The Alien Consciousness 2-4
CHAPTER 4
Polyakov’s car, agents Kinsley and Hampton noticed from afar. It was a BMW of platinum color. In the afternoon, in the open, under the bright sunlight area, the car just flashes like a star and was visible at a distance of a kilometer. Ford, which belonged to James and Larry, was slowly coming to the scene. Agents’ eyes with a professional habit tightly scrutinized almost every object, from a distance trying to find something unusual. But in the surrounding areas, there was nothing unusual that could happen some times ago. Ordinary grass, ordinary stones and burnt under the sun light soil.
A policeman who was walking up and down beside the car of Polyakov, seeing the approaching car, stopped and began to stare intently, trying to determine who sits in it. Ordinary driver or come those who should come. Agents’ car has stopped. James and Larry came out of it, approached the policeman, and exchanged greetings. The police officer had recommended himself as Tom Creeks. He was a local sheriff. After the some formalities they get to work. ‘Tell us everything you know about this case, sheriff.’ Larry asked. Sheriff Creeks, a tall, broad-shouldered man, wiped his forehead with his hand. In fact there was nothing to tell. His assistant in the morning found the abandoned car. First, decided that the local teenagers stole it to ride. Then they left it on the roadside. Car is in an order. One can drive it just now. But when inspected the car and found out that all things are in their places, nothing was missing, even a purse, realized that the version with the theft unsustainable. We found out who was the owner by the car’s plates. But when also found in purses the identity of an FBI agent, decided to report to the local federal offices. This entire Sheriff, with stopping and frowned his brows, said to the two listened attentively to him agent. ‘Did you examine the place around?’ Larry asked, hoping that the local policemen did not do it and that the possible traces are not trampled down. ‘No. We decided to wait for you. The obvious signs of violence we didn’t see here, traces of blood too. And the corpses, also not found. My partner and I, however, walked the area around the car in diameter ... Hmmm... ‘What?’ James asked quickly. ‘Found something?’ ‘It’s hard to say. I do not know, if it is relevant or not. However, you will see for yourself when you start to examine all here. The tree grows here… strange. Such trees I have not seen anywhere else before. There is, on the hill. See? You can see it themselves. And the soil in some places burned and melted, as if under the high heat. I have no idea what could burn it here.’ Sheriff pointed to the hill on the right. At the top of it was growing a small tree. From a distance, especially against the sun’s rays it was hard to see it well. ‘Thank you, Sheriff for information and assistance. We’ll check the tree. Expert group soon come here.’ Sheriff nodded, stepped aside, sighed with relief. Now the responsibility for subsequent events is no longer on his shoulders. He could just watch for an order. ‘James, inspect the area, but I'll check the car. Or you want to rummage into someone else's glove compartment? ‘Perhaps, I'll better take a walk and see around.’ ‘Okay! Before the experts come, we also able to dig up something interesting.’ Larry climbed into the front seat of BMW, while James went to inspect the neighborhood. Sheriff Creeks wanted to guide him but when he saw how was concentrated a face of agent Kinsley, changed his mind. He decided that for him it would be better stay near the car. Maybe the other agent will ask him for help or assistance. Sheriff Creeks for the duration of his service has not yet had occasion to observe, how works the federal agents, more over to assist them. Everything what was happening immediately in his eyes acquired a mysterious significance. James, looking back, walked slowly forward. In the place where he was, there was nothing unusual. He took a little to the left. By the tree he decided not to approach. The tree grew a hundred meters from the place where the car stopped, and James decided at first carefully examines the land area between the car and the tree. He took another step. Stopped. Squatted. In the grass something could be seen. He quickly reached out his hand, but then he restrained himself, took away only a grass’ blades. It was a crumpled cigarette’s pack. He knew that a foreigner, who accompanied Jennifer, smoked. However, as the most of the inhabitants of his country. James carefully examined the ground around him. Everywhere was trampled grass. He understood the grass could trample anyone, even some animal. Shoe’s prints were not visible. James looked forward. His heart beat faster. There was something really interesting. He quickly got on his feet, went forward squatted again. Before him there was some molten material. Visually, James could not identify what it was, but thought that maybe a stone or glass or some kind of breed. He knew without experts and laboratory’s research he will not