Nexus of Time

by Mark Riverstone

  "The Greys at one time considered the possibility of living alongside us, even helping us to advance, if we humans showed the base instincts to protect our own species. All our species, not some. We needed to make sure all people had a role and a purpose. Took care of our young and old, not just the privileged ones. But that is not what the Greys saw in humanity. Instead, we evolved into a species that allowed a few people to be rich with wealth and resources, while most had next to nothing. A few humans received lifesaving surgery, while others had neither health care nor basic vaccines. Wealthy humans discarded food, while other humans ate from the trash.

  "Ever consider if a species from another world came here and saw what we created, what they might think of us? In our vanity, we imagine aliens looking upon humans and seeing our technological advancements, that we can split atoms and go into space. In fact, what they see is a world with billions of humans, most of which live as neglected animals: sick, unfed, poor, lacking enthusiasm or purpose, not proud or taking part in the evolution of their own species, struggling to survive.

  "If we treat our own kind so poorly, how do you expect another species to treat us? Why should they harbor guilt or remorse killing millions of humans when we as humans are content to let millions starve, anguish from lack of medical care, or die in wars or acts of terrorism because of opposing beliefs in God or politics? The Greys aren't the only ancient species out there. But as far as we know, and the Greys know, no other species kills their own over ideas or starve many while a few possess more than they needed. Sure, species battle, kill, and even destroy other species. But they never do it to themselves. That is uniquely human."

  The Chairman takes a pause and a breath, changing the tone, "What you were trying to do, Director Nix, was admirable, and makes you one of the good humans, to not only us, but the Greys. That is how advanced they are. Despite you being responsible for causing them such harm and damage, the Greys understand you were willing to take it upon yourself to protect humans, do whatever it took, at your own sacrifice, and take on a superior enemy regardless of risk. Your life has not been what you can get out of it for yourself, but a life of what you can do for humanity. Those are traits the Greys respect, that they can live alongside. They see the Committee as a bastion of such people, who have the best traits of what a species should be: unselfish, purpose in living, protecting all under our wing. They want us to be among the few who will remain and rebuild humanity. The Greys will inherit the Earth. But they will allow us to start over if we respect them as those who are proprietors of the Earth, and if we as a species can finally respect our own and develop into beings who care about its entirety, not oneself."

  Mr. Nix takes a moment, giving the impression he is considering what the Chairman has said. Though he cannot deny the truth of what the Chairman laid out regarding human suffering and selfishness, Mr. Nix does not believe the altruism being attributed to the Greys. It is not possible that they Greys saw these terrible flaws in humanity for centuries and yet were recently willing to consider peace and live alongside us.

  "Since most people on the surface are killing each other to survive, does that mean those in bunkers deserve to live? There are plenty of rich snobs and corrupt politicians who got themselves on Armageddon lists. Those people are alive and safe while many of the selfless people are dying on the surface," points out Mr. Nix.

  The Chairman gives a single nod, "Those bunkers you speak of will be destroyed with the inhabitants. The Greys have allowed us to determine which groups bear the traits they are looking for in a species, and told us that if we do not choose wisely, they will eliminate all of us to prevent a selfish species from continuing to propagate this planet. Therefore, this council will not make exceptions on anything less than certainty. We will select and bring into our fold groups like ourselves who have selflessly dedicated to the protection and preservation of humanity, regardless of race or background. In a way, Director Nix, we succeeded as an organization. We wanted to ensure that humanity survived the Greys at all costs, and now the Greys made us solely responsible for that."

  Whatever Mr. Nix was expecting when he got to headquarters, this wasn't it. And he is not buying the 'Committee protectors of humanity' line when the Greys can ultimately do whatever they wish regardless of this council's efforts or demands. Though it is hard to argue against the downfalls of humanity, and Mr. Nix has questioned and struggled with those very issues in humanity himself, knowing full well each time he put his life on the line to protect humanity it meant protecting the bad of humanity with the good.

  Mr. Nix has a recall memory. Of a moment after destroying the deep-sea Grey base, back in the Colorado facility, monitoring the aftermath of the events on satellite feeds, thinking he just saved the world for the greedy, rich, selfish, and dangerous people to continue. He has always accepted this. But he knows thousands of good humans sacrificed of themselves and even died to purge humanity of its depravity.

  His spy training is kicking in. More like his double spy training. It is time for him to flip sides to stay alive if he wants to covertly continue his mission to protect humanity from the Greys. Only superficially, but it must be done believably. The Council knows Mr. Nix has always been unwaveringly loyal to the Committee, even when he didn't agree. If he lets his anger or resistance continue any longer, with two Greys in the room, it might call into question Nix's dedication to the Council. Mr. Nix doesn't want to side with the Greys, and doesn't plan to, but it is time to make the Council believe he will if Nix is going to make it out of this meeting alive and find a way to continue fighting for his cause.

  Mr. Nix runs through his mind what his endgame might be if he deceives the Council and joins with them. He has brought Agent Strong into this with the purpose to fight the Greys and protect humanity, which complicates matters. Joining the Council with his fingers crossed behind his back will mean nothing if he doesn't derive a plan to stop this alliance while keeping Agent Strong out of the fray.

