Yes, I sense that is correct.
Then it is settled. We shall mentor the Earthlings when the time comes.
If it becomes necessary, indeed.
Until that time, we shall continue our observations of the planet to monitor their progress.
One last nod passed around the five Eridonians before each departed in his own direction.
CHAPTER TWO
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Earth
Present Day
________________________
Jedidiah Fitz slouched on the lumpy couch. His gaze moved from the empty shot glass to the fifth of whiskey waiting on the coffee table. He ran his hand through his gelled blond hair, then wiped it clean on his jeans. Then he ran his other hand across his face, feeling the roughness of his three-day stubble.
He looked out the window at the night sky. The stars twinkled outside the high-rise condo. They called him, beckoning him to come to the window. He opened the patio French-style doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The beeping horns and flickering car lights twenty stories below hinted at the hustle and bustle of the city nightlife.
The constellation Orion was shining brilliantly this time of year. He loved gazing at the stars. He longed for the day that man would reach the distant stars. He never expected it would ever be in his lifetime, but perhaps for his grandkids. If he ever had any.
His dreams of a large, happy family died five years earlier. Five years ago. This very night. The night the love of his life was stolen from him by a car accident.
Happy birthday, Jed.
Visions of sitting in a bar, his beautiful wife next to him, sipping seltzer water so he could have his shots of whiskey played over and over in his mind. It was like it happened yesterday. Was it really five years ago?
His eyes looked at the stars, but he saw only her white spring dress. The one with the flowers. He could smell her shoulder length black hair, soft as silk, as it flowed around her soft neck. He remembered how she’d tremble when he ran his fingers along her neck ever so softly, barely touching… he could feel her warm, smooth skin, he could look into her eyes… He missed those almond eyes the most.
He remembered the waitress setting a full bottle of his favorite whiskey on the table. She smiled at them, working for her tip, as she wiped the table quickly before leaving.
He held Joan’s hand across the round table as she nodded that it was okay.
“Drink up honey,” her sweet voice sang, “I’ll drive us home, you just have a good time, sweetie.”
He lived to be with her. It nearly killed him when she died in his arms that night. Maybe some of him did die with her, he thought. No, he was sure part of him died, the emptiness told him.
No one saw the car speeding through the intersection, running the red light, until it slammed into the driver’s door. She lived just long enough to tell him she loved him. God, he missed her.
“Damn-damn-DAMN! It’s all my fault!” he cursed to himself, “If only we hadn’t gone to that bar...if only I hadn’t had those drinks...Joan would have never driven us home...it would have been me that was killed, not her...damn it!”
Tears rolled down his cheeks. It took some time, for the sobs to ease. “Why do I always do this...every year since the accident?”
Jed walked back to the couch and picked up the whiskey. He studied the label, then the amber liquid in the bottle. After a time he poured another shot and set the bottle down on the table.
“You really don’t want to do this, now do you?” he muttered to himself. “No-I don’t want this anymore...never again...never again.”
He lifted the shot glass to his nose and took in the powerful elixir’s aroma, swirling the drink in the glass, he watched the oils of the whiskey coat the sides of the glass.
Touching the glass to his lips he thought, maybe this year will be different...maybe this year I’ll actually take a drink.
Jed kept the glass there, the rim barely touching his lower lip. Ten, twenty seconds, a minute he kept it there. He sighed before he returned the shot glass to the table. Then he fidgeted a little, and finally giving in, he reached his hand out, only to pull it back before he touched the cold, hard glass. Twice more he reached for it. The third time he actually picked it up.
“Like drinking bad medicine,” Jed thought. He opened his mouth and threw down the whiskey in a quick movement. He slammed the glass hard on to the table. Desperately he filled the glass twice more, quickly downing the spirits. After each shot he slammed the glass harder on to the table, hoping that it would break.
The TV suddenly turned on, making him jump, “What the hell?”
He reached for the remote control and quickly powered the set off, “Too damn depressing to watch the news.”
After setting the remote next to him on the couch, the TV once again popped on, displaying a news anchor, and showing the words on the screen, Breaking News!! The Aliens Have Arrived...
“What the devil’s going on?” then he stopped short as the station displayed pictures of the little grey alien’s that had been reported by thousands over the last fifty years. Jed had seen enough UFO shows to know they were called ‘Greys’. Reports of sightings from all over the world existed, but there was never any confirming physical evidence. The shows made it seem like the Government knew more than what they were saying. Hype or not, Jed always had believed there was life out there. “But these little creatures?” He didn’t think it likely.
“Wait a minute,” he reached for the control and turned the volume to a level he could hear.
“We are bringing you this breaking news: An alien race has in fact, made first contact with Earth. This is not a hoax or a drama show! We have reports that the aliens have contacted tens of thousands across the globe, all simultaneously,” the news reporter said, “In fact, there’s one in contact with me this very moment. This alien is saying that the Governments of the world can no longer deny their existence. They are sending us a message of utmost importance.”
