by Jim Reilly
The next morning, James was standing offstage at the Kibish Convention and Sports Complex waiting to be introduced to the crowd of fifty thousand who wanted to hear him speak about his discovery. Most of the people he would be talking to were UFO enthusiasts, who before the discovery of the spacecraft had been thought of as kooks or nuts. Now that a spacecraft had been found, they were regarded in a better light. Instead of amateur writers, UFO hunters, and unlicensed radio show hosts, there were doctoral students doing dissertations, astronomers with PhDs, and members of the mainstream media. Things had changed in the world’s view of UFOs in the last sixteen years, and when people looked to the sky, they wondered who might be looking back and whether the lights or streaks in the sky might be alien spacecraft.
He heard his name introduced and walked out on to the stage to the roar of the crowd. It was a standing ovation from fifty thousand faces jam-packed into the arena. The event was also simulcast throughout the world. He was their most respected emissary and the one who brought the existence of extraterrestrial life to the forefront of mainstream science, whether scientists wanted it or not, and he was the biggest promoter of alien influence on human society. To them he was a rock star, and James savored being adored by them.
This morning they had come to the place of his discovery to hear his description of the events of his finding of the spacecraft. The story he spoke about featured him exclusively, and it was quite different from actual events. Barely mentioned were David and Jennifer or Doctors Ronald Gibbs and Roberto Sanchez, or anyone else on the dig team. He said his reason for being on the trip was not to be near the doctoral student to whom he was attracted, but for the thrill of adventure of unearthing a piece of history. His version of why he was sent to look for other possible dig sites was that the project team leaders utilized his extensive knowledge to hunt for unbelievable finds and not because he was sent away so he wouldn’t infect the rest of the team with his bad attitude.
He had done this originally to enhance his brand as the world-renowned alien spacecraft discoverer and improve his earnings potential. Over time, however, he believed in his version more and more as the real account faded from his memory. His popularity was great, and his ego was greater.
This morning’s speech was only a prelude to the long week of speeches he would make to his large following. In two days he would make his most anticipated talk, entitled “Alien Influence on Religion." He had new Revelation and conclusions, drawn from the scientific research others did, about the Ancient Visitors and the returned captives. Many of the people who followed him believed he had proved that God did not exist and that humans were a product of an evolution designed by the Ancient Visitors. They thought what he would reveal would help end once and for all, religion’s version of history that they believed had been fictional all along.
After a lunch with some of the board members of the World UFO Society and members of the city council, James headed with some of them to the rock formation. The security personnel had to push through the crowd in the hotel lobby to get James and his party into the limousines parked out front. Once they were in the limos, the security police vehicles escorted them out of the city to the Ethiopian National Science Facility built over and next to the craft.
During the ride, James spoke with the Mayor of Kibish. “I have to tell you, this place has changed since the last time I was here. I remember this being a bumpy gravel road in our all-terrain vehicle, and now it is a paved highway.”
Mayor Alemu Asfar added, “There was virtually no tourist infrastructure within the park, and there was very little support for travelers to the area, due to the influx of people traveling here. But with projections of the tourist revenue that could be earned, the government invested the funds to improve the infrastructure with the royalties from selling the Ancient Visitors’ technologies. We were able to create recreation centers, pave roads throughout the area, and improve communications while investment from major corporations has funded the building of hotels, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. In villages throughout the area, there are Holiday Inns popping up where in the past you needed to bring your own tent and sleeping bag. All of this has been done to increase our capacity to accommodate the deluge of tourists.”
Looking out the window, James said, “I am very impressed. You’ve done wonders and made Kibish into a fine metropolis.”
As the limos and security vehicles approached their destination, crowds of people were lining the road to witness James’ triumphant return to his discovery that changed the world. Some of his most avid supporters even laid palm leaves across the road as a symbol of another whose return to Jerusalem was enthusiastically anticipated over two thousand years earlier. The symbolism did not get past James and his ego as he departed the limo with his hands raised high and headed slowly into the science center with his large entourage trailing behind him. The extra security at the science center pushed back the crowds as they entered the building.
Once inside, a familiar face approached. “It’s good to see you again, James,” said the old friend.
James turned to him. “Dr. Sanchez, it is great to see you too. It looks like the place has changed a bit since I was here last.”
Dr. Sanchez agreed, “Yes, the Ethiopian National Science Agency has built this large complex around the spacecraft from all the royalties it receives on an annual basis. It was set on pilings to disturb as little of the ground as possible. This facility allows us to study the site and provides a viewing platform for the craft and the fossilized remains we still have here. It is a very popular attraction, and virtually every visitor to Kibish makes the trip over here. While we get our fair share of UFO enthusiasts, many universities from around the world send research teams of their best people to study the site and see what was found.”
An impressed James, always cognizant of his place in the scientific community, asked, “So you see some of the best minds come through here?”