  Then he remembers what the Council members told him earlier this meeting. They said it was Mr. Nix's attack on the Greys that made humans too dangerous to be trusted. If Mr. Nix joins the Council's proposal, then at the opportune moment kills one of the Greys here in headquarters, the Greys will realize the Committee is too dangerous to trust and pull out of this ungodly alliance. That act may start a battle right here that results in the end of the Committee headquarters, but it may prevent the rest of the Committee facilities around the world from becoming part of this madness.

  With purpose in his soul, and a belief that idea could work, Mr. Nix finds the inner resolve he needs to deceive the Council.

  Mr. Nix speaks humbly, "I am ashamed to admit, but I have felt many of those frustrations with humanity you mentioned. I always believed it was my duty to suppress those thoughts and continue on with my commitments to the Committee, to which I am unquestionably loyal as you know. It relieves my conscience knowing the Council is as frustrated and disgusted at the many things humanity has done and become as I am. Admittedly, I do find it difficult to understand why the Council has decided to ally with the Greys, however, that is probably due to my years of preparing to prevent the Greys from harming us. I trust the members of the Council with my life and believe you when you say the Greys are willing to protect some of us. It will take adjusting, to say the least, but my loyalty and dedication to the Committee has not changed. If you have decided that our best interest is to side with the Greys and salvage a respectable and worthy portion of humanity, then I will follow that decision without hesitation. My mind will need time to transition, but my heart and gut has never left your side."

  Mr. Nix adds a sense of concern to his tone, "I am concerned that the Greys will not see me as an asset, and in fact may wish to punish or remove me for having commanded the assault that destroyed their Pacific deep-sea colony. I sense from our conversation here that you told them it was I who did that. They are not known for their mercy. They perceive me as a danger, and I imagine their r
esponse is to remove that danger."

  The Chairman dismisses his concerns, "Not so, Director Nix. We told them it was you. We also told them we believed that you will join them, for we believed in your loyalty to the Committee. They agreed with us. And my understanding is that they respect, even admire you. After all, you were able to harm them in a way only one other species has. And they did not predict it or see the vulnerability you exploited. They expressed that you have much to teach them about what humans are capable of, and how you, as a human, found weakness in their superior strength."

  Mr. Nix fills his chest with confidence, "If you say they will allow me to join, then I trust it will be the right decision. Will my duties here change?"

  "You will maintain your rank, but yes, your duties will change. The Greys are no longer your concern or focus. Since you are so highly regarded among the ranks, and trained most the commanders and agents in the Committee, we feel that you are essential in helping us reach out to the other Committee facilities and persuading them to join with us."

  "Have you spoken with any?" asks Mr. Nix.

  "Not since the power network was disrupted. We needed everyone here at Headquarters to focus on the transition and shoring up of this command center. We have been able to get out shortwave pings to let them know we are still here, and response pings to confirm they are still there. However, until you arrived, we weren't sure how we were going to bring them into the transition. The Council thought if a transmission was sent that the Committee joined the Greys, and their people were to join the Greys with us, they would think it was a trick to surrender or give up their location, and that the Council was infiltrated or being controlled. Even sending out a low-level agent to them in person is insufficient to convince. But you, Commander Nix, you could do it. If we sent you out to the facilities to explain our new goals, they would believe it, and join. No one ever doubts you or your explanations. That is what we want from you. You can be the purveyor of peace and reunite the Committee. Bring us back together and unify the best of humanity; those who will survive and be protected by the Greys."

  There is no way in hell Mr. Nix will bring the rest of the facilities into this madness, as a shepherd leading sheep to the slaughter. But he won't tell the Council that. He thinks of the mother and daughter he abandoned roadside in Georgia while taking their SUV with the justification his mission to get here and help humanity was of greater importance than their wellbeing. Of his own wife and child he left forty years ago to become a Committee agent. He feels as if he has been lying to himself the same way the Council is lying to themselves, abandoning humanity with the justification of saving humanity.

  Mr. Nix gives a nod of acceptance, "I can do that for the Council. Help other facilities understand what you are doing here. It will be refreshing to be on a mission of unification and peace, and not espionage and war."

  "Excellent, Director. We'd like you to start with the Colorado Mountain Facility, since it is the largest in the US, or what was once the US. Then you can journey to the other facilities from there. We'll work on finding transport. The Greys should be willing to help you get to the overseas facilities. But in due time. For now, we'll need to send you out on human transportation to not alarm the facilities with your presence. Your travels will be cleared with the Greys to make sure they will not interfere or stop you. I understand that you have suffered a wound to your shoulder."

  "Yes. I was ambushed by a scavenger near the Secret Service restaurant entrance. He has been eradicated, but not without incident."

  The Chairman acknowledges, "My apologies for that. No Committee or Secret Service personnel have been permitted to go beyond the building confines without direct orders. We cannot take a chance losing even one agent just to root out rodents. Besides, as soon as you kill one, another scavenger will come take his place. Anyone still in DC will be disposed of as the Greys remove the buildings, and we use the subterranean tunnels to get in and out of the city. I've been informed the injury you received is not serious."

