Greg was enjoying himself when Jenny burst through the door half running to their table. She said, out of breathe, “We have an answer back from them.”
She sat down and Greg told her to take it easy and catch her wind before she tried to speak. All eyes were on Jenny and Roy had seen her come in and walked over to the table to see why his girlfriend was in his mess hall. Jenny drank some water that Carol had poured for her and then she spoke: “The message translated into “Acknowledged” and that was all.”
Everyone sat there staring at Jenny waiting for more and all knew nothing more would be forth coming. They would have to wait again, but now it was confirmed that contact was definitely made from an alien race with earth.
Jenny eyes were flashing back and forth from person to person. Waiting for someone to say something; but no one had a response. Roy sat down and they both had a cup of coffee at the silent table. Greg excused himself and went to tell his wife the news. Word would quickly spread, but for some reason he wanted to see his wife and kids. He rode in his cart, his driver back now as the two agents had their own cart. His driver was talking a mile a minute about nothing important. He knew Greg was in deep thought and he also knew some word had been received from the stars. Arriving at the make shift school and office he found his wife with Ben going over a schedule for the students.
He found a chair and sat down and told them the news. Becky saw the strain in her husband’s face and felt compassion for him. She tried to cheer him up by telling him they would start classes in a few days time. He nodded his agreement and told them contact had been established. Ben looked at him waiting for more information, but none was forthcoming. He sympathized with the good looking guy who had all of the peoples support on the base. Ben new exactly what the pressure must be like for him. Top management is not a friendly place to be. Now with the likelihood of aliens on top of a weather system unknown to man, he rose from his chair and walked over to Greg and squeezed his shoulder.
Greg perked up and put a smile on his face. “Sorry for the momentary period of thought,” he said more forcefully than he felt. “I think I will go home and take a nap.”
He left them to their work and rode home deep in thought. Arriving at his house, Jasper was waiting for him being entertained by the protective MP at the house. Jasper followed him into the bedroom as Greg took of his coat and sweater and lie down on the bed. Soon he was fast asleep. A dream took hold and when he woke up two hours later, the echo of words stayed with him: ‘Do not despair’ over and over again as he made his way to the shower. Jasper followed him to the bathroom whining a little while Greg took a hot shower. Greg wondered why he didn’t have a headache like the last two times he had such a dream. Then while he was letting the hot water pour over his head, it hit him. He was hearing inside his head from the aliens!
* * *
On Moon Base inside the mother ship, a conference was in progress as Greg was taking a shower. “He is the strong one we have been looking for. We have scanned his human body and mind and we will give him the knowledge of life. We will depend on him to teach others for our mutual cause. When the dark side of the earth is upon them turn off the weather and let the sun shine through for all the earth people. Once they have calmed down we will send our message. Is our area ready to accept the chosen ones?”
An answer came and said “Yes, aboard ship a space designed for the humans to exist in. Gravity and oxygen and we have provided things for sitting on around what they call a table. All is ready when the word is given for transport.”
* * *
Greg still had the voice ringing in his head as he sat watching a movie when Becky and the kids came home early. The kids jumped on the sofa as Jasper jumped around with them. Becky fought her way to sit with her husband as the kids moved to the floor to watch the Indians dancing around a large fire chanting some unintelligent words.
Greg told Becky his dream and she was a little frightened until he said, “I think it is a friendly message and nothing to worry about.”
“I hope so,” she said without a lot of confidence in her voice.
Greg starred out the window at a familiar scene: blowing snow that kind of hypnotized you the longer you looked at it.
Becky said, “Let’s go eat some delicious food, I’m starving!”
Greg was hungry too as he missed lunch. Off they went in carts to the mess hall with Jasper running alongside them. It was packed full as it was six o’clock when the majority of folks ate. The old timers ate later on a schedule set up by Roy. The place was run expertly and Roy was proud of that fact. He usually stood at the door greeting people as they came in.
Greg and family sat with the president and her staff. Looking around the room it appeared everyone was in a good mood including the president and her people. Greg said nothing of his dream but entered the conversation as necessary.
After dinner of stew and bread they went home to watch some TV. Becky put on a movie she liked when she was a kid: ‘Gone with the Wind.’ It was a long movie and the kids fell asleep long before it was over.
Becky and Greg sat talking about many things, but the conversation kept coming back to how would earth people respond to the aliens. Greg just shook his head and said, “I hate to use an old cliché but we must play it by ear.”
Becky cracked up and said, “Let’s go to bed and make love like we did when we first met.”
Greg thought awhile and smiled and said, “The first time was in my father’s car. You want me to go out and get a cart and be the first on the Mountain to have sex in a cart?”
She pulled him to the bedroom and they made more than tender love.
