by Wm. Barnard
“I would say that things don’t look too positive in a lot of places.”
“With the environment suffering as it is now, and the population explosion we are about to encounter, there is a consensus among scientists that this planet will not survive another fifty years.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that.”
“And with man using only ten percent of that brain, I’d say we could use some help,” he chuckled.
Bill crouched down, picking up a handful of dirt before slowly letting it slide out through his fingers. “Zach, where do you think we all came from?”
“Well, considering the fossil and DNA records, it seems logical that we evolved most recently from a species related to apes.”
“Have you thought about why apes never evolved?” he paused when he saw that his rhetoric caused my eyebrow to arch. “You may have a hard time digesting this, but I’m going to tell you where we actually came from. And I’m sure you’re skeptical. So was I at first, but this will make more sense once you hear and see everything during your stay.”
Bill paused again before standing up and looking me right in the eyes. “Thousands of years ago, extraterrestrials brought us here after they had cultivated this planet for us. My tribe believes we are all descendants of the ‘Keepers of the Sky’ and that these aliens are in reality our brothers. But this isn’t just some tribal lore, Zach; I have personal contact with them.”
My eyes automatically narrowed after hearing such an outrageous claim from a seemingly normal guy, and I began scanning the ground for a response.
“I guess what you’re saying is all very possible. I pride myself in being able to articulate my thoughts, but, uh, whew,” I said, letting out a puff of air. “I mean, I actually saw something a couple of months ago in Africa I can’t explain.”
Bill smiled back and nodded. “I know you did. In Uganda, right?”
“How did you know that?” My eyes widened.
“The Ancestors were revealing themselves to you, preparing you for this very time. How else do you think we picked you to write this story?”
“I don’t know. Everything you just said is really kinda blowing my mind.”
“Well, Zach, here’s my suggestion to you right now: Don’t even worry about what to say or even think. Just take in what you experience the next couple of weeks and then I reckon you’ll have plenty to say. And write,” he said, and we continued walking along a barb-wired fence.
“Okay, but I just had a question run through my mind. You say you have contact with these aliens. How so?”
“Well, most of the time, and this may seem extremely odd to you, I speak with them telepathically. This is an art that has been passed on to me from my elders.”
“You said most of the time?”
“Well, this is the part that will completely convince you. I have physical contact with them from time to time and you’ll be able to observe that for yourself.”
“What? You,” I stuttered and froze where I stood, “you mean here?”
Bill stopped and turned to me. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
“When?” I gasped.
“Sometime later this week, I believe. We’re waiting for others who’ve been anticipating this day to arrive from all over the world.”
While Bill seemed completely confident in his claim, I continued to wonder if what he just promised would really come to pass.
“Zach,” he said calmly. “You are a chosen one. You will bring the world proof of our ancestors’ existence and the great message of real hope they have for the future of this planet. You will see they have the perfect plan to restore our Mother Earth.”
After a moment of silence, I managed to only babble, “Wow. This is pretty overwhelming to say the least.”
“That’s why I want you to try to relax and absorb it all over the next week. You’ll have most of your questions answered before you leave. If you keep an open mind and open heart. I mean, the real questions,” he emphasized. “Like why you’re here, and what life is all about.”
“What is this message of hope you keep talking about?”
“I can see the journalist in you is starting to come out.” Bill smiled while rubbing his chin with his hand. “You see, men have never developed a true understanding of each other and that is why we never can stay in a state of peace. Wars have ravaged the people of Earth and have done great harm to our ecological system. We are headed for certain destruction with the technological warfare we have in our hands. Our ancestors see there is an immediate need to intervene. They come to enlighten us and help us see each other as we are. With this great illumination, man can evolve into the creature he was intended to be. Our Ancestors will finally bring about the peace that the majority of us so desperately want.”
“How can they just show up and create peace? I mean, this all sounds great theoretically, but it seems like those who still want war will keep provoking it.”
“People need to see that there is something bigger than themselves, that there is something ‘outside’ their own little world. When people everywhere finally see and hear from our Ancestors, their hearts will be changed.”
“What in the world took them so long?”
“That’s a good question, Zach, one that I asked myself. They wanted us to learn things for ourselves and they have tried to help us along the way. The reason they are coming soon is not out of want, but need; our need, not theirs. As wholly compassionate beings, they desire nothing more than to rescue us from ourselves.” Bill said, clasping his hands together.
My forehead wrinkled from something he mentioned. “You said they have helped us along the way; how so?”
“Well, many of the unexplainable things that have happened throughout history, miracles as some are so fond of calling them, are actually the work of our Ancestors. There is technology that has been passed down and unfortunately lost; the Egyptian pyramids are a classic example of that. They’ve also left us guides for living right, basically golden rules, which you can obviously see throughout the history of every culture around the world. You’re about to gain knowledge that sages and philosophers have searched for since time began. One nice thing is, you’ll be able to record the upcoming events with photographs and video so there will be little doubt as to the veracity of your story. I have only two requests: you only use my laptop to do your work and you don’t email or phone anyone until the end of your stay,” he said firmly.