go far then his own assumption. But while experts were not here, he hoped to find anything that would be understandable for him even without the experts. He pulled a pen out of his jacket’s pocket, tried to pick up the molten thing. Substance with a size of big plate, separated from the soil. James looked under it. Nothing. It was only clay with the charred blades of grass. The grass was burned by the action of the molten material. The question was who and what melted? Who or what could out of town, on the open ground to melt, for example, a stone? James did not know. Or maybe the alleged stone was treated with an acid? Well, but why then the grass charred? The speculation swarm whirled into the head of agent Kinsley, but the correct answer, he did not find. The only thing he understood clearly, there really happened something extraordinary. Agent Leroy and Polyakov probably were witnesses. “Real detective!” Kinsley exclaimed to himself into his head. He also had more fantastic versions. Someone had tested a secret weapon, for example, a laser. But why did so close to the city? And who? James could not explain. Surveying the area, he took a few pictures oh his mobile phone. Looked back. Larry, along with the sheriff was working near the abandoned car. Thinking about the possible versions of what happened here a couple of days ago, James straightened, took a few steps forward. ‘My world!’ James exclaimed in amazement. ‘What a gift to our experts!’ It was a real surprise. A few steps toward the place where the tree grew, to which the sheriff strongly recommended to pay his attention, the soil was very different from the rest of the area. It’s looked like some one had left here an imprint by a hot press. Rocks, sand, soil, everything turned into a molten, and then the frozen mass. The size of the molten place was about three to four meters, a sort of a rectangular scorched trace. James quickly, as if was afraid that the molten part of the soil could disappear, made the series of photos. Then switch the phone on the video mode, recorded the place of scene. What could cause such the imprint, James had no idea. “Where are the experts? Why do they so long?” He thought angrily. ‘There are so many interesting things, and no one to consult with. I should call Larry, let he take a look too. No, I do it later. I have enough of time. At first I’ll go to the tree, and then call him.” But Larry did not wait till his partner will call him, and loudly shouted something. James did not hear what exactly and asked to repeat. Larry was interested in his success. ‘I’ve got something worthy.’ James shouted in response. ‘Come here. You have to look at it.’ ‘Okay! I'll be right there.’ Larry said. Bypassing gently on the edge of the molten place, James suddenly thought of radiation. What if the all area around is radioactive and he, without knowing just now is bombarded with radiation? James’s forehead covered with a cold sweat. He quickly stepped aside, but he didn’t change his mind to get to the tree. Finally he reached the top of hill on which grew the strange little tree. James could not define the breed of it, although he had a pretty encyclopedic knowledge in many fields of science. Thick as a man's arm, trunk of the tree was completely stripped of bark. Under the bright rays of sunlight, if looks at the tree without taking one’s eye apart, one could get a feeling as if the tree’s trunk was exuding a faint glow. The crown of tree was decorated with a few ugly branches on which were visible some gray-yellow leaves. Suddenly it seemed to James that the leaves are alive and if touch it, they could bite for a finger. Wondering to his own thoughts, James photographed the tree. Then thought a little, walked around and photographed the other side of the tree. At that moment Larry called him. Looking back at the voice of his colleague, James saw that Larry slowly, was coming to him. James, wanting to warn him of possible dangerous place, wanted to shout, but since they were separated, probably not less than a hundred meters, has decided that it will be easier to call him on a mobile phone and explain everything. And he did so. ‘Okay. Understood. Maybe there has been a sale of radioactive elements?’ Larry suggested, continuing to walk while talking on phone. ‘Something went wrong, so that there was the contamination of the area?’ ‘Oh, God have mercy on us!’ James exclaimed with feelings, mentally trying to figure out if it’s really so, how much the curies he managed to grab while was watching and photographing the molten soil. ‘Okay, pull-up, discuss everything.’ He switched off his cell, turned to the tree. Before, James thought that a man can quickly get sweat only during the large and prolonged physical exercises or for when some one for a long stays in a very hot sauna. His shirt in seconds stuck to the back. His body numbed. Frozen on the spot without taking his eyes, he was staring at one point. His eye slowly widened in surprise and fear. Next to the tree, just a meter and a half from the place where he had just been and photographed, was a strange creature. James nothing like that had seen in his entire adult life. Of medium height, the creature had a head divided into the sections; each section had a one eye. Two lean hands, as if were separate from the body, but do not fall off, and from time to time changes its location in the area. It was a plarm! The creature intently was staring at James. Heart of agent Kinsley seemed snapped and was now somewhere at the bottom of his body. He could feel how the panic fear like a snake creeps into his brain, depriving him of the ability to act and resist. The entire world around, as if disappeared, failed, and ceased to exist. There was no Larry, no sheriff, no car. He did not even remember who he was and what for he arrived there. There were only he and a nightmarish creature. So strange and absurd in this so familiar and beautiful world, especially in the afternoon, in the bright sunshine that James for a moment thought that he got some hallucinations arising from the possible exposure to radiation, or he just was going crazy. James did not even have the idea to call for a help. How long they looked at each other James could not say. But then, suddenly he gained again his ability to act. His hand quickly reached for a weapon. In this tense moment, there happened something incredible. The possible hallucination got alive, and made a very real warning gesture. It looked like the creature quite clearly understood the intentions of James. James’ hand continued on its way. A few more inches and fingers will squeeze the handle of the gun. In the right extremity of the creature, emerged a short thing. Flared and faded a red beam. The left side of James’s face slightly, touched a hot breeze; appeared the smell of singed hair. In the first few seconds, James did not even realize what had happened. And only then it dawned on him that the creature was not only alive and able to understand and anticipate his intentions, but was armed and fired a warning shot. James took a deep breath, he felt weak in the knees. The left hand instinctively reached for the hair. When he looked at his fingers, he saw traces of blood. The ray seems touched the edge of the ear. When he looked back at the place where there was a creature, there was no longer anyone. The lonely mound adorned by the same lonely little tree. A minute later behind his back he heard a voice and footsteps of Larry. ‘In the car there are no suspicious traces. As if they had just come out for a walk. Documents, money, everything remains in place. It’s a dark matter.’ Larry said, stopping next to James. ‘But how are you? Got something? Hey, James you have blood on your cheek. Something happened?’ Larry stared at James. ‘You do not believe ...’ blurted out agent Kinsley, but then he bit his lip. “Say to him or better remain silent? But what say? I’ve seen a ghost, zombies or some kind of evil? And it was heavily armed and deadly dangerous. Larry will think that I'm just overheated in the sun or got a nerves’ stress. And he will be right.” I’m fine. Just injured by the branch of a tree,’ James explained, after he finished his mental monologue. ‘Why do I not believe? I believe. When I used to work around in my flower garden with shrubs, I always scratch my hands, legs, and even the face. The main thing takes care of your eyes. “Wow, I would never thought that Hampton at his leisure time like to dig in the beds. Never knows what else new you get to know about a person whom you think know well. And the entire fault was a non-standard situation!” ‘Yeah, you're right. I should be more careful.’ James glanced at the place where there was a shooting at him creature, involuntarily shivered. There was no one. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the blood which dries up already. There was not much of blood, but still it was unpleasant. “Beast. I’ll get to you.” He threatened into his head to no one. ‘Well, you asked what I found here. There is something interesting. For example, the tree mentioned by the sheriff.’ He pointed to tree that grew on the top of lonely hillock with a nod. ‘It’s obviously undergone by the unknown transformations. I'm afraid that without the help of scientists, we are not to understand what happened here. Slightly below the slope there is a scorched patch of soil. Looks like a huge trace of hot press. Even the rocks are melted and the sand turned into frozen glassy mass. I will say one thing, strange things going on here, while was passing by the car in which were the agent Leroy and foreigner. Very strange.’ ‘Maybe it’s terrorists or arms dealers?’ Larry suggested hopefully. ‘If the Ukrainians possess such powerful, portable lasers, then we'd better join the Ukraine.’ James joked. Only now he noticed that he hold in his sweaty hand the hot already from the heat of the palm, the mobile phone. All this time, the mobile phone continued to record the video. James struck with a guess. “What if? I should check it. Right now. But not here. In the car.” But James did not have to invent anything, to be alone and to see whether there is recorded on the phone, a strange creature, which shot him.’ Their attention was drawn by the noise of an approaching car. To the scene pulls the car of experts and minibus of the Express Lab. ‘That’s the experts.’ James exclaimed with relief. ‘Now it will go much faster. Okay, I'm back in the office. Tell about everything to Nicholson. You stay with the experts. There will be some news, call me. ‘OK.’ Larry agreed. ‘Do you think it’s an UFO, the aliens?’ Dark eyes of Larry were drilling James like a gimlet. James who didn’t expect such a question, stumbled, nearly fell down. ‘Why do you think so?’ ‘It’s all right. I was joking. Understood. Let’s wait for the results. But if it’s really so, I'm ready for anything. Do you understand me?’ Larry finished pointedly. ‘You know it yourself; sooner or later it had to happen. But the official version stills the same. It was the arms dealers.’ James shook his head vaguely and quickly hurried to his car. In his back flew Larry’s words: ‘Pal, I saw everything. How that creature shot at you. All I wanted at that moment it was that the sheriff did not notice anything. So I distracted his attention as much as I could. I have no words to tell you how I was worried about you. I thought that beast would finish you while I was away. Okay, we'll talk later about it.’ “So, Larry saw everything. Hmm, I didn’t think that he’s get such a good eye sight if he saw all from such a distance. Why all took a few seconds, no more.” James telling the truth was shocked that Larry knows what happened with him. He, James was sure that his partner and sheriff Crick were busy with the car and saw nothing what was going on the hill’s top. But it turns out that there was at least one witness. He was lucky that it was his partner but not the sheriff Crick. Actually everything was fine. In the case with Larry he needn’t to invent something, misinterpret the facts. The situation was much simpler because as if it was the sheriff Crick. The expert group, which arrived on the scene, consisted of six silent men. They just were getting out of car their staff. Some of them James knew personally. After exchanging greetings he said that he was very busy and hurried to his car. After he was driving away for some distance, James stopped the on the road side and switched off the engine. With some trepidation he picked up his phone, found the recorded file, played it. Here are the tracks, burnt rectangle, tree, sun, grass. James felt how his breathing quickened. He knew that now will be a mysterious creature. Or it didn’t get into the lens of the phone? When on the screen flashed a red beam generated by an unknown weapon, James even now, sitting in his car, shuddered involuntarily, looked around. There was no one around the car. He pressed the pause button, divided the video record on the separate shots, some of it increased using the redactor program in the phone. Moving the image with his finger on the touch screen, James carefully studied the picture of the creature. At first he examined his head. During the shot, on the face of the creature were visible only two eyes, but James could have sworn that actually the creature got at least twice as much of it on real. James then increased the weapons. In size it was not superior to common earth's gun or machine gun, but had the several barrels, compactly placed one above the other. Perhaps the barrels each used for a different purpose. James did not notice that he already begun to analyze the image, to make some conclusions, assumptions. The hands of the creature seemed were separated from its body were not fixed to it. But at the same time they didn’t fall down and moved obediently obeying to all commands of the creature. Having carefully examined the image of odd creature, James made a backup copy, sent to his email, first, in the office, then at home. After it he uploaded the video file on the site for the file storage. He didn’t intent to post it yet only to keep it there. James switched off the phone begun to think. He did not know what to do with all this. From the very beginning, he was not going to tell anyone, at least for the some time to talk about that he was attacked by the unknown creature. He didn’t want to look in the eye of his colleagues as if he got crazy. But after the words of Larry, he knew he has no right to remain silent. Larry can tell all or has already told in to the experts. Considered everything, James decided nevertheless to share the video he recorded with the chief. Now that he's holding the evidence, no one will say that he is mad. By adopting such a decision, he started the engine, drove on the road and went to the town. * * * After half an hour, James in the second time that day was in the cabinet of his chief. ‘Oh! Come on, James. We were just talking about you.’ “We?” James quickly glanced at the people who were in the room. “Well, well, Alistair, Kalager, Dawson and Jacobs who was running the research department. All bosses gathered here!” ‘Yes, sir.’ James prepared to answer all their questions. ‘Take a sit, James. We’ve got a live broadcast from the place of scene. Just turned on the webcam. You just came back from there, please comment what our experts do there? Explain us what is going on there. Are you ready?’ ‘I understand, sir.’ James sat down in such a way that he could see both the gathered heads of departments and the image on the monitor. James did not have time to comment on what was happening on any computer’s monitor, or show them his own video captured on a cell phone. In Nicholson's office hurriedly rushed in Sally Harper, from the department of public relations. No one before never had seen her so scared. Almost all of the men, who were present at the meeting, involuntarily rose from their seats. James was no an exception. He suddenly thought that Sally has also become the victim of an attack of the unknown creature. Sally Harper looked around all those who were in the room with a quick glance, nodded and went to Nicholson. ‘You just can not even imagine what kind of news I'm going to tell you!’ She said, breaking all the rules of etiquette and subordination. Nicholson turned pale, clenched his fists. He understood that such liberties in her behavior his colleague could afford herself only under the influence of a strong emotional experience. Why the FBI agents by their nature are also the ordinary people. ‘Just now the NASA contacted with us. On the Mars had been discovered the transmitter operating on our frequency… Frequency belongs to our agent Jennifer Leroy!’ In the office of Nicholson after her words for a while reined the absolute silence. All stared at Sally, as if trying to understand and comprehend what she had just said, but could not do it, neither individually or together. ‘Yesterday, one of the young NASA’s scientists recorded and managed to read the signal transmitted from Mars. NASA specialists, of course were in shock. After some discussion, decided to check the accuracy of the information. For this purpose, they activated their rover Incredible. Two years ago, the rover was conserved due to the completion of a research program on the red planet. Fortunately, the on-board computer responded to a signal from the Earth, activated all the systems and, obeying commands from the Control Center, sent a rover in the sector of the transmitter. All calculations are confirmed. On Mars, works agent’s Leroy transmitter. Here are the photos taken by the rover.’ Sally opened the folder, with a trembling hand took a dozen photos, put on the table of Nicolson who kept silence. ‘But here the video records of movement and actions of the rover. There's all. And he discovered the pyramid ...’ ‘Pyramid?’ Some one exclaimed in surprise. ‘Yes, Yes! Pyramid…very real pyramid!’ Sally said it with a satisfied tone, as if it was she who was on Mars and discovered it. ‘On the photo it is clearly visible. You can see for yourself.’ Heads of departments gradually began to recover from shock and astonishment. Hands reached for the photos. Shock was passing. Although still there were a lot of questions. Nicholson also took the two photos and standing began to examine it. Then he slowly sank into his chair. One photo has got James. He saw a mechanical robot’s arm, who was keeping in front of the camera’s lens the necklace of Jennifer. The photo was taken just a few seconds until the plarms appeared on the Mars. He kept a photo in front of him, looked, but did not understand any thing. Just was looking at the picture. “Jennifer on Mars! Complete nonsense. How could this happen? How, how could she got there? It's so far away! No, it is not even that. That is, in this well. Scientists even didn’t invent the spacecraft which can carry the humans to the Mars in such a short time. But if such a ship exists, who would let Jennifer onboard?” James felt that all these thoughts in his brain begin to boil. It seemed to him that all this is some weird, dodgy rally organized by some one for unknown purpose. At least, it was incomprehensible to him, James. “Maybe it's an extraordinary exercise in a case of emergency situation?” He suddenly thought. Personally, James knew nothing of what was happening around him, and was glad that he was not the chief of the FBI, and he shouldn’t make any decisions in this situation. Nicholson, after examining the photos, quietly put them in front of him. ‘I propose to arrange an extended meeting. For example, we'll meet here at 16.00 p.m. We’ll invite also on our meeting the NASA’s scientists, astronomers, programmers. I think, together, we will find an honorable way out of this situation.’ Nicholson said it so confidently, as if he already knew the answers, if not for all, but at least for the most of the questions which have put the rest to a complete standstill. Heads of departments sighed with a relief and looked at him with an admiration. At this point the meeting at Nicolson office was over. But through the corridors of the FBI with a speed of light were spreading the rumors. Agent Jennifer Leroy with her client was on the Mars and sends out a SOS signal!
| |
|
| |
| Views: 112 | | |
| Total comments: 0 | |