“Oh, yeah,” replied Dr. Sanchez. “And there is a long waiting list to schedule any research time. The Ethiopian National Science Agency does its best to let in the academia, but they have to share the time with foreign government agencies and large wealthy corporations looking to learn the alien technology. It is through them that they receive large royalties for access to the Ancient Visitor technology.”
Dr. Sanchez brought James and his entourage into the site observatory. It was a massive structure covering the location of James’ dig site and the spacecraft. “The craft has been completely excavated out of the rock,” said James.
“Being it was such an extraordinary find, it took years of painstakingly hard work and research to try to comprehend the extent of the find. We’ve learned so much, and there is so much still we don’t understand,” said Dr. Sanchez as James and his party walked around the rotunda surrounding the site. The viewing platform encircled the site with thick protective glass. The rotunda was large enough to house sightseeing visitors and scientific researchers. At the top of the dome was a large window for light during the day and seeing the stars at night. James thought it was an impressive structure and a perfect place for an impromptu news conference.
Following James into the rotunda were selected members of the major news organizations and social network blogs. He called them over to begin his news conference as those organizations came on live to hear what James had to say. With his worldwide audience waiting to listen to him, the many reporters began their introduction.
The CNN news anchor reported, “We are told the James Connor news conference is about to begin, so let’s go to our reporter at the site, Megan Armes.”
“Good morning,” said the reporter. “We are here to witness Dr. James Connor’s return to the site of what many consider the greatest archeological finds of all time, proof that the Earth and its people were visited by extraterrestrial beings commonly called the Ancient Visitors. These beings not only visited our ancestors, but also came back to abduct some of our people and ma
ke changes to them. Many in the scientific community believe that these visitors from space influenced the development of our species for some unknown reason. So today, Dr. James Connor came back to --”
She was alerted through her earpiece to an incident in Kibish. “Umm…my producer is telling me that there are reports of an explosion in Kibish City.” She then moved to a window in the lobby to have the cameraman view the city in the distance. “I can see a plume of smoke…and wait...I see two more. I am wondering if the city is under attack, or maybe this is some kind of natural disaster. I can’t tell at this point.”
Outside the window of the glass-enclosed lobby were the city in the distance and the highway linking the city to the science center. Coming through the security station was only the usual UPS truck and its usual driver, but it did not turn down the road to the shipping dock at the back of the complex. Instead it headed to the lobby.
The frantic reporter yelled, “Oh my God! It’s speeding up, and it’s going to hit us!”
Then there was silence on CNN. The hosting anchor called her name, “Megan…Megan…Are you still there?” There was more silence, and then the anchor continued, “It looks like we lost the connection, and I hope she’s all right. We will try to reconnect with her. Hold on…now we are getting word that there are reports of other explosions in other cities around the world in what I suspect is a coordinated attack. We will go first to London where we will hear from Dorothy Hines. Dorothy?”
The reporter still looking at her screen on her headset jumped right in. “This is Dorothy Hines reporting. I’m outside the Science Museum in South Kensington, London, where what looks like a bomb has exploded. It has completely destroyed the front of the building, and people are being evacuated through the emergency exits. There are no reports yet of fatalities, but officials are expecting them due to the extent of the blast damage. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles have been fighting the fire and administering to the injured. Also --”
The anchor cut in: “Sorry for the interruption, Dorothy. We will get back to you in a moment. We want to go now to New York, where it is reported that there were multiple explosions at the Museum of Natural History. Our reporter on the scene is Andrea Givens. What can you tell us, Andrea?”
The reporter was standing near the entrance as people rushed out with black smudges on their faces and clothes while first responders raced in behind her. “Many of the people escaping the smoke-filled New York landmark have told us that the floor with the early man exhibit has been virtually destroyed, and fire has spread to the adjacent floors. The other two explosions were in the Hayden planetarium section of the grounds, and fire officials have said the damage was total.”
The anchor then asked, “Are there any reported casualties that you know of?”
She replied, “I have heard estimates of fifty dead and hundreds injured, but unfortunately the New York Fire Department officials expect those numbers to grow.”
The anchor then said, “Hold on for a second, Andrea. We are now getting video footage of an explosion on Long Island at Stony Brook University. I’m told that the building on fire in the video is of the science department. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like this has been a coordinated, worldwide attack as reports come in from around the world. Now we are told that the President with the National Security Advisor will hold a news conference momentarily to discuss what they know about the events we are now witnessing.”
Waiting outside the hallway where the President would pass on the way to the podium and standing with the other scientific advisors, Jennifer frantically tried to call and email David to make sure he was OK. There were reports that the UCLA Science Institute had been hit, and David might have been there when the blast went off. Each moment she was getting more and more anxious to hear from him that he was fine and unhurt. If word had leaked out that the two ancient ancestors were there, the UCLA Science Institute might have become a target. A major concern she had was that the people behind these terrorist activities were not only targeting any science center, but also targeting scientists. David was prominent in the discovery and research of the dig site around the alien spacecraft. He might be on a list of individuals they planned to target, and she was hoping that David was smart enough to hide until these attacks were over.
