CHILDREN OF THE UNIVERSE
Prologue
Several years ago I was authorized to chronicle the purported true events of an amazing adventure. Some of the participants had successfully petitioned for permission to tell this story. Their motive was to give Earth’s population a brief glimpse of a much larger view of our universe than that currently held, and to assure them that we humans are definitely among God’s most cherished creations. After being allowed to visit many of the locations described in this book, and after interviewing some of those involved, studying their diaries, log books, and other recorded data, I definitely became a believer myself. It was apparent to me however that in this case, truth was not only stranger than fiction, it could easily be dismissed as just another fantasy of some demented would be psychic. The result was a decision to write a fictionalized version of the narrative which would appeal to the general public, and let them decide which parts are truth and which fiction. After all, isn’t this is what happens with even the most sacred books. Since they are written by humans and have been translated many times into many languages, the results are similar to those in the game of gossip. Changes and misinterpretations are inevitable. Basic truth, however has a way of standing out, and being apparent to those seeking it. That said, please enjoy the book, and good luck finding any truths which may comfort you or help you better understand your role in this grand universe.
Chapter One
The Journey Begins
Excerpts from the diary of Dr. Robert Smith
I don’t know if anyone will ever read my diary, but I have a personal need to document this incredible journey anyway, so here goes! I was living in Southern California at the time. As much as I loved the weather, I always hated the freeways and congested city life that comes with a teaching position at a most major universities. My solution to this was sailing along the coast, and backpacking in the local San Bernardino Mountains. I loved being able to get away from it all, and yet to be so close to home. Little did I know just how ‘away from it all’ I would soon be.
One spring day in the middle of a camping trip I was sitting on a rock overlook, enjoying a spectacular view. It had rained hard the previous night. The air was so clear I could see all the way to the ocean and Catalina Island, a rare sight from a place that far inland. I felt so at peace, and was thoroughly entranced by the beauty and serenity of this special place.
All of a sudden I had a feeling that I wasn’t alone. The air seemed different as well, and I smelled the faint odor of ozone, as after a lightning storm. I turned my head to look behind me, and saw only trees and a wall of granite rock on the other side of the trail that I had been hiking on. All of a sudden another backpacker stepped out of the side of the granite wall onto the trail and started walking away from me. I was in a state of shock. I stared in disbelief as he walked away and out of sight. I seemed frozen in time, staring at the solid granite wall, from which this person had apparently stepped. After what seemed like an eternity, I snapped out of it, jumped up, and ran over to the wall to inspect it, certain that there must be a large discontinuity that had not been visible from where I had been sitting. This could explain the seemingly impossible materialization of the backpacker.
No such luck! The wall was absolutely smooth and solid. There was no way any one could have appeared suddenly at that point on the trail by any means I could think of. I looked down, and in the soft dirt, still damp from the previous night’s rain, were very large fresh hiking boot prints. The prints started from the exact spot I saw the man step out of the wall, and continued down the trail in the direction that I had seen him walk.
I stood there, my analytical mind in hyperdrive trying to make logical sense out of an illogical event. Unable to come up with any reasonable explanation, I started trembling, feeling a wild mixture of fear, dread, and off scale excitement. Somehow I sensed this was just the beginning of an incredible adventure. I had no idea what I had just witnessed, but I did know that in order to learn more; I had to follow the mysterious backpacker. Somehow I also had the presence of mind to note the place in the wall where he had appeared. I marked the location as a waypoint on my hand held GPS.
I hurried down the trail, both anxious to catch up with him, and at the same time not having a clue as to what I would do when I did. Was this some alien from outer space, who would abduct me and perform horrifying medical experiments on me? Or maybe he was a demon from hell, and would take me back there with him. My fear started outweighing my curiosity, and I slowed down, not sure that I wanted to solve this mystery. Just as I was about to turn around and go the other way I caught sight of him far down the trail moving very fast.
I don’t know if it was some primal hunting instinct or what, but all of a sudden my fears disappeared and I knew that I had to pursue him. I was very familiar with this trail, and knew a shortcut to the campground at the trail’s end. I didn’t want him to know I was following him, so I waited until he was out of sight, and then I started straight down the mountain, bypassing the trail switchbacks that would make me visible from his position. Using my trusty GPS I headed straight for the campground, about two miles away. I was so excited that I slipped, fell, and crashed most of the way down. By the time I reached the campground I was muddy, cut, and bruised, but my adrenaline was flowing and I hardly noticed the pain.