“Agreed,” I said, wondering what anyone would even say if I called them with this news.
“Good. Now let’s get back to the house as several guests are arriving who you’ll definitely want to interview.”
CHAPTER 7
Jogging back to the ranch house, I tried to keep up with my racing mind as I contemplated everything Bill had told me. While thrilled about the prospect of actually seeing alien beings for myself, plunging into this unknown realm had me simultaneously petrified.
When Bill and I approached the house, I saw several people already gathered on and around the porch. The diversity of the group made it feel like a mini-United Nations meeting. Within the first few minutes, I met two African gentlemen, one from Eritrea and the other from Kenya, before being introduced to a very petite woman from Laos and an elderly man from South Korea.
Across the front lawn, we briefly talked with a Mexican gentleman, dressed up in a business suit with his tie unloosed, speaking with two European women. Bill shared with us that these were most of the “out of town” guests who would be staying for the week, but that several local people from his native tribe and some other Californians would be coming up during the week.
I eagerly awaited my interviews and returned inside to retrieve a digital voice recorder where I stumbled upon the most intriguing and improbable of all the conversationalists. Hearing the two distinct accents inside the living room, I found an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man sitting on the sofa together, conversing as if they were old family friends.
O
nce inside my bedroom, I immediately noticed my laptop missing with a replacement sitting on the desk, and I barged into the kitchen to confront Bill.
“I need that laptop. I’ve got information on there I can’t afford to lose,” I said in a forceful yet hushed tone so the others wouldn’t hear me.
“Relax, Zach, your cell phone and laptop will be returned in due time,” he said, keeping his eyes on the coffee maker as he poured water into it. “The laptop you’ve been given has no internet access and no flash drive. We simply can’t afford to have this story leaked prematurely.”
“Well, I’m holding you personally responsible if anything is tampered with.”
“Trust me. They’re secure,” he said, grabbing a carafe for some cream.
Still irritated that my valuables had been moved, I stormed back to my room and checked my belongings. Relieved to find my other things untouched, I sat on the bed for a minute to calm down.
I tried to understand Bill’s point of view for the need for secrecy and even though I really didn’t like others having complete control over my possessions, I had to accept that this was one of the little nuisances of the job. Grabbing my recorder, I headed back outside only to find that everyone had started walking around the ranch in small groups.
I caught up with the middle-aged Mexican gentleman who sported a thick black mustache. Even with a suit on, he looked as fit as a professional middle-weight boxer. I introduced myself using the few Spanish words I knew and to my relief, Pablo answered back in English and began to share his story.
“Well, it start for me years ago, in the mountains of Vera Cruz where I am from,” he said. “I was outside my house, videotaping my sobrinito.”
“Your little nephew? I interpreted into the recorder.
“Yes, he is playing with my dog and right before the sun set, I saw a huge space ship flying near the volcano. The whole thing I capture on video.”
“Have you showed anyone else this film?” I asked.
“Oh yes. All my friends and family. Not only that one. I got more.”
“What, more videos?”
“Yes, yes. After the first day, I always carry a camera. And I now have a very big collection of sightings. It is become like, how you say, a hobby? Mi abuela thinks I am loco,” Pablo laughed.
“Your grandmother thinks you’re crazy?” I spoke into the recorder.
“Oh yes. A lot of my family think so. Many of them are very Catholic. It is very difficult to let go of their traditions. It is more easy for them to believe that people see the Virgin Mary in a tortilla than believe what I show them on video,” he said, smiling.
“Have you shown these to any television stations?”
“No, but they already have plenty of videos. There have been sightings over Mexico City for many, many years.”
“Really?” I said, surprised that I had never heard that news.
“Yes. That’s one of the reasons I make it my life to try and contact the aliens. Then, all of the sudden, I get a letter from Señor Hunter telling me to come here. It was like an answer to my prayers,” he said, seemingly still awestruck by the offer.
“Wait, you never met Bill before you came here?”
“I never know who he is before he write to me. He tell me the Ancestors explain how to contact me. That’s how I know I need to come.”
“That’s amazing.”
“I am very excited. I don’t know if I can sleep tonight,” he said, widening his eyes and gripping his hands tightly.
“Yeah…” I said as my thoughts drifted off and I wondered how exactly Bill might have been told about contacting me.
Strolling around the ranch and conversing with different people from the group, I discovered that many of them had not only seen UFOs, but had also experienced direct contact with aliens, as Bill described to me earlier. These common denominators had helped form an immediate bond between them, which in turn created an environment where they felt comfortable talking openly about these unique encounters with one another.