As the President and the National Security Advisor passed her, her phone rang. “Hey, Jen,” she heard the voice on the other end whisper.
She quickly responded to the familiar voice. “Are you OK? I was so worried with all the scientists’ being targeted.” After a few deep breaths, she continued, “You scared me. I was so afraid for the kids, too.”
“I am fine,” he said, but he was concerned as well. “Are you and Andy safe?”
A relieved and pregnant Jennifer said, “I am fine. Andy and my mom were secured by the FBI and taken to a secret location.”
Also relieved, David said, “That’s great.” After a few moments of silence to reflect on being grateful his family was all right, he asked, “Who the hell did this? And why would scientists be the reason they would do such a horrendous act?”
She explained, “A group called the Followers of Divinity who believe they are the hand of God has taken responsibility for the attacks. These are not your everyday religious fanatics because this seems to be a multi-religion terrorist group. The White House is releasing to the news organizations the list of demands they sent to all the world’s governments as we speak. The group consists of religious zealots made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims, and members of many other religions throughout the world. They are not connected by any one race or political view.
“They blame the intrusion of science for what they believe is their religions’ lost memberships. They think that people of science are responsible for the loss of faith of the people in their churches, temples, and mosques. By eliminating scientists and their organizations, they want to eliminate any ideas that conflict with their fundamentalist teachings. They would prefer that we go back to the Stone Age where religion ruled the day. I don’t know. It sounds crazy. The worst part is that they worked together, whereas in the past they have fought each other tooth and nail. It makes for a very dangerous situation if the world is engaged in a religious war with an enemy that could be anywhere and willing to die for their beliefs.”
“Jen,” said David. “I have to get going now. We are bringing the two Homo Kibishensis subjects to a secure location now that they have been sedated for the long travel ahead. The FBI and the local police are going to take us away. I will contact you when I am settled. I love you.”
Jennifer replied, “I love you too. Be safe.”
As she was turning off her headset, another call came in. “Hi, Jennifer. It’s Ann Marie Connor. I’m worried about James. Can you tell me anything? All I know from the news reports is that the city was hit and they got to the facility housing the spacecraft. It looks like the place is in total chaos.”
Jennifer was also concerned as she tried to relieve James’ anxious mother. “The Ethiopian army went in and declared martial law. Their mayor was killed in the attack on the spacecraft complex, and total anarchy erupted. The state department tracking the Americans there has James as listed as injured but alive. I was told that he has already been stabilized and evacuated from Kibish. The hospitals in Kibish were well over their capacity with the injured, and we were able to help get many of the victims who could be moved out of the city using military transports. It was the only way to get medical treatment for some of them. Once I hear where he was sent to, I will forward that information to you as soon as I can. Sorry that I don’t have more to tell you, and now I have to go to the presidential news conference.”
James’ mother was relieved to hear that her son was alive and grateful to hear any news. “You have done more than enough. Patrick and I are very appreciative. How is your family?”
A rushed Jennifer quickly said, “Thank you for asking. We are fine. I must go, and I will let you know about James
soon.”
As the week went on, reports from the various news organizations continued: “Welcome back to Fox News International. I’m Phil Jenson. You have heard the President speak about the worldwide coordinated attack less than a day ago by a religious group called the Followers of Divinity. This group is unlike any other religious terror organization the world has ever seen because it is made up of a multitude of religious faiths. They are of different denominations of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. A renegade Coptic bishop who was disowned by the Coptic Church leads them. His name is Bishop Terapion. Their apparent mission is to bring the people of the world back to a time when religion ruled our lives. The targets of their terrorist activities were the scientific communities, for what it says are crimes against the foundation of the world’s religious groups.
“They are not a peaceful group and have acted with extreme deadly force. Their terrorist attacks yesterday resulted in the deaths of ten thousand people and counting worldwide. The President outlined a worldwide course of action in bringing these people to justice. The United States government, in coordination with other world leaders, has condemned this terrorist act and promised to bring the full weight of justice to bear on the individuals responsible.”
The news anchor then turned to the panel assembled in the studio. “We have with us Rabbi Corry Levy, Imam Muhammad Hakam, and the Reverend Erin Smith. We will go first to you, Rabbi Levy. Why do you think these Followers of Divinity have organized so many different faiths?”
“Phil, fanaticism is not owned by just religious idealists,” said the orthodox rabbi. “It is anywhere there are a few who believe their ideas supersede the ideas of the majority and feel that if they eliminate the thoughts, ideas, rights and beliefs of others who oppose them, they can take power and force the people to do what these fanatics believe is the right thing to do.”
