The Invader Candidate: From the Adventures of Khraa-Veh, Alien Explorer
Page 5
“Oh well, if it has happened, it was meant to be, and not even bad ol’ Mephistula can change that. I’ll just have to cross the voids of repercussions as I get to them.”
Khraa noticed scores of derelict artificial satellites on her video monitor, which gave her an idea for a distress signal buoy network.
She set her monitor on touch-screen scanner-mode her and touched a series of satellites that looked very promising for a distress-beacon buoy network she was planning. When Khraa touched the desired satellites on the screen, the master satellite was highlighted with a red light-dot, while each of the other satellites was highlighted with a green light-dot.
“Computer, take an astronomical survey of this system to ascertain ship’s astrogational position” Khraa said. “Also, prepare a cluster-satellite for the creation and the activation of an alternating distress beacon-surveyor satellite network using the red-dot satellite as the master satellite and the green-dot satellites as servant units.
“Fire the cluster-satellite at the red-dot satellite,” Khraa said, “then fire the cluster’s drone-beacons at the others in the series, and activate beacon-scanner satellite network for ongoing sociocultural survey-scan of Earth. This will provide me with sociological survey updates upon request, as well as a platform for perpetual outward neutrino distress signal transmission.”
“Yes, Captain,” the computer spoke, and began to carry out Khraa’s orders, while Khraa programmed the cluster-satellite.
VAN ALLEN RADIATION BELT ZONE
APPROXIMATELY 6,329 MILES ABOVE EARTH’S SURFACE
Blue 1 fired a tall drinking glass-sized rocket/satellite that sped toward the derelict Canadian-built satellite Alouette 1 that was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA on 29 September 1962. Upon approaching Canada’s first satellite, Khraa’s small rocket/satellite deployed several smaller drone-beacon-scanners, which sped away from around Alouette 1 to Khraa’s preselected network of derelict Earth-satellites. These comprised the USA’s Intelsat I, the former Soviet Union’s Kosmos 1805, Europe’s Astra 1A, the Saudis’ Erabsat-1A, the Chinese-Brazilian orbiter CBERS-2B and Japan’s ALOS satellite. Beacon-scanners penetrated each selected derelict orbiter, reconfigured their inner workings and instrumentation, and activated systems programmed to observe Earth, yet prevented detection of their activity by the Earthlings themselves. The network also transmitted the preprogrammed repeating neutrino distress signal to Khraa’s home civilization light-eons away... wherever in space that was.
COCKPIT OF FIGHTER-SPACECRAFT “BLUE 1”
“Distress beacon-surveyor satellite network activated, Captain,” spoke Blue 1’s computer to Khraa’s pleasure. “Continuing astronomical survey for the ascertainment of ship’s astrogational and spacetime position using satellite network.”
“Thanks, Computer. Determine ship’s operational status and scan for suitable landing site on the planet below, preferably a remote, uninhabited area. Also scan for any possible computer-telecommunications network-data repositories on said planet.”
Blue 1’s computer checked the ship to determine its operational status, then informed Khraa, “Captain, all ship’s systems are fully functional, but energy levels are extremely low. Auto-energizing vessel now by absorption of ambient radiation from planet’s radiation belt. Continuing to determine spacetime position.”
A watch (one Earth-hour) had passed as Blue 1 scanned Earth for a cyber-telecommunications network and data repository along the lines Khraa requested. The computer detected and evaluated the Internet, and determined that it was exactly what Khraa was interested in.
“Captain, I have detected a central worldwide cyber-network on my sensors of the type you had asked about” Blue 1’s computer spoke. “This planet’s inhabitants call this massive cyber-network-repository the Internet — and from this Internet, I have learned that they also call their homeworld Earth.”
Khraa became curious upon hearing the planet’s name. She recalled that “Earth” was the name of humankind’s planet of origin before its World-Flood that drowned all land-dwelling creatures, avian life, and chiropteroids (i.e., bats.) Except for (according to a final recorded video by a daring ancient female news-scribe as the last act of her life) the existence of a wooden chest-shaped barge that housed a family of eight rustic humans and scores of breeding pairs that served as the forebear-creatures for the renewal of air-breathing life on the planet, life on Earth had apparently ceased, and Earth itself became mere myth to Khraa’s starfaring civilization.
