The Symmetry of Life- Book 1: To See, To Know, To Be Human - 3. Chapter 3: Grey Matters

Chapter 3: Grey Matters

I think most people would have guessed by now what event is unfolding. Here are a few facts so far: it was the summer of 1947, we were in New Mexico, and we were going to a place called Roswell. The stories about that event have become urban legend, myth, and even that 90’s television series, which I admit was quite funny and satirical if you knew the true events. Yes, a flying saucer crashed. Yes, there was a cover-up by both military and certain powerful groups interested in protecting certain secrets. However, as for the biggest claim of all, they were really not aliens per se.

Uncle Frankie took Brian’s words to heart and drove southeast beyond Moriarty toward Chavez County and the city of Roswell. I was confused at this point, uncertain what was happening or what it all meant, but Brian seemed anxious. As we entered Chavez County, Brian started giving direct driving directions like a bloodhound hot on scent of a dead body. Then, right in front of us, there was a large convoy of trucks and jeeps filled with soldiers. It looked like it came out of a war movie. Uncle Frankie was flagged down by one of the soldiers.

“Sir, may I have your name and a form of ID.”

“Franklin R. Philips, I am an intelligence officer with the rank of Colonel. Is General Ramey around?”

The solider checked Uncle Frankie’s ID and nodded, “Sir I cannot say. Also, I cannot authorize you to pass this checkpoint. Please turn around.”

“I have code Gold Black clearance, so tell your CO to check with the general or make a call to Washington offices.”

The soldier looked at the two of us in the backseat, “Sir, this area is no place for ankle-biters. Please turn around or I will be forced to escalate this to my CO.”

“These kids also have authorization; you may escalate this to your CO, if you wish.”

In no time, we were allowed to cross through the checkpoint and enter under heavy escort. The area looked normal for the most part, just regular farmland that you could find in southern California, too. Basically, it was nowheresville, until we saw the disk. At first, it was a faint metallic shimmer on the horizon, then it grew larger as we approached. When we finally reached there, I could not believe what I was seeing. It was massive like the size of our school and it was glowing with strange blue and green lights at its bottom. Uncle Frankie left the car and we followed him. He went towards an older looking man, who was busy surveying everything. He saw Uncle Frankie and us approaching.

Uncle Frankie softly asked, “What the happened here?”

“Looks like they caught the tail end of a nuclear test and they were forced to descend.”

“Have they made contact with anyone?”

“Yes, unfortunately…” his eyes pointing to a pair of child sized body bags a few yards away, “some of the local air force guys got spooked and opened fire. Two of the three were killed. The last one is in bad shape.”

“Damn it, all high level military personnel were told to not take hostile actions and to try to give these beings an open arm. They travelled billions of miles to get here on a mission of peace.”

“Look Frankie, these guys were from the Reserves, not regular air force, army, navy, or marine. They’re used to shooting, rather than talking. If we had an intelligence officer around here, maybe things could have been different. What do you expect, when Truman cuts the budget down to a trickle and disbands OSS? Without the signal coming through radio, you would’ve probably been retired from service along with the rest of them. Hell, half of these men don’t even know what military intelligence means, beyond the stupid jokes. The chain of command didn’t reach this place.”

Brian ran towards the direction of a white tent set up near the craft. I ran in pursuit and Uncle Frankie followed soon after. The older man looked perplexed at what we were doing and joined our chase for my little brother.

In any other situation, this might be considered very funny. Two grown men and an 8 year old were chasing a 5 year old. The military personnel watching us did not know what to make of the sudden rush towards the white tent. Brian reached the tent first, and then I was next. Inside, it smelled like a hospital with a scent of formaldehyde and disinfectant. There was a doctor and several nurses in the tent. However, other than us, several things seemed out of place.

The being on the bed was grey colored and small in size like me and Brian, but his eyes and head were large ovals. The eyes were distinctly larger in proportion to its head. The head was disproportionate to the rest of the body, which seemed frail and skinny. It wore a translucent suit that was skin tight and covered the entire length of its body.

There was also someone, who looked out of place there, an older looking boy wearing all black and white. I could feel something strange emanating from him, like he was someone I should know or something I should instinctively try to avoid.

Both the adults entered the tent, moments after we did to the surprise of the doctors.

One doctor cried out after realizing our presence, “Get everyone out of here, they’ll infect him.”

The military medics tried to hold us down, but Brian stood firm and looked directly at the odd boy standing above the being, “No, I need to talk to him, don’t take him away.”

The boy in black looked over at Brian with surprise at the command, “Oh, you’re…Sorry progenitor, but I don’t think he can delay the crossing much longer. He’s suffered a great deal of damage and his life energy is not enough to sustain him.”

Brian with strength that he should not possess overcame the medic holding him down and walked over to the being on the bed, “Please, don’t go.”

The older man, who just caught his breath from the dash, spoke out to everyone, “You are all dismissed, the kids and Frank will be the only ones allowed to stay.”

The doctor protested, “Sir, you cannot allow them to…”

The older man angrily cut him off, “Do you have a way to save that being? If not, get the hell out of here.”

