of time." white appearance similar to television picture tubes. The screens Icontinued. "What is your main purpose in coming to our plan- were divided by metal frameworks. In the centre of the room et?" stood a circular dais on which I noted a slanted instrument panel, "To obtain water from your vast bodies of sea." containing many buttons and knobs, mounted on a metal pedestal. "For what purpose are you using this sea water?" In front of the panel was a seat for an operator not yet present. "We cannot answer that, but we have shown you what we do We walked to the centre of the room, stepped up onto the dais, with it once we obtain it." and sat in a half-circle of seats before the panel. "Do you intend to stay on our planet long?" Immediately the room began to grow dark, and from a sliding "Perhaps a period of fifteen of your planet years." panel facing us on the opposite wall stepped a figure glimmering "Do you make trips back and forth to your planet while you are in a blue haze. He was dressed in a uniform of golden colour. here on Earth?" His silvery white hair contrasted with the skin of light brown He did not answer "Yes", but replied, "We have been changing colour. He appeared as if he might have our crews every two years." a very heavy suntan. As he drew closer, "I was told that you return some of my attention focused on his face of hand- Here indeed was the moment the waste material from the sea water some features. It was almost Earthlike, to the sea from which it came, but contrasted to the ugliness I had observed I had awaited; an invitation to watching your process I did not see in the others. He was of muscular build satisfy my curiosity upon so how this was done." and about nine feet tall. I gathered this "The waste is returned in the small was the "exalted one” about which I had many points and to hear the craft that bring in the fresh supply. It been informed, and that this bisexual answers direct from the is actually strewn while the craft is in entity was in charge of the base and prob- flight." ably the entire planetary operation. ‘head man’ of the saucer "Do you intend to cause any harm to The three men rose as he approached, our people while you are here?" and I did likewise. They bowed as he people on Earth. "We have found it necessary to stepped upon the dais. Each of my frighten many, but we also have had to escorts then took a piece of metal, like resort to graver action in some cases mine, which I then discovered they were holding tightly in their — which involved deaths among your fellow Earthmen. We have hands, and in turn walked to the exalted one and pressed it to his carried off many of your people to our own planet for means of forehead. I presumed I should do the same, and followed suit. experimentation and also to place some of them on exhibit for our When I touched his forehead with the metal I felt a tingling shock own people to see. We have specimens of peoples from many go through my arm and into the temples of my head. The exalted _ planets, but some of them do not live. These we preserve. Such one sat at the operator's position in front of the instrument panel has been the case of your Earth people; they have not survived." and we also seated ourselves. "Do you intend to take me to your planet at any time?" He turned and looked directly into my eyes, and I noticed that "We would not take you to our planet unless you became an his eyes also glowed. Like those of the others, his eyes seemed to obstacle in our path; then we might find such action necessary." penetrate deep within me. Then he spoke to me without lip move- "Have I been an obstacle to you so far?" ment. "You have not done anything to harm us, but you have delved "I bid you a cordial welcome to our base of operations on your _ deep into the minds of our people by your determined initiative." planet, and it is with deepest esteem that I permit you to be our "Why have you chosen me above some of our most brilliant honoured guest because you have given so much of your time to men on our Earth?" establishing friendly relationships with visitors from space. We "Any person of high intellect or position in your society would knew of your activities long before you tried vainly to contact us not be satisfied with what we had shown or explained to him at with your experiment. Prior to our personal contact with you, we this point. He would be inclined to keep the secret only until he had you watched. We were merely testing your sincerity. was out of sight and then would have everyone out searching for "Having proven to us that you were a trustworthy person who us." had much willpower, you, above anyone else, were chosen to visit "May I ask you some questions that have been puzzling me for with us and learn of our purpose here on your planet. You have many years, to which there is, of course, no true answer here on already learned many things about us. You have listened courte- Earth as yet? Our scientists only surmise and guess as to these ously without troubling us with many questions, but I am certain things and do not know for sure." you have many you would like to ask us, so we are now prepared "You may ask any questions you like, but, I repeat, I will not to permit you to ask any questions you desire; but we must be free answer if I feel I should not do so. Let us have some of these to decline to answer any we feel is out of order. May we now questions.” hear your questions?" "The big question I wish to ask first of all: How far does space 70 * NEXUS APRIL - MAY 1998 answers direct from the “head man’ of the saucer people on Earth.