Alien Base: The Evidence for Extraterrestrial Colonization of Earth – RETURN TO EARTH
Alan told Fry that further discussion had to await another meeting, as time was up and they had landed back at White Sands. ‘It is on the ground now, and I will open the door,’ he said. ‘We will wait until you are a little distance from the craft before we retrieve it . . . Take care of yourself until we return.’
Dazed after such a fantastic experience, Fry stepped down and stumbled several paces through the sand before turning to look at the craft.
The door had closed behind me and, as I turned, a horizontal band of orange- colored light appeared about the central, or widest part of the ship, and it leaped upward as though it had been released from a catapult. The air rushing in to replace that which had been displaced upward impelled me a full step forward and almost caused me to lose my balance. I managed to keep my eyes on the craft while the band of light went through the colors of the spectrum from orange to violet. As the light went through the violet band, the craft had risen several thousands of feet in the air, and I could follow it no longer.
Fry then became thoroughly depressed. It was as if his life’s work had lost all significance. ‘A few hours before, I had been a rather self-satisfied engineer, setting up instruments for the testing of one of the largest rocket motors in existence. While I realized that my part in the project was a small one, I felt that, through my work, I was traveling in the forefront of progress. Now I knew that rocket motors . . . had been obsolete for thousands of years. I felt like a small and insignificant cog in a clumsy and backward science, which was moving toward its own destruction.’
Fry did not report or mention his experience to anyone, partly because he had tacitly given his agreement to Alan not to do so, and also because he was convinced no one would believe him. He continued rather unenthusiastically with his work, testing various types and sizes of rocket motor. Alan had said he would return in a few months, and Fry grew restless. After the first series of tests were completed, he went back home to California, then returned to the base for a second series of tests.
One evening, after Fry had driven from his quarters at the ‘H’ building to the test site’s instrument room, he saw an unusual glowing object, about a foot in diameter. Walking towards it, he suddenly heard Alan’s voice, as if beside him. ‘Yes, Dan, it’s ours. Since we are not using the sampling craft now, we thought it best to send down a small communications amplifier. We could get along without it, but it does [reduce] the chance of error in our communications almost to zero.’
After allowing Fry to calm down following the shock, Alan went on to explain that he would eventually be able to successfully adapt his body to Earth’s environment, but that he would need help. ‘If you do not wish to assist us,’ he continued, ‘all memory of this meeting and the previous one will be erased from your mind . . . If, on the other hand, you do decide to assist us, you may find yourself in a situation that is not easy to endure . . . The only reward we can promise you is the inward satisfaction of having assisted in the survival of your race, and the acquisition of considerable knowledge and understanding that you would not otherwise be able to gain.’ Fry gave his consent.
Alan first asked Fry to gather a number of textbooks dealing with the English language and mathematics. Regarding the latter, Alan explained that his system was based on multiples of 12, rather than 10, and that it would take him a while to master the ‘new’ system. These textbooks, he said, should be placed on a certain ledge at the test stand, where they would be ‘collected’ by a small sampling device, then analysed, copied, and returned 24 hours later. The arrangement worked well. On several occasions, Fry obtained books (including the Bible) for Alan from the base library, and on each occasion they were
returned safely.