by Allan Burd
“There’s a 9mm Baretta in the side panel of the door with plenty of ammo,” he replied. “Do you know about the rear?”
“Adjustable false panel in the back,” Nikolai answered.
“Yeah, perfect for smuggling anything across the border. Not that they’ll stop and look anyway, but it pays to be sure.”
“Keys.”
Arkady reached into his pocket and tossed them to him. “When can I expect it back?”
“If all goes well, twelve hours.” Nikolai took out the pack of cigarettes and replaced the one from behind his ear. He tossed the pack to Arkady. “I won’t be needing these.” Then he got in the truck, started it, and drove off. Canada was at least two hours away.
49
THE LOCAL DINER, PRINCE RUPERT, CANADA
Stacy looked over the menu, undecided if she should choose the chef salad or the cheeseburger deluxe. She imagined taking a big bite out of a cheeseburger, the ketchup squirting out of the side of the bun, dripping onto her plate. Or was it her blood dripping into a metal dish? Startled by the unexpected image, she stopped daydreaming. Was that a flashback or her imagination? She didn’t know. “So, am I certifiable?”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. I think we made a long step forward this afternoon,” said Dr. Miller, trying his best to reassure her.
“How so?”
Dr. Peterson took the cue. “What if it was real?”
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s say for a minute that everything you experienced while you were under was real.”
Stacy had an astonished look on her face. There was a fine line between her fears and the ridiculous. She had contemplated the possible causes of her nightmares since they began twenty years ago. Not once did she ever seriously consider the absurd notion they were real. The sharkmen were purely the stuff of fiction. She became annoyed. This is what she wasted her afternoon on. This was progress. “What’s your story?” she asked abruptly.
“Come again?” asked Dr. Peterson.
Stacy pressed the issue, her anger and frustration bubbling to the surface. “I find it hard to believe that in this small town there’s a need for a regressive hypno-therapist—or whatever it is you call yourself. You’re not going to tell me there are so many crazy people around here that you make a living doing this. What’s your story?” she asked again.
“I assure you, Stacy, Dr. Peterson is fully qualified for what he does,” Dr. Miller interceded.
But Dr. Peterson understood her concerns. “My story’s not important. What is important is your story. You’re frightened to death from a recurring nightmare. An hour ago we put you under and it was clear the nightmare is real to you. All I’m suggesting is that maybe it is real. Or maybe part of it is real—the essential part—and the rest is your imagination filling in the horrid details. Dr. Miller’s been studying your case for years and he hasn’t found a rational explanation for your phobia. Maybe it’s time to look at the irrational.”
Stacy calmed down a bit. “So you think these sharkmen really exist?”
“Maybe not literally, but figuratively. Let’s go through everything you remembered. Did anybody hurt you when you were a kid? Could you give these sharkmen a different face?”
Stacy thought back, trying to remember every vivid detail. She recounted her story again but didn’t remember anything differently. If it was real, it happened exactly the way she remembered. “I’m sorry. That’s all I can recall.”
One discrepancy stood out in Dr. Miller’s mind. “Forget about the sharkmen. You said before, when they arrived, you were in your bedroom. Then, when they came, they took you someplace different. Then, you were back in your bedroom … only it wasn’t your bedroom.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Stacy searched her memories again. Perhaps she was concentrating on the wrong details. “All right, I’m positive I was in my bedroom. Then the lights went out and when they went back on I was … elsewhere.”
“What did it look like?” asked Dr. Miller.
“It was silver. Very cold too, and not just the temperature, if you know what I mean. But a few seconds later I’m in my bedroom again.”
“Go back to the silver room,” said Dr. Miller. “Is there anything you can remember about it?”
Dr. Peterson sat up. “Anything at all?” He liked where this train of thought was going.
Stacy thought hard again. “No. It’s just silver. It’s cold and sterile.”
“Where are you?” asked Miller.
“I’m looking up. There’s three sharkmen standing around me.”
“Is anything happening?” asked Peterson.
“Nothing. Then … I’m in my bedroom again.”