Yet Khraa herself had recently put forth the best theory so far back in the Known Universe about the planet she presently orbited. And even then, half of the Known Universe’s scientists roundly panned her theory.
“Earth…” Khraa mused. “Hmm... Interesting.”
Khraa quietly pondered the possibility of this being the homeworld of humanity.
“Computer, place me into a deep sleep-learn state and impart entire contents of said Internet into my brain for total mental assimilation. Also, prepare the ship for atmospheric entry and entry friction heat absorption-reenergizing.”
“Yes, Captain,” the ship’s computer spoke, with simulated caution based on medical evidence of the dangers of such an action. “However, I must point out that full mental assimilation of a cyber-network like Earth’s Internet is most likely dangerous to your mental health, even fatal —”
“We will not argue!” an outraged Khraa shouted, thoroughly incensed by the computer’s rightful, medically based defiance. “I am a telepath with a T-Q of 300-plus!”
“Attempt to assimilate Earth’s Internet, Captain,” Blue 1’s computer stated calmly, “and your sanity will most likely be severely —”
“You have your orders, Computer!” Khraa shouted like a mad drill sergeant at her ship’s computer. “Obey them!”
A tense hush gripped the cockpit before Blue 1’s computer spoke, “Yes, Captain.”
Blue 1’s computer transmitted sleep-inducing ultrasonic waves into Khraa’s helmet, sending Khraa into a slumbering deep sleep-learn state.
Over the course of an Earth-hour, Khraa absorbed the entire Internet, during which she learned far more from Earth’s global cyber-network than she wanted to know.
As her body writhed in agonizing angst from the terror of psychically assimilating all of Earth’s cyberspace, the deep-sleeping Khraa thought in terrified, enraged despair:
This outrage they call the Internet! Along with this vast treasure-world of knowledge that is otherwise unattainable, there is so much evil within this cyberspace! An all-too high degree of widespread hatred and star-freighter loads of lies! Heart-wrenching grief! Rampant violence! All-too numerous wars past and present. And these Earthlings dare think they are the be-all/end-all?!
How idiotically insulting a notion to the wise mind! Such horrific, eviscerating famine and disease! Pandemic moral bankruptcy — haven’t these Terrans ever heard of their so-called Good Book’s Ten Commandments?! And this is on top of the other aspects of this all-too grotesquely ugly side of Earth’s human race!
And social media — social, my gluties! It’s so anti-social, anti-civil, gruesomely barbaric and insane! Today’s humans are so obscene that next to such present-day common human beings — especially the younger Earthlings — even a savage warmonger like ancient Earth’s Attila the Hun looks like one of their quaintly refined upper-class Victorian English gentlemen! Even the Vandals or Visigoths from around the time of Western Rome’s downfall seem much better than many of Earth’s present-day mothers! Why are these Terrans all so… so —?!
Khraa woke up screaming in angry terror, and, once again, hyperventilated! The systems in Khraa spacesuit auto-activated its anti-hyperventilation CO2 until she breathed normally again, after which the suit auto-lowered its CO2 back down to zero. The experience left Khraa angrily scared, winded, and with a massive hangover-like headache.
“KHRUNG!” Khraa cursed like a wounded banshee. “JUST WHAT IN PERDITIA IS THIS
FOUL EARTH?! I’D BE FAR BETTER OFF AS A SEX SLAVE ON BANGKARQ V! JUST WHAT KIND OF VULGARLY HOSTILE BRUTAL DEAD-BRAINS ARE THESE — THESE — THESE EARTHPEOPLE?! ARRGH!!! OH YESHVAH, HELP ME OVERCOME THE OUTRAGE AND ULTRA-BITTERNESS I’VE TAKEN INTO MYSELF FROM THIS EARTH’S VILE INTERNET! SOBYIT!!!”
“You had been warned, Captain,” Blue 1’s computer spoke calmly in stark contrast, “about the dangers of full mental Internet absorption.”
“So, I see…” Khraa said in weary resignation. “Spacetime position?”
“Present spacetime position impossible to determine due to unknown configurations of constellations.”
Khraa groaned and sighed heavily with embittered disdain, then said, “Oh, great! Marooned in the middle of a savage nowhere and no-when! Landing site established?”