After the doctors and medics left, I approached the boy in black, “Hi, why are you here?”

The boy blinked as I spoke to him, “Oh right, you must be the protector and a direct genetic relation.” Then, he looked over me at Uncle Frankie, “Oh, I see the Cogenitor has also arrived, too. It is a great honor to see you all.”

Uncle Frankie walked over to me, “Josh, this is an agent of death, he and others like him only appear when someone is about to die. Your dad taught me about them and we have spoken with a few from time to time. I bet you have seen a few yourselves without realizing.”

I looked the boy over and shook my head, “he looks like a normal boy to me.”

The older man in the corner had a quizzical look on his face, “Who are you talking about, I see no one else except us, Frank.”

Uncle Frankie replied back, “Roger, be glad you don’t see him as it would mean that you’re going to be dead soon. You won’t be able to see him naturally before death, unless you’re connected to the “First” or part of the special bloodline.”

Roger nodded and began leaving the tent as well, “Okay, well, all this stuff is way above my head to begin with, but can you guys try to get the grim reaper away. I’d like to talk to mysterious beings that I can see.”

After he left, the boy in black looked rather irritated, “I am not the grim reaper. Do I look like a skeleton to you? I don’t even have a scythe.”

I shook my head, “No, you look nice”

He blushed and looked me over, “You’re what 8 years old, I’ve got a friend, who’s around your age and I think he’ll like you in a few years.”

Brian turned his head back and interrupted the conversation, “Josh, Uncle Frankie, please help me. He’s going away.”

Uncle Frankie went over to Brian and I joined him, then Uncle Frankie explained to the being, “If you can hear us, we need you to establish a telepathic link with all of us. We’ll try to help Brian reach the “First” within him through our combined support. Josh, you need to close your eyes and think about Brian; I know it is hard for a kid to do and wished I didn’t have to rush you like this, but I need you to work with me. As for the Agent of Death, I need you to help us hold back his death as much as possible without hurting yourself.”

The agent of death understood the command from Uncle Frankie and nodded, “I’ll try to keep what remains of his life energy stable, but I cannot guarantee it.”

I did as Uncle Frankie asked; it was hard to focus on only Brian with all the weird things I had seen and heard in the last day at that point, but I somehow managed. It was quiet for a long time. Then a strange voice went through my head, “I understand”, and everything went black. I don’t know how, but I knew the voice came from the being on the bed and he was connecting through us to Brian.

It felt like I was dreaming. Everything seemed blurry and disjointed for a few moments, and then things began to get clearer. I saw Brian right next to me, Uncle Frankie, and the being. It looked like the tent that we were in, but there was something off about it that was just not real.

The Being began to speak to us, “Thank you for speaking with me, I know you did not need to come, nor answer our signals.”

Uncle Frankie responded, “Please, the apologies belong to us, our people should not have shot and killed two of you, nor should we have conducted such highly volatile nuclear tests so close to your landing site. We hope that your spirit of peace and good faith has not been destroyed by human ignorance. With your advanced technology, I would guess that you might desire to destroy us out of spite for this act of aggression, but I implore you to show mercy to our people and world.”

The being looked over at Brian, “They do not know do they that we are of similar descent?”

Brian looked confused and shifted his sight over to Uncle Frankie, “He’s funny looking.”

The being responded to Brian’s reply, “I guess we have not yet gained an audience with the “First”, only his young avatar. His anger at us for disobeying him must be too great. We are beyond salvation as….”

Just then, a kid appeared between us, “We are not beyond compassion, but you must prove to us an audience is needed”. The kid looked strange, not like the grey colored being though. With long hair, feminine face, and a flat muscular torso, he bore both the apparent features of a boy and a girl.

The being looked at the kid in front of him, “You’re an Ainur, one of my long dead ancestors, who had tried to flee from this world over a hundred thousand years ago. You must have been the one named Necor, the last Ainur avatar of the “First” during the final battle at the outskirts of S’Kar”. The kid nodded, while Brian, Uncle Frankie, and I were speechless as we did not know what was going on.

Uncle Frankie asked the kid politely, “Are you the being we are seeking to speak to? I was told by Allen long ago that we were to meet, when a visitor from the stars brings dark tidings.”

The kid shook his head in rejection, “No, we are not the “First” and we know nothing of what you say as the “First” usually does not leave his domain. We are of Ainur, but before this vessel died, our mind was integrated with the Arknor consciousness to guide the Ainur souls back to Earth’s life cycle. We cannot join the “First” as a result.”

I was getting frustrated by this talk about things I didn’t understand and reached my breaking point, “Just tell us everything, what is an Ainur? What is an Arknor? What are you? What are Brian and Uncle Frankie? And What am I?”

Then, another flash happened and a familiar face appeared. He was rather handsome looking with curly brown hair and a lean build. He held a round face with delicate features. He wore a simple turquoise colored shirt and jeans. There was no denying, who this man was.

Uncle Frankie amazed at the man before him and tried to make a response, “Allen, is that you?”