While the news anchor continued talking, Jed scoffed at the TV. “Yeah, right. Aliens are coming to Earth, you betcha.”
He poured two more shots and downed each of them quickly when he heard a voice behind him, “What’s the matter, Captain Jedidiah Fitz?”
Startled that someone was in is apartment, he shot around to see who it was.
Standing behind the sofa was a man of medium build, wearing plain, simple clothing.
“Who the hell are you and how did you get in my apartment?!”
“Shhh, do not be concerned.”
“Oh, I’m plenty concerned, and so should you be!” Jed reached under the cushion and displayed a .40 caliber Glock.
“You cannot harm me with this privative weapon.”
“Wanna make a bet on that?” he squeezed the trigger and fired a round at the man.
The bullet passed through the mysterious man and embedded in the wall behind him. Jed gave his gun a puzzled looked, and then aimed it again, and fired another round.
“You cannot harm me because I am not physically here.”
Jed sat the gun on the table and poured another shot.
“You really do not wish to continue doing this to yourself, do you? That liquid cannot drown what troubles you.”
“How do you know what I want and what do you mean, you’re not physically here? I see you standing right there. It must be the booze that’s why I missed. I must be too drunk right now to hit anything,” Jed stammered.
“I have not moved, you may inspect the bullet holes behind me to see this.”
“That’s impossible.”
“It is only impossible when you limit the scale of your perception.”
“Hey!”
“I assure you, I am not a hallucination. I know you very well.”
“What do you mean, you know me? I’ve never met you before.”
“I know you well enough to understand your pain.”
“What do you know about my pain!?”
“I know much about your pain. I also understand you well enough to know this is the first time in five years that you have actually taken a drink. May I ask? Why did you decide that tonight is a good night to have a drink?”
“I wish I knew,” Jed answered, lowering his head.
“You do know,” the man replied, “You only need to access that part of your mind to reach the understanding you seek.”
Jed looked up at the man, “What in the hell are you talking about? Who are you, really?”
“Pardon me, Captain Fitz, have you not seen the news?”
“Yeah. Yeah,” Jed said, facing back to the TV, “I saw it...but I don’t know how? I never turned on the tube! I never watch the news, not anymore, anyway.”
“I turned it on so you could perhaps understand who I am, without too many questions or disbelief.”
“Oh,” Jed laughed, “I see, you’re trying to tell me that you’re one of these little green men they were talking about? Pfff, tell me more, star-man.”
“Call me Malcom. You would need to study our language for a very long time to be able to pronounce my real name. I am from the fourth planet orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, ten and a half light years from your star.”
“...and I’m from Mars. Do you really know how ridiculous that sounds?”
“Yes, I do. This is why we waited until we could provide you with a sign.”
“A sign? What? You gonna walk the streets with a sandwich board, advertising that you’re an alien?”
The man walked over to the balcony doors and motioned him to follow. Jed felt compelled to join the strange man on the balcony.
Malcom turned and pointed at a star in the Orion constellation, “That star right there.”
“Yeah, what about it? That’s not Epsilon either, so forget trying to con me that this is the star you are from, ‘cuase I know a little about the stars and that particular star is Betelgeuse.”
“Yes, you are very correct. That star was Betelgeuse as you called it.”
“Was? Called it?”
“Open your mind to a larger scale of possibilities, Captain Fitz.”
“...fine-fine, let’s say you are an alien, not here in physical form. How in hell do you expect me to believe you? ...and stop calling me Captain. If you know so much about me, you’d know I turned in my commission earlier today.”
“Watch that light. In a minute or two, you will see it change into a much brighter light. It will light the night skies brighter than your twilight for the next three weeks.”
“You’re saying that star exploded? This star is going to brighten our skies? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
Jed froze on the balcony as he watched the star begin to grow in brilliance, just as the strange man said it would. The brilliance of the light now took over the night sky, lighting the city with enough light to turn off the photo sensors on the streetlights below.
Jed nodded and then grew a smile, “You are for real, dude. Aren’t you?”
“You see? All you have to do is open your mind to new possibilities. Yes, I am the real deal.”
“Why now? Why are you revealing yourselves to us now?”
“The star you call Betelgeuse went supernova six-hundred and forty years ago. We waited for two reasons. The first being that it would take all those years for the light to reach your planet, and your species requires evidence.”
“...and the second?”
“The second reason is your kind needed to reach a certain level of technological advancement before we came to offer our help. Not counting the fact that the existing conduit destabilized, preventing us from traveling physically to your planet.”
“Wait, what? You lost me again,” Jed said, shaking his head, “W-Why do we need your help? Why now?”
“Pardon me. I must apologize.”
“How about starting from the beginning?”
“Yes, yes indeed. You see, there are others in the Galaxy. Others that are not benevolent.”
“Others? Well, I’m trying my best to have an open mind.”
“Yes, they are from a star that is six-hundred light years away.”
“Six-hundred? How is it they could ever be a threat to us?”