“Prime landing site established in a forested sub-tropical region that is remote, yet also sufficiently close to civilized outposts.”
“At least that’s something. Display possible landing area on virtumap, and state the region’s full official name. Municipal first, then sub-national, and finally national.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Blue 1’s computer activated a mid-air VR satellite-style map that highlighted the landing site located in Northeastern Minnesota.
Blue 1 spoke, “Official name of area in order of municipality, sub-nation, and nation as requested: Hoyt Lake, State of Minnesota, the United States of America.”
Khraa, a social scientist by specialty, asked Blue 1’s computer, “Shade region with pertinent sociological informational shading.”
The VR display switched to greatly detailed color-coded up-to-the-minute population, sociological, and political behavioral information over a map of Minnesota. Khraa was impressed by what she had learned.
“Display initial true images of established landing area.”
The VR display was replaced by several moving images of the heavily forested potential landing area. Despite Minnesota’s serene climate and environment, Khraa, as a country girl who was all-too aware of rural/small-town populaces’ heightened suspicions towards outsiders, became concerned, a fact not lost on Blue 1’s neuro-sensors.
“My sensors detect from your brainwave output several well-founded grave sociological concerns, Captain” Blue 1’s computer spoke. “But you do have one advantage. Like you said earlier, your telepathy quotient is well over 300. This planet’s humans are paranoid, but still easy to manipulate.”
“Yet if I used my telepathy, I’d likely scare these poor savages into killing me!” Khraa said. “Trust me. My college-sister was an advanced telepath who crash-landed on a planet where its tribals regarded her as a dark magic-woman and killed her. It was a real bowel-shredder identifying her body once Search-and-Rescue Kannatika recovered it.”
Khraa then thought to herself aloud, “And yet, my college-sis’ death-blunder was in revealing her mind-powers to win people over on a world ruled by superstitious paranoia. So, if kept my off-Earth origins and mental powers a secret, and used them very, very sparingly, and with extreme discretion...”
She sighed heavily, and then came to a decision about her next move in her predicament of survival that stared her right in the face.
“Computer... retract maglev-panels, initiate atmosphere entry and vertical touchdown at established landing site. Use full-stealth suite.”
“Yes, Captain” Blue 1’s computer spoke.
APPROXIMATELY 6,329 MILES ABOVE EARTH’S SURFACE
Blue 1 retracted its maglev-panels back into its fuselage, pulled up its nose, and began its descent into Earth’s atmosphere.
As it descended, Blue 1 absorbed all the light, heat, and frictional energy generated by its atmospheric entry, and all energy from Earth’s varied surveillance device energy emissions. In so doing, it nullified the flames of atmospheric entry and became invisible to the naked eyes and both Earth’s surveillance systems, military and civilian.
Blue 1 began its descent over Siberia, then flew across Alaska, Western Canada, and finally over the northern United States, evading Earthly detection, just as —
ASTRA DOWNEY’S RV
HOYT LAKES, MINNESOTA, USA
17 OCTOBER, 11:55 PM CENTRAL TIME
“Wake up, people!” shouted mid-thirties Astra Ruth Downey, a young, athletic, swarthy-skinned woman who bore a near-identical resemblance to Khraa. The darker brunette multiracial Canadian-American multimedia creative-turned-Lisa Haven-styled conservative journalist was recording her daily video podcast in front of a small movable soundproofed white-backdrop in the lounge of her satellite dish-equipped late model Winnebago Fuse RV.
“If your brain isn’t fried on some drug-dealer’s chemical or herbal wares, or if you want to exercise your mind and your God-given right to think for yourself, look at the evidence! Mallory Ignacia Stanton is worse than her former president-husband Jeff Stanton — far, far worse!”
“Her email exchanges with anti-American interests,” Astra continued with her scathing, impassioned report about Hillary Clinton-like ex-First Lady/presidential candidate, “her all-too frequent loopy spells, and especially the unreal propping up of her campaign by all the fake-stream main mass media who don’t and won’t give you anything that’s worth a hoopin’ funk —!”
Astra, who recently lost almost everyone near and dear to her, sighed heavily in exasperation, caught her breath, and then continued slightly more calmly, “People, the same sad thing happened up in Canada. And just like with Stanton, Canada’s media elite and most everyone else up in Canada all lined up right behind Justin Trudeau —!”