“But you said it’s not your bedroom,” Dr. Miller reminded her.
“Yes,” Stacy said softly, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Why?”
“It looks like my bedroom, but somehow I know it’s not. The sharkmen are still there. I’m lying in bed. They’re still surrounding me. There are more of them now.”
“What are they doing?” asked Peterson.
“No. Forget that. Why isn’t it your bedroom?” Dr. Miller quickly redirected the conversation where he wanted it to go.
Stacy closed her eyes. She tried to visualize every detail of the room. “I don’t know. It’s colder but …”
“Keep thinking. Try to remember,” coached Miller.
Stacy squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating harder.
“Can I get you folks anything?” The waitress abruptly ruined the moment.
Dr. Miller slammed his fist on the table. “Damn.”
The waitress looked at them strangely.
“I’m sorry, dear. We’re ready to order.” Peterson looked over to Stacy so she could order first. Her gaze was fixed on the waitress. “Stacy?” Peterson repeated. She didn’t respond. Dr. Peterson noticed she was staring at the waitress’s nametag. He read it. “Perhaps we need a few more minutes to decide, Daisy.” The waitress placed her pad back into her shirt pocket and left with a sneer.
Stacy smiled. She was clearly relieved and got excited. “That’s it. That’s what’s missing.”
Dr. Miller sat on the edge of his seat. “What is it?”
“Now I know why it’s not my bedroom. It didn’t have Daisy.”
“Come again!” requested Peterson.
“Daisy Duck. When I was a kid, I had a Daisy Duck night light. I was afraid of the dark and when the lights went out, I knew Daisy Duck would keep me safe. I wouldn’t go to sleep without her.”
“So?” Peterson still didn’t get it.
“So this room wasn’t my bedroom because it didn’t have Daisy. When the lights went back on Daisy was gone, but when I woke up again she was back. That’s how I knew it wasn’t really my bedroom.”
“Are you sure?” asked Peterson.
“Yes … yes, I’m sure,” Stacy said with a sigh of relief.
“So the sharkmen took you,” Dr. Peterson said. “Brought you to a room that looked like your bedroom—but wasn’t. They did things to you and … then returned you to your real bedroom.”
“Yes. Yes.” Stacy laughed.
The two doctors stared at each other. This revelation, if indeed that’s what it was, made even less sense than before. It didn’t supply any answers, just more questions. And it all hinged on a little girl remembering a detail so small like a missing night light. But Stacy seemed so sure.
“So, did we just make a breakthrough?” Stacy smiled cutely as she posed the question.
They didn’t dare burst her bubble. They didn’t dare mention they were now more confused than before. “I think so,” answered Miller.
If this was a breakthrough and Stacy was indeed remembering more, Peterson knew there was only one other solution and he wasn’t prepared to accept that one just yet. Sure he had heard stories. A well known Harvard professor in his field even supported the theory, but still it was crazy. It was so unreal he didn’t dare bring it
up now. He stared at Stacy’s book. He studied the picture of the sharkmen on the cover and wondered.
There was no way he could know he was right and that the picture he was looking at was an exact drawing of some of the aliens whose spaceship crashed just sixty miles away.
INVASIONS
50
COAST MOUNTAINS
The information officer entered the tent with a report that looked to be at least fifty pages long. He handed it to Major Gaines and then stood at attention. “I believe this is what you’ve been waiting for from the Americans, sir.”
David held the weighty manuscript in both hands. All this sent via satellite relay and downloaded through a secure channel into the computers temporarily set up in the next tent. Impressive, he thought.
He read the cover.
TOP SECRET / MAJIC EYES ONLY. NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION BRIEFING DOCUMENT: OPERATION MAJESTIC PREPARED FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT DWIGHT D EISENHOWER: (EYES ONLY) 18 NOVEMBER, 1952
WARNING: This is a TOP SECRET - EYES ONLY document containing compartmentalized information essential to the national security of the United States. EYES ONLY ACCESS to the material herein is strictly limited to those possessing Majestic clearance level. Reproduction in any form or the taking of written or mechanically transcribed notes is strictly forbidden.