“Open mind, larger scale, remember?”
“Okay, right. Forgive me if I’m having the slightest difficulty with all of this.”
“They are from the star you call Antares. They are the Warlords of the Galaxy. We have concealed your planet for as long as we could.”
“Huh huh...keep going.”
“You see, the Antarians enslave weaker species.”
“Weaker, huh?”
“Yes. And at your technological state, you will be unable to resist any attack from the Warlords. This is why we have come to help you.”
“You’ve come to help us win a war against a civilization that we’ve never had a conflict with, let alone know about?”
“You must learn to trust us.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m still having a hard time with all of this.”
“We know your kind will resist. This is why we waited for the sign to show itself.”
“Well, alright. I’ll keep listening... What else can you tell me about this conduit?”
“Wormholes in space, allowing ships to travel across the Galaxy in minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. Then how come these Warlords haven’t arrived on Earth yet?”
“There was no conduit, or portal from their space to yours. That was before the supernova six-hundred and forty years ago. The energy expelled from the exploding star, destabilized all the wormholes until now. When the shockwave from the supernova reached your solar system, it completed a new conduit from that star to yours, and now it is stable. It’s just a matter of time before the Warlords discover that it’s once again safe to traverse the conduit, bringing their war ships right to your door step.”
“Okay, I understand. For some reason, I feel drawn to your story. I don’t know why or how, but I believe you...just answer me one more question?”
“Yes, you wish to know why we chose you?”
“Yeah, that’s what I want to know. Why me? I’m a nobody. A washed up pilot in the reserves who’s turned in his commission... and stop reading my mind already! That’s just unsettling.”
“I understand your concern. However, I assure you that reading your mind was necessary to communicate telepathically across the great expanse. And again, I assure you. You are the right match for what we seek in your people.”
“Really...’cause you just lost me again. Why not speak to the greater powers that be? I’m afraid I can’t offer you much help at all.”
“Remember to keep an open mind. Larger scale.”
“Right, I forgot again. See? Maybe not the right stuff after all.”
“You are perfect for the job. We are communicating with thousands, including key members of your military. But we require your special talents to command the first ship to cross to our star. You will return to your office tomorrow morning and your commission will be reinstated. Then you will head over to the space center where preparations have been underway the last five years on building your first star destroyer.”
“Okay, well. I better get some sleep then. I did have several shots of whiskey,” Jed took the bottle and locked it away in his cabinet.
“Why do you insist on keeping that elixir? Are you not afraid that you will bend to temptation once more?”
“No, not anymore. Not after tonight, anyway.”
“Very well. I will contact you in the morning for further instructions.”
“Great, just great,” Jed looked to where the strange man had stood only to see that he had vanished. “...and how in the hell do you expect me to sleep with this new bright light shining into my bedroom?”
He stood motionless, waiting for an answer, “Well...maybe it was just a bad dream after all.”
Then he trudged off and collapsed on his bed and snored t
he rest of the night, in spite of the new bright light outside.
CHAPTER THREE
Jedidiah lay still against the morning sun beaming in his bedroom window. He felt the hand of a man shake him into consciousness.
“What the hell?” he mumbled, still half asleep, “Who the hell are you?” then began snoring once more.
He felt the hand shake him again, “Hey, man. Wake up already!” the voice whispered.
Jed turned his head sleepily toward the source of this rudeness, “What’re you doing in my apartment?” As the fog of sleep cleared, he realized he was not alone. Jed shot out of bed, caught the man by his neck and pressed him into the wall, “I asked you a question!”
The man Jed had pinned to the wall struggled to answer, “Cap’n’...CAP’N’!”
Captain Fitz only saw the image of the man who interrupted his slumber earlier, “Malcom, isn’t it? I thought you were just a bad dream!”
The man struggled against Jed’s grip, “Malcom!? Who the hell is Malcom, Cap’n’?”
Fitz stared at the man, his eyes still blurry from last night’s whiskey.
“Cap’n’, it’s me! Race Jennings! Let me go already!”
“Race?” Fitz shook his head and blinked his eyes, “Race? Is that you?”
“Yes! Now if you don’t mind, our eggs are going to burn!”
“Eggs?” Jed asked, releasing his grip.
“Yeah, I’m making us breakfast...big day today, you know.”
“How the hell did you get in here?”
“Don’t you remember, you gave me the bloody key?”
“I did?” Jed scratched his head. “What time is it anyway?”
“It’s almost six.”
“Six?!” he yelled, following Race to the kitchen. “Why is anyone waking me at six? I turned in my commission. I don’t report to anyone anymore.”
“Not according to Cap’n’ Gilmore.”
“And what does Captain Gilmore have to do with it? He’s not...wasn’t...my superior.”
“Well, he’s not Captain Gilmore anymore. It’s Admiral now.”
“Admiral? When the hell did they promote him?”
“That’s something you’ll have to find out for yourself, Cap’n’.” Race answered, stirring the scrambled eggs.
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