  "The doctors here fixed me as good as new, so I am ready for action," expresses Mr. Nix enthusiastically.

  "I'm sure you are, but we prefer if you stay here and rest for a week or two until your wound has amply healed and in no danger of becoming exacerbated or infected if we send you into the field. Your duty to convert the outlying facilities is too important to risk your health."

  "Understood. What about Agent Strong, the woman I recruited and brought with me? I want her to be one of the agents who accompanies me when I head out to Colorado."

  "I don't see that as a problem, as long as she passes our scrutiny and observation. We respect your judgment, but we must make sure ourselves that she is trustworthy and dedicated enough to be a part of this transition and our organization. As I previously explained, we cannot allow anyone with selfish or self-serving tendencies to be a part of our intended future. For now, and the next few days, she will be in confinement until we run her through physical and psychological analysis. You understand," stresses the Chairman.

  "May I go see her? Explain to her what is going on so she understands she is just being evaluated and not imprisoned," request Mr. Nix.

  "Of course. You know where she is, you did the redesign of this bunker when we first set up here. Any renovations we made were only to remove the toxins. The Council, since being confined here, has been impressed with your design and expansion of this cold war bunker into our emergency headquarters; you thought of everything. You provided excellent oversight during its construction and completion, especially being such a young agent at the time. It more than suits our purposes."

  "Thank you, Chairman, Council members. If there is nothing else, I need to speak with Agent Strong."

  "You can go see your recruit in the confinement section. Good to still have you with us, Director. You may go now."

  "Thank you. I thank the council," says Mr. Nix, bowing his head in a motion of submission.

  Mr. Nix turns to leave. The guards holding the doors to the conference room open them as Nix approaches, closing them behind as he exits. A strange sensation flows over Mr. Nix, as if he is out of body or dreaming. In his career, he has seen strange things beyond imagination, but nothing as bewildering and surprising as seeing two Greys in the Council chambers while the Chairman announces the Committee is now under the leadership of the Greys.

  How could this happen? Did they brainwash and take control of the Council? Did the Council come to this conclusion willingly? Were the Committee's efforts always to stop the Greys, or was it their deeper agenda all along to just prove their worth to the Greys? To survive knowing the Greys will take Earth?

  While walking through the familiar maze of headquarter corridors, Mr. Nix weighs his thoughts. Mr. Nix doesn't trust the Greys. The Greys are proposing this faux peace to suppress humanity's best defense, ensure the Committee agents like Nix will cause the Greys no more harm, and root out the hidden human bunkers, preventing any other factions or rogue Committee facilities from resisting the Greys and possibly succeeding. In their millions of years of existence, the Greys have seen countless species appear and go extinct. Why should they care if humans do? They don't. In his heart, Nix knows the Greys keep humans alive for scientific or tactical reasons, not compassionate ones.

  If Mr. Nix is going to kill one of the Greys observing here in the Headquarters, he has to do it soon. But how? The Greys won't wander around unattended, rather, constantly protected by Committee security. The Greys themselves are armed and wearing puncture proof suits. Nix must shoot them in the head enough times to scramble their brains, shutting down their involuntary central circulatory system, stopping regeneration. That would be difficult to do before Nix himself was killed.

  Nix definitely doesn't want to risk a suicide attack if he is not one hundred percent sure the attack will kill a Grey. He also doesn't want to die because like the Chairman said, the outlying Committee facilities trust and follow Nix. He may be the only one to lead their loyalties ba
ck to protecting humanity and away from the Council's allegiance to the Greys. Though the Council knows the Greys will destroy any Committee outpost that doesn't ally, and Nix for his betrayal.

  His plan has much uncertainty and could end with his death, but killing a Grey here is his best chance of dissolving this unholy alliance. As he weaves his way through corridors, Mr. Nix notices the relaxed demeanor of the headquarters personnel. No one on edge, or concerned. That is not a good sign. Everyone must have come to terms with the Grey presence and accepted it. Their comfort might make it easier to carry out this Grey assassination as a surprise, yet it will also make it impossible to convince anyone that he did it for their own good.

  Mr. Nix turns into a side corridor to the detention section where Agent Strong is confined. He's not sure how to explain the situation to her. The only way to keep her safe is to convince her to go along with his ruse, or they will execute her. She is new to the Committee and unknown to the Council, so they will not give her the benefit of doubt if they are uncertain of her position.

  A slight queasiness stirs in Nix's belly knowing that he brought Agent Strong, Dixie, in on the presumption she can contribute to saving humanity and her family, and instead to keep herself alive she must join a species she was recruited to fight against. All to give Mr. Nix the time to figure out his coup and assassination.

  He approaches a reinforced steel security door sealing off the holding cells. To the right of the security door is a small open windowless side room where a single guard deals solitaire with playing cards. On a half-dozen monitors are the views of five empty holding cells, and a sixth containing Agent Strong in clean clothes laying back on a bed staring at the ceiling. The volume to the cells is muted, shown by an 'X' over an image of a speaker horn at the bottom corner of each screen. Instead the young guard listens and whistles to big band music playing over a tiny pair of speakers connected to the room computer.