Chapter 28
The next morning when Greg walked out to the living room, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked out the giant window and it was just breaking daylight; no snow was falling and it appeared there was no wind either. He stood there and stared as Becky came out to see where he was. She put her arm around his waist and never said a word. Fifteen minutes later they were still standing there when the sun came up blinding them as the window faced the east.
His home phone rang and moved to pick it up. Chuck was on the line as he was an early riser and walked around the base every morning. He said, “Well Greg what do you think of our weather this morning?”
Greg laughed and said, “How about going out and making a snowman?”
Chuck said good bye and Greg hung up the phone only to have it ring again. Becky answered this time and said they would meet them in the mess hall for breakfast. She hung up the phone and went in to wake the kids up to see the sun for the first time in months.
The mess hall was mostly empty as a lot of people were outside soaking up the sun. The snow was slowly melting as the temperature was in the forties.
Greg and Becky let the kids go outside while they ate breakfast with the president. Greg told the president about his dream and the message he had in his head from them. The president said, “I’m a little worried that they have maybe singled you out.”
“I’m not worried. Nothing could be worse than trying to survive in weather like this.”
Becky said, ‘Well, I’m worried even if you’re not. We have children to take care of and you have a great responsibility that the president gave you.”
Greg said in reply, “I know but if they did single me out it must be for a reason. Let’s see what happens.”
The president said to change the subject, “Let’s go outside and see what all the fuss is about.”
Outside the air felt both cold and warm. The sun felt like life started all over again. It was mixed with cold air and breathing felt normal again; instead of the nose freezing with ice, a nice cool clean air made the body alive again. Greg with just a sweater on over his bullet proof vest stood with his wife and the president and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Looking at each other they wondered why they were so white! Becky looked at the president and the president looked at her. Both laughed at the sight of each other's pale
white skin with no makeup.
The kids were running around throwing snowballs and building a snowman the size of Bubba. For an hour or more they stood there in the new day until Greg decided he needed to get back to work. Steve was with him and he turned to Steve and asked, “What do you make of this and will it last?”
Steve said, “I have no idea, but I’m not complaining for the time being. How long it will last? Well, you are asking the wrong guy,” as he looked up at the sky.
Greg thumped him on the back and said, “Let’s go have some coffee and talk about it.’
Sitting drinking coffee Steve said, “We have all kinds of instruments around here, but no long range systems are in place. About all we can do is temperature and local forecast which does us no good really. We can assume the weather pattern is all over the world and soon if the melting continues, great floods will occur. But that is another story. I’m wondering now what the next move is from our friends on the moon.”
Greg shook his head and said, “Steve, I’m prepared for anything and I remember my father telling me about the Star Trek series before the turn of the century. He kept saying, “Beam me up Scottie.” A catchy phrase I might add. Maybe now it is going to be a reality.”
That night with the snow continuing to melt, Greg and family, with the president sitting on the sofa with her feet on Jasper, watched an old Tarzan movie. Around midnight his phone rang and Greg answered it. He listened for a few minutes and said, “We will contact them back in the morning. Meanwhile give them our status report and sign off.”
He told the president the Mountain had been in contact with Washington and the vice president said to tell you all was as good as could be expected. He said he would contact us tomorrow with an update on the area.”
The president stood up and said good night and left for her car.
* * *
Greg woke with another word in his head: “PREPARE.” He dragged himself out of bed and headed for the shower. Jasper had been hanging around a lot lately knowing his master was worried about something. After a hot shower he dressed in his usual clothes: tan slacks, a striped shirt with a dark tie and a new wool sweater his wife brought home. He decided to forgo the bullet proof vest, but he didn’t forget his hand gun. He left the house without waking his kids or wife. The kids were worn out from playing outside and by the looks of it the weather would be a duplicate of yesterday.
He made his way by cart to the mess hall and found Chuck and Bubba eating breakfast together. He joined them in dry cereal and toast. However, sitting on the table under a cover was some pig sausage. Greg thought he died and gone to heaven. Bubba said, “Two each is all we can have on point of death if you eat three of them.”
Greg laughed and said he would obey the law. He wrapped one sausage in a piece of toast ate washed it down with hot coffee. He liked that so well he did again. Then he poured some powdered milk on his cereal and wolfed that down too. He felt full and satisfied. Then he told Bubba and Chuck his dream story and up to the latest one this morning. Bubba said, “Prepare?”
Chuck said, “For what?”
And Greg said, “Damn if I know.” Then they all laughed again.
Soon the president came in and Greg moved to her table and told her the story of the dream.
“Ok, if they want us to prepare, then I’m prepared to face them anywhere anytime.”
Becky came and sat down and Greg had to repeat his story one more time. Becky said, “Well, looks like they have chosen the best man for the job.”
Greg knew she was not happy with the news of her man being singled out for contact. She didn’t want the sausage so she gave it to the kids who fought over it like dogs after a bone. She raised her voice a little too loud telling them to mind their manners in front of the president. Both kids apologized and hung their heads. Greg gave the sausage in question to Jasper who licked his lips for five minutes after gulping it down.
