When Davis was young he would dream of the stars. Distant worlds seemed very real to him. He wanted so badly to go and prove to everyone that they did exist. Is today that day? …
“OH MY GOD! Where’s my camera? Where’s my camera?” he was pacing around his campsite in just a tee shirt and boxers. Frantically searching. Knocking things off tables and over. He didn’t care. “Eureka! Found it.”
He turned it on and pointed it towards the sky between the break in the trees. Focus would be utterly important. It was lowering slowly. Exhaust was strong enough that he had to brace himself by putting his back against a tree. The lights that he saw, while half asleep and taking a leak, were all around the craft about five feet apart and shaped like stop signs. There were three thrusters (or that’s how he thought of them) on the bottom. They were causing the exhaust.
Lowering, lowering, lowering almost to the ground. He was scared. Yeah. But he was more excited. Would he meet the occupants? Would they understand each other? He had so many questions. Now he felt he could get the answers.
“TOUCHDOWN!” he screamed.
Complete silence. Not even the crickets. No wind even. Weird. He walked around the craft, filming all the way. It was as long as a city bus but not rectangular, more octagonal. They must like things with eight sides. As he filmed he did some commentary. “Kind of silvery, looks like metal.” Dare he touch it? He dared. Laying his hand on it slowly, expecting it to be hot for some reason. It was not. It was ice cold. “Weird, it’s cold.” He said out loud for the camera.
He heard a hissing sound. It came from a few steps around the craft to the left. At a seam where the top met bottom, though no line was visible, came a very thin platform. Extending, it became very long, at least half the length of the craft. It then pivoted down until it touched the ground. At the point where the platform came out the top started to rise. As wide as the platform, wider at the platform end than at the craft end. Kind of like a slice of pie. There were octagon shaped lights, small ones, lighting the way into the craft. Was this an invitation to come aboard? He decided to wait and see if anyone came out.
Minutes seemed like ages. Some sounds were coming from inside the craft. He kept his camera aimed on the doorway. Someone was coming. A figure appeared at the doorway. He, umm, it was by looks about six-foot-tall, bald and wore a robe of some sort. At this point it waived!? It looked like a beauty pageant contestant with the 45-degree arm and the semi rotating hand. Weird.
Davis just shrugged, mainly to see its reaction. He decided to see if he could be understood. “Hi, I’m Davis. Davis Cranch, and you are?”
It cocked its head in that questioning way a dog does to a strange sound. Then it spoke. In ENGLISH no less.
“I am Grotel. I wish to visit? I will not harm you.” Visit was said with a questioning tone.
“O.k.? Sure. Your place or mine? Davis teased. He didn’t know why.
“Mine, if you do not mind. Though your atmosphere is breathable to my kind there are many bacteria that may harm me.”
“Will I harm you if I come in there?”
“I do not believe so. Though you can see me there is a field in between your atmosphere and mine. It screens out many of the bacteria that may harm me.”
Since he could remember, he had wanted just this. He kept the camera trained on the opening and set it on a stump. If something should happen to him someone would find the recording and at least they would know the truth.
He made his way up the platform and stopped just shy of the opening. He took his left hand and reached through the field. He let it stay there for a moment then when he was satisfied it would not determine he was a bacteria and kill him, he exhaled as much as he could as not to bring in too many bacteria and stepped through. Taking an enormous risk, he inhaled the alien air. It was clean air, like from the mountains, at least he could breathe.
Grotel led him to a room with table and chair like items. They sat and talked. They talked about Davis’ planet, Grotels’ planet, the trip, and the different worlds Grotel had visited. Grotel had visited four populated planets and so far none of them were as nice as this one. The others shot at his craft sent threatening signals. Not nice at all. Grotel and his kind wanted to visit, that was all.
Hours went by. Davis was very at ease. Grotel told him the next time he came he would take him into space but he would need to make some modification to the craft to make it more comfortable for Davis. Davis would also prepare for Grotels’ next visit. He would bring food, water and clothes. They said goodbye and Davis left the craft. He walked over to the camera as Grotel ascended. The battery was dead. He put new batteries in as Grotel flew off. He brought up the menu and selected the movie of his encounter. He paused and then deleted it. Davis would never forget this day and there would be other visits. At least he hoped. This world was not ready for Grotels’ people. He would have to explain that his planet was not as nice as Grotel suspected. He would keep this encounter to himself for as long as he could or until Davis’ people were ready.
Weird.
The End
Written by: Jeff Boothe
Written on: August 12, 2005
Updated : October 2, 2016
Word Count: 984