Later I met up with Emmy, the tiny, soft spoken woman from rural Laos, and learned she had a belief system extremely similar to Bill’s tribe. She, too, held the aliens were our ancestors who had been with us since the dawn of time. Emmy said that her dead relatives had actually gone on to be with the “other” ancestors and helped watch over us when we were in danger. She believed that the Ancestors sometimes made themselves visible to remind us of their presence, letting us know that they were here for us. Even though we can’t always see them, she emphasized, “It’s a great comfort to know that they can hear our prayers.” Emmy’s beautiful opal shaped eyes lit up as she relayed how much she looked forward to when the Ancestors would usher in a “new day” for mankind and felt it would be soon.
Nobody at the ranch seemed to be able to pronounce the enormously long first name of a very dark skinned gentleman from Kenya, so we all called him Geb for short.
Having grown up at the base of the Aberdare Mountains, Geb told me that he saw alien ships for the very first time when he was left alone in the wilderness for a three day tribal ritual that celebrated the time a boy crossed over into manhood. After landing right next to where he slept, the “Ancestors” invited him to actually come aboard the aircraft. Inside the ship, they informed him that they would contact him from time to time to help him and his fellow tribe members find wisdom. In sharp contrast to Pablo’s account of the Mexican culture, Geb’s family and his tribe members had actually no problem believing his story and instead regarded Geb himself as a prophet. When I asked how he ended up here at Bill‘s ranch, he startled me by explaining that the Ancestors showed him how to initiate contact with Bill. Geb’s focus changed, his eyes becoming watery as he shared how his tribe had sacrificed a great deal to raise the money so he could fly to the States to be here.
While Geb’s story had a tangible feel to it, the middle-aged woman from the coast of Israel told me probably the most bizarre of all the stories I heard that day. Miriam surprised me from the beginning when she claimed that there are more U.F.O. sightings in her native country than in any other place in the world.
From here I somewhat expected to hear a story similar to Geb’s or Pablo’s, but ironically her account was much different. While never personally seeing an alien aircraft, she claimed to have conversed with alien beings ever since she was a teenager.
“My safta Naomi, who was the mother of my father, was very proud of her Jewish heritage. But she did not believe the orthodox rabbinical view of God. She felt there had been a great deviation from the original meaning of ancient scriptures. To her it was much more than semantics,” she said in perfect English with a heavy Hebrew accent.
“Safta introduced me to a very esoteric form of faith, one that has been around long before Moses. Before Abraham even. When I was a teenager, she taught me that it was possible to travel through space, transcending boundaries of time, without even leaving our couch.” She stopped, smiled slyly as if to gauge my reaction.
“Is this how you encountered alien beings?” I asked.
“Yes. My Safta and I started having these amazing adventures together. It’s very similar to how people describe having “out of body” experiences. We would travel through outer space and come into contact with extraterrestrials everywhere we went. By escaping this world and communicating with the Ancestors, we were able to attain a higher level of consciousness. When I knew Safta would be at my house, I would get so excited that I would run home from school, but she told me explicitly not to tell anyone about these meetings, not even my parents.”
“How in the world were you able to keep that a secret from anyone?” I said, shaking my head.
Miriam smiled. “That’s easy when you think they might put you in a nut house. But even as an adult, I realized that most people would reject the notion that crossing over into these dimensions is possible. Over the years, I have only confided in a few people about my experiences, which is one of the main reasons I’m so exci
ted about our gathering here.”
“So you can talk to people who don’t think you’re a lunatic?”
Miriam let out a laugh and said, “Yes, that’s always nice, too. But more importantly, after people around the world find out about this event, I believe it will give them the faith that such things are possible. It’s my desire to help others discover these great truths for themselves.”
As I approached a twenty-two year-old blonde girl sitting alone at a red picnic table, she looked up from the large book in her hand and invited me to sit down. Enrolled in an archeology class back at a university in her native Finland, Irene informed me that she was trying to catch up on some of her reading about recent excavations in Egypt.
“So you want to become the next Indiana Jones?” I asked.
“No, no. I definitely don’t want to be an archeologist. I just find it extremely interesting. Especially this book. You wouldn’t believe how much these discoveries have to do with the reason we’re all meeting here.”
“I’m beginning to believe about anything.”
“Would you believe that I’m the only one staying here who has never seen a U.F.O. or alien beings?”
“Then how did you even end up here?”
“Well, since I was a kid, I just read every book I could get my hands on about the search for alien life. I felt like I was living vicariously through the other people’s experiences and developed an intense longing to see these galaxy travelers for myself. Out of the blue, I got an invitation from Bill to come to the ranch and I intuitively knew that it was my destiny to be here. I am quite confident that this event will end up filling a huge void in my life.”
BREAKFAST THE NEXT MORNING PROVIDED a great opportunity for all of us to get to know each other better as we gathered around the long dining table. After becoming completely stuffed, I went outside to walk off my meal when I saw a silver SUV speeding up the gravel driveway. Once it slowed down and stopped bouncing, I immediately noticed the Department of Defense stickers on the windshield. The bearded passenger jumped out, waved at me and smiled. I barely resisted blurting out, “Ho, Ho, Ho” at Jack.
