Nexus - 0601 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

We were wearing flack jackets most of the time. The material The only thing I could figure was that the [bodysuit] material [on the humanoid], whatever it was, was like the 'second chance’ was tough enough that it acted as a cushion, just like a vest. We material we had which was a compact, lightweight, bulletproof spent many times picking slugs out of our flack jackets. They vest. I've been struck several times with slugs wearing those—rib smart. They will knock you out cold, sometimes, from the cage broken, you get bruised very badly, you feel like you are impact. It's like having a very large electric shock run through going to die—but as a general rule, unless it's an armour-piercing your body. What takes people out, knocks them out flat, is not the slug or some type of Teflon sliding jacket, the slugs don't pene- actual impact of the bullet but the nervous reaction of the impact, trate. I've seen 50-calibre shells go through, but nothing much and it will literally lay you out flat before you hit the ground. smaller than that. Nothing except high calibre and high velocity Every muscle in your body goes rigid. So, I guess they [the will pierce it. Occasionally a tracer will burn a pretty-good-sized aliens] have basically the same physiological reaction that we do. hole in it. When it struck this fellow [humanoid], he went down, When he [taller humanoid] turned to me and placed his palm up dropped like a stone, like he was dead. We assumed he was dead. toward me again to stop, I had a feeling that everything was okay. In that humanoid group, most of them were all approximately I'm not going to say that it was some kind of telepathic message. the same height. I would say some were five foot or less, maybe It didn't really seem anything like that. It just seemed like, "Hey, four foot eight inches, in that range. They it's cool. He panicked and I understand the were very small people; more like dwarves, situation." and perfectly proportioned. Only one fellow At this point, the humanoids packed up all was taller, about five-six or five-seven. He their little instruments, packed themselves intervened at this point. I pushed the weapon back into the craft and left almost soundless- ve Gre hanson Tout | "one of the aliens | [su thersn th round us!" turned toward him with them, retracted back into the body of the At this point, I was t -stricken. W A A A craft, which was spheroid. Then it just lifted didn't ‘Know who. these “auys. were, something In his hand. straight uD off the round. T didn't see any Something like this happens, and all the sci- George evidently visible means of propulsion. There was a ence fiction movies you've ever seen in your . little noise. It was hard to tell if it was just life run through your mind. You think, "Oh, thought it was a weapon the wind blowing through there or what. my God, are they going to pull out ray guns? of some type, felt Then it was just like an instantaneous burst Are they going to atomise us?" of speed. BOSTROM: Did any of them ever threatened and let BOSTROM: What do you think the diameter was? JOE: I would say that it was at a minimum of fifty feet. It could have been as far across as 150 feet. It was very difficult to judge. It was a mir- rored surface. So you're looking at something and the jungle is being reflected and it's really hard to judge the size. I know it was at least as tall as a five-storey building. What didn't make any sense is why it should be spheroid. Whatever propulsion system figure was either this [humanoid] fel- it required, I don't know. Perhaps it's low is a lot stronger than we imagined some type of anti-gravity drive and e was, or he did something else. You've seen blows, even in you'd have to have everything cantered. martial arts, that don't appear to be very heavy but have a devas- BOSTROM: Was it round like a ball? tating effect. George went down like a stone; just a limp rag. JOE: Round like a ball. Perfectly round as far as I could tell. About the time I was trying to pull him up, I didn't know what —‘ There was one symbol on the side, of what appeared to be, I we were going to do at that point. I didn't want anybody else to would say, black paint. Either this, or there was just no coating fire because I figured if we opened fire on these guys we were on this area. It was a simple symbol of an arc, almost like a pyra- dead. I was scared. I soiled my pants at that point—a nervous mid with a line drawn underneath it. reaction. I didn't know quite what to do. With the exception of loose a short burst of fire from a Browning FNFAL, which is literally a three-way Winchester." say anything? JOE: Never heard a single word. This fellow [taller humanoid] turned to me, evidently knowing that I was pla- toon commander. He raised his hand with palm out and fingers up in just a eaceful gesture and stopped and walked over to George and struck him on the cheek. It wasn't a real heavy low. George went down like a limp rag, just like an electric shock had gone through him. The only thing I could George, we were all veterans of at least twenty to twenty-five fire- [Joe drew the round craft encountered during the military oper- fights. We were relatively well-seasoned combat veterans. It ation near Tonle Sap, Cambodia, in April 1972, and wrote: could have been George's third time out, but probably second, and The craft was polished, highly reflective, mirrored in appear - was green and he panicked, and I thought, "Well, he just paid ance. Spherical in shape, the craft appeared to be approxi - the price for it. This [humanoid] fellow just killed him." But mately 50 feet in diameter. Symbol on surface seemed to be George recovered quickly. ground and sandblasted, as it was less reflective. No appar - I tried to pull George up, and turned around about the time the ent opening or door was seen until just before departure. fellow [humanoid] that was shot [by George] got up and brushed This was evidently due to an extremely precise fit and the imself off. I thought, "Oh, shit, these fellows are going to wipe nature of materials involved. Although armor was not readi - us out! If an FNFAL didn't take him down in eight to twelve ly apparent, the surface was impervious to small-arms fire. shots, that is one tough little hombre." The craft emitted a high-pitched hum, even while motionless fire from a Browning FNFAL, which is literally a three-way Winchester." [Joe drew the round craft encountered during the military oper- ation near Tonle Sap, Cambodia, in April 1972, and wrote: The craft was polished, highly reflective, mirrored in appear - ance. Spherical in shape, the craft appeared to be approxi - mately 50 feet in diameter. Symbol on surface seemed to be ground and sandblasted, as it was less reflective. No appar - ent opening or door was seen until just before departure. This was evidently due to an extremely precise fit and the nature of materials involved. Although armor was not readi - ly apparent, the surface was impervious to small-arms fire. The craft emitted a high-pitched hum, even while motionless NEXUS - 65 ",.one of the aliens something in his hand. loose a short burst of DECEMBER 1998 - JANUARY 1999