After breakfast all were sitting talking about the weather and Greg had just raised his cup of coffee to his lips when he disappeared and the coffee cup fell to the floor. Jasper started barking his head off and Becky screamed. The president, with her hand on her cup spilled it on the table. Carol and Janet jumped up and surrounded the president with guns drawn. Secret Service guys completely encircled the table with their guns drawn looking around for trouble.
Becky and the kids were standing now looking at Greg’s empty chair. She had quit screaming and the kids were crying. Bubba and Chuck came over and took the kids for a walk. Becky composed herself and dried her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. She looked at the president and Carol and Janet. A look on their faces could not be described as to the horror of someone disappearing in front of their eyes.
The president spoke, “Now we know what prepare means. I don’t think any harm will come to him and we just have to wait.”
Becky got up and left to find her kids and go to work. She and Greg had talked about if something happened to either one of them, work was the best pain reliever made.
It would be two days before Greg was heard from.
Greg woke up laying a soft table. The lights were dim and he felt groggy. He was afraid to move. He looked from side to side and saw nothing but a gray color circular type room. The air was fresh and he took a deep breath to make sure. Last thing he remembered was drinking coffee when a buzzing sound went off in his head. He knew he was in the hands of the aliens and was not scared. He took another deep breath and moved his limbs to make sure everything still worked. All seemed well and good. He sat up and looked around the room. Only a slight hiss of air could be heard and the temperature was pleasant, if not a little warm. He stood up and walked around the room. It was perfectly round and he couldn’t see a sign of a door or exit or window. He wondered if he was in a prison or an interrogation room of sorts. He told himself to relax and it was stupid to think they would need to ask him questions. He immediately thought about his wife and kids and knew they would be scared to death to see him disappear in front of their eyes.
Instantly a voice in his head said, “Don’t despair Mr. Hoffman we mean no harm to come to you. We chose you out of millions to come and visit us in our ship. In time all will be much clearer than it is now. Don’t be alarmed when you see us as we have no physical bodies such as yourself. We are, in your language, small particles of colored lights. In a moment you will see us in the room you occupy. We built this room to accommodate and duplicate your environment on your planet earth. Please make yourself comfortable.”
A desk chair much the same as he had in his office appeared behind a small table of a material he couldn’t identify. It looked like a cross between wood and plastic, but he was no expert. Greg sat down and soon the room was filled with red, green and yellow lights dancing around the room. He was mesmerized by the lights. A particular purple light danced in front of him. Greg looked closely and could see many hundreds if not thousands of tiny electrical pin points in a circle about the size of a tennis ball.
A voice was heard saying to him, “Forgive us for bouncing around. We are having a little trouble adjusting to the atmosphere in this room. We can easily adapt to most environments and speak many different languages.
We welcome you to our ship and culture such as it is. I know you have many questions but try to be patient with us. Who and what we are and what we would like for you humans to do can’t be learned in one of your earth days. Earth is a planet that is important to the function of the universe as you call the area outside your planet. Its size is bigger than you can possibly imagine. We are but a grain of sand in one of your deserts. Our function is for the greater good and to make sure planets like yours do not destroy the balance of the larger system.
It was deemed by others that your planet was doomed from within. Your wars and the destruction of the natural resources coupled with pollution from your manufacturing and automobiles have brought the safety of the planet to the brink of extinction. Our plan is to bring together some of your
greatest minds and scientists for learning how to live in harmony and for the advancement of knowledge. Wars are a thing of the past for earth. When we return you back no weapons on earth will operate. Anger will be dealt with automatically. If a hand is raised in anger, the hand will disappear. If voices are raised or spoken in anger, tongues will be gone.
Mr. Hoffman, we will help you humans live a life of peace and harmony. Technology will continue with centers established around the world. Money as you know it will cease to exist. I think you use the word barter and that will be the means of exchange of goods and services. There will be no vehicles or manufacturing ever again. Power will be provided from a non polluting source. You will grow your own food and you can count on the weather being favorable for raising crops. Animals will return to roam the grass lands. The list goes on Mr. Hoffman, but on earth there will be no need of politicians, lawyers or police or military personnel. Any disputes will be settled by a group of elders and their say is final. No need for doctors or any health related services. No disease will trouble you. Accidents will be healed in seconds of happening. You were chosen because of your dedication to survival of your fellow man and over seemingly overwhelming climate change; you struggled and overcome the odds against you. Your fellow humans trust you and follow you. Return now and inform your leaders of our intentions. In a few days time ten people from each major region of earth will be transported to our mother ship for briefing. Pure common sense is needed without greed will be the rule of the planet. No one dies they are only transferred to another life way. When we speak next will be to all on earth using their language. Farewell and thank you for your patience. We will meet again.”
Unearthly Snowbound Page 25