TOP SECRET YES ONLY T52-EXEMPT (E)
“Thank you,” said David. The officer saluted and left the tent. David turned the page and read on. On each page the phrases Top Secret and Eyes Only were written or stamped at least three times.
SUBJECT: OPERATION MAJESTIC PRELIMINARY BRIEFING FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT EISENHOWER. BRIEFING OFFICER: ADM. ROSCOE H. HILLENKOETTER
NOTE: This document has been prepared as a preliminary briefing only. It should be regarded as introductory to full operations intended to follow.
Operation Majestic is a top secret research and development / intelligence operation responsible directly and only to the President of the United States. Operations of the project are carried out under control …
David was familiar with the formality of intelligence documents and rapidly scanned ahead. It was clear that this document was written after the events Chase described to brief the incoming president.
… by special classified executive order of President Truman on 24 September, 1947, upon recommendation by Adm. Theodore Chase.
Gaines pondered the name. Was this Chase’s father? He filed the thought away and continued.
On 24 June,1947, a civilian pilot flying over the Cascade Mountains in the State of Washington observed nine flying disc-shaped aircraft traveling in formation at a high rate of speed. Although this was not the first known sighting of such objects, it was the first to gain widespread attention in the public media. Hundreds of reports of sightings of similar objects followed. Many of these came from highly credible military and civilian sources. These reports resulted in independent efforts by several different elements of the military to ascertain the nature and purpose of these objects in the interest of national defense. A number of witnesses were interviewed and there were several unsuccessful attempts to utilize aircraft in efforts to pursue reported discs in flight. Public reaction bordered on near hysteria at times.
In spite of these efforts, little substance was learned about the objects until a local rancher reported that one had crashed in a remote region of New Mexico located approximately seventy five miles northwest of Roswell Army Air Base (now Walker Field).
On 07 July,1947, a secret operation was begun to assure recovery of the wreckage of this object for scientific study. During the course of this operation, aerial reconnaissance discovered that four small human-like beings had apparently ejected from the craft …
Major Gaines continued reading. The report described how an effective cover story was established using a misguided weather research balloon. The rest described the covert actions of Operation Majestic, including the involvement of the Order of the Dolphin, the aliens’ increasingly aggressive maneuvers, and the initiation of the Roswell Protocols, just like Colonel Chase had described. “This is fascinating stuff.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s true,” remarked Rebecca, still very skeptical about anything the Americans said. “They could have had all this disinformation set up in advance for just such a contingency.”
“I believe it is true,” said David. He tossed the briefing report aside. On the remaining pages was the summary of the autopsy report. He showed Rebecca the anatomical diagram of the alien on the page. “Do you think they could’ve made this up in advance?” He held up the page so she could see it. It clearly displayed an image of the beings they had encountered.
Rebecca frowned. She had no argument for what she saw. Whatever else she felt, it was clear that the Americans had had previous encounters with the extraterrestrials.
“I’ll be busy for a while,” David said. “Do me a favor and check up on everything. I’d like to get a realistic estimate of our progress.”
Rebecca agreed and left the tent. David continued reading.
SUBJECT: OPERATION MAJESTIC - SUMMARY OF AUTOPSY REPORT OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL BIOLOGICAL ENTITIES (EBE) FOR PRELIMINARY BRIEFING FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT EISENHOWER. DOCUMENT PREPARED 19 NOVEMBER, 1952 BRIEFING OFFICER: ADM. THEODORE CHASE
NOTE: This document has been prepared as a preliminary briefing only. It should be regarded as introductory to the anatomy / capabilities of the EBE’s. A detailed autopsy report will follow.
The EBE’s physical form is humanoid. This is important from an evolutionary standpoint for the humanoid form is generalized, having the ability to transverse and survive in many different environments. Their average height* is five foot three inches tall when standing erect (they hunch when they walk or run). Their average weight* is 122 pounds. Normal body temperature is 96.5 degrees indicating they habituate in a colder climate. Ages unknown.