All the lights in the RV oddly flickered as every hi-tech device in the RV began to also emit weird noises. Astra suspected something was odd, and paused her recording. Rising from her seat, she took her personally modified infrared/night vision binoculars and her smartphone, pulled back the white soundproof barrier in front of the door, closed up the barrier again, exited the RV and closed its lounge area side door.
Astra walked straight ahead very slowly from her RV, connected her unique binoculars to her smartphone, and looked up into the night sky. Through her binoculars, she saw a faintly visible Blue 1, with the video-camera feature on her smartphone connected to the binoculars recording the descent of Khraa’s space fighter.
“What in the galaxy —?!” Astra whispered, in spooked yet curious disbelief, as she kept observing Blue 1, stepping forward very slowly. The dart-like Stingfly Blue 1 slowly landed vertically with soft finesse.
COCKPIT OF FIGHTER-SPACECRAFT “BLUE 1”
“Touchdown safely —” Blue 1’s computer detected Astra’s presence and spoke alarmedly, “Potential security-safety alert! Repeat! Potential security-safety alert!”
“I see it!” Khraa said, as she looked at the viewscreen and saw Astra observing Blue 1 on her video monitor. “Who in Perditia is she?!”
“Psych-sensors detect she goes by the name of Astra Ruth Downey,” Blue 1’s computer spoke, “a dual Canadian-US citizen and firebrand Internet journalist.
“Yes. When I absorbed that entire gruesome Internet database, I detected her video reports, especially those that mentioned an American radical political figure named Mallory Ignacia Stanton, who’s running for the American presidency. But what’s her interest in us? How could she —?”
“Apparently, she monitored our landing with specially-modified binoculars and is recording our movements as we speak.”
“But the ship’s stealth-suite should have prevented our detection by any Earthly military, governmental and civilian detection machinery —!”
“It did indeed blind all detection devices to our presence beyond a certain radius” Blue 1’s computer reported. “However, Downey and her hi-tech-laden recreational vehicle were well within that radius.”
“And from what I saw on the Internet,” Khraa said, “Downey might pose a major problem for me. Monitor Downey’s movements. Also, gather indigenous microbial samples for my personal inhaled immunization and terminatio
n of potentially incompatible microbes both within and upon my person.”
Blue 1’s computer said, “Yes, Captain. Initiating inhaled aerosol immunization and decontamination now.”
As Astra, puzzled beyond belief, kept looking at Blue 1, Khraa kept monitoring the Earthwoman during the immunization process, as well as formulating a plan on how to blend into Earth’s population.
After a few moments, Blue 1’s computer spoke, “Aerosol immunization and decontamination complete.”
“Thanks, Computer” Khraa said. “Now, can you tell me how may I best blend in with these Earthlies?”
“There is one option available to help you pass for an Earthwoman, Captain,” Blue 1’s computer spoke, “but it’s a rather morbid option.”
“Computer,” Khraa said, with questioning mild disdain, “please?”
AREA NEAR ASTRA DOWNEY’S RV,
HOYT LAKES, MINNESOTA, USA
18 OCTOBER, 12:00 MIDNIGHT CENTRAL TIME
Astra walked forward slowly, focusing her binoculars on Blue 1 — and then stepped into a rusty decades-forgotten bear trap!
Astra screamed as she dropped her binoculars as she fell on her back. Her head struck a semi-buried rock as she fell and also accidentally impaled herself on an equally decades-forgotten jagged piece of rusty metal that jutted up from the ground, pierced her back, and then her heart, leaving her mortally wounded.
Astra Ruth Downey, although still alive, was unconscious and dying.
COCKPIT OF FIGHTER-SPACECRAFT “BLUE 1”
SAME MOMENT
“She’s almost gone,” Khraa said mournfully. “Since Downey and I are identical doubles, taking on her identity might be my only hope for survival on this alien Earth.”
Uncomfortable with the morbid situation, Khraa signed, “Well, as these Earthers say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And I might add, be as the Romans be. Computer, store my own physio-identity into a combined physio-psych-file for future retrieval if, and when, it becomes necessary for me to revert to my true bio-self. As well, mind-scan Astra Downey as she dies, and make Downey’s physio-identity also my own.”