A basic physical description* includes gray skin, large black eyes, inverted nose, small mouth (no lips, teeth), small ears, hair, slightly elongated arms, six fingers, four toes, webbing present between all digits, and short claws. Strong physical and biological evidence suggest that the EBE’s evolved from an aquatic mammal on their home world and stayed close to these roots. Some of the characteristics that lead to this hypothesis are as follows:
* NOTE: Their physical description may not accurately represent their species due to the limited number of test subjects.
MUSCULAR/SKELETAL: The specific alignment and formation of muscles suggests that the EBE’s are equally adept underwater as they are on terrestrial surfaces. Pores between the fingers and toes secrete a biological substance that acts as a webbing between the digits, allowing the elongated forelimbs to be pressed against the body and used as flippers. Four ribs were found to be “floating”, not attached to the sternum, enabling the rib cage to collapse under the pressure of a deep dive without being damaged. The skull is tilted slightly upward in line with the spinal column.
Musculature is denser than a human’s, giving them strength disproportionate to their size, enabling them to survive under greater atmospheric pressures (i.e., underwater). We estimate that an average entity is strong enough to lift approximately 250 pounds although we have been unable to put this to a test. Entities are extremely flexible and would appear to possess above average dexterity. We presume their lighter and stronger bodies can run and swim faster than the average man.
SKIN: Their skin is smooth and gray in color (other hues probable due to the varying amounts of melanin present in each subject). Underneath is a thin insulating layer of blubber. This oily tissue serves to conserve body heat and store fat, providing the entity with a reservoir of energy to sustain itself during periods when food is in short supply. Skin also acts as an osmotic membrane allowing water but not salt to enter its system and is continually sloughed off and replaced. HEAD: Their faces are less expressive and their vocalizations are completely alien, making communication attempts extremely difficult (recommend an expert in ki
nesics, the study of body language, for any future encounters). Eyes are large, black, and shift accordingly with emotional state. They appear to function independently of each other giving them a wider range of peripheral vision. Pupils are present, though can only be seen upon close inspection.
They have no external nose, only two slits in the center of their faces that are used for olfactory sensing only. Because of this we believe their sense of smell to be very limited. Their mouths are small, lipless, and contain twenty eight teeth. Ears are small and rounded. Frequency range of hearing unknown, though presumably excellent. All EBE’s had long stringy hair.
Braincase begins at top of head and continues to the bottom of the back of head. Brain size is slightly larger than human, weighing over 4 lbs. Although brain size is not necessarily a measure of intelligence, the very fact that they were able to travel here across the vast distances of space indicates a superior intellect. Situated just below the braincase on the back of the neck are “blowholes”, two external openings to the entities nasal passages. The blowholes open and close by an involuntary reflex of the muscles. Both nasal passages join together into a single tube which fits over the end of the trachea, which then passes through the oesophagus. The fact that the trachea and the oesophagus are completely separate enables the entities to feed underwater without drowning.
Between the eyes and the braincase is an area of fatty tissue we call the melon. The significance of this finding is we believe the entities have the ability to echolocate (seeing with sound). Theoretically, the EBE’s generate sound in the form of clicks within its nasal sacs situated behind the melon. The melon acts as a lens which focuses the projected sound into a narrow beam. When the beam strikes an object, some of the energy is reflected back, received and transmitted via the middle ear to the brain. The time lapse indicates the distance. Repeated tests have shown this ability to be present. INTERNAL ORGANS: Most internal organs are remarkably similar in function and position to a normal human with some improvements. Their four chambered heart and circulatory system are impressive in several ways. The presence of retia mirabilia protect the vital organs from the effects of water pressure and trap any nitrogen bubbles which may form in the blood. Retia in the thorax and around the spine supply blood directly to the brain through arteries in the spinal canal. This arrangement ensures a constant supply of blood to the brain despite changes in pressure. Circulatory system is also designed to conserve heat using what is known as counter-current heat exchange (See Appendix 1A), and has an increased capacity to store oxygen.