I found an empty campsite with a picnic table close to the beginning of the trail and sat down to wait. I pulled off my pack and took out some food. I started eating an apple, trying to look casual and as if I had been there for some time. I thought I would have a considerable wait, considering that I had literally fallen down the mountain in record time. Also, I needed some time to recuperate, and catch my breath. But after only two or three bites into my apple, my quarry appeared on the trail, approaching the campground.
As he neared the end of the trail I could see why his boot size was so large. He was very tall, about six feet six inches or more. He was powerfully built, and had long blond hair and deep blue eyes. As he left the trail he headed in my direction, and as he did so I could feel my heart pounding loudly. I felt like getting up and running, but instead, in the calmest voice I could muster I said -“Hello there. Isn’t this a beautiful day for hiking?” I thought I was going to faint as his piercing blue eyes seemed to look right into my soul. Then he smiled and said - “It sure is. I don’t think I have ever seen it this clear. You can see the ocean and Catalina Island from up there. Say, what happened to you? You look like you just fell down the mountain.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just told him more or less the truth, that I had slipped and fallen down a steep bank. I didn’t have a clue about to what to say next, but as it turned out the stranger did all the talking. “It looks like you have some pretty bad scrapes there. I have a medical kit in my pack. Let me take care of those cuts for you before they get infected.” He slipped off his pack and took out a small shiny metal box that looked like polished stainless steel. It seemed to be one piece, but when he pressed on the sides a panel slid back revealing an assortment of unusual looking first aid kit contents. The stranger opened a small jar of ointment and started applying it to my cuts. I felt a strange tingling sensation, and immediately the pain disappeared. Before my eyes the cuts started to heal, and within moments they were gone. All I was able to do was sit still, hardly breathing, wondering what would happen next. We sat together in silence for awhile, and finally I asked – “ Who are you, and where do you come from?”
“Well, that is a long story”, he replied, “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. As I crossed over into your world I saw you, however I didn’t think you saw me. When I noticed you waiting for me here at the end of the trail, I knew you must have witnessed my crossing.” Before I could speak, or even move, he reached into his medical kit, pulled out a syringe, and emptied its contents into my arm. Instantly I felt a warm glow spread throughout my body. I remained acutely mentally alert, but my physical body seemed to melt into non-existence. The man then spoke in a soothing voice.
“I’m sorry that I had to do that, but I have no idea who you are, or what your reaction will be to what you saw up on that trail. Don’t be afraid, I will not harm you. You have two choices; I can give you a mild sedative which will cause you to sleep for a short while, and then wake up with no memory of our encounter, or I can explain my sudden appearance on the trail, and we’ll play it by ear from there. Which would you prefer?”
As quickly as the feeling in my body had faded away, it started to return, only without the panic and fear I had felt earlier. I felt peace, and absolutely no threat from this remarkable person. There was no doubt that I had been drugged, and I assumed that was why I felt so calm. I decided that it didn’t matter, because I really wanted to learn more, and I might as well be peaceful in the process. “Please explain things to me.” I said, and I waited with heart stopping anticipation in spite of my drugged calmness.
“Before I explain anything, let me say that the reason I just gave you a choice about the sedative is that I really need the help of a native person who lives in this general area. That person will have to have certain important qualifications, and since I don’t know anything about you, I have no idea if you would be able to handle the task. Therefore I have to insist that you tell me a little about yourself first. Let me assure you that if at any time in our discussion you should decide that you would prefer to have never seen me, I will gladly erase your memory of today’s events.”
“OK, I’ll go first, not that I necessarily will want to help you, but I do want some kind of an explanation. I was born in Los Angeles. I did well in school, and became interested in science at an early age. Physics and math were my favorite subjects. I am a Physics Professor at UCLA. I come here to the local mountains regularly to get away from the city rat race. That’s about it in a nutshell. Oh, and my name is Robert Smith. Now it’s your turn. Who or what are you, and how did you just walk right out of the side of a solid granite mountain wall?”
“I really had hoped for more detail about you, however at this point I guess it’s not that important. Let’s walk to the Little Bear Cafe and have lunch; we can talk on the way there. You look like you could use the rest, and a little nourishment. By the way my name is Ian. I’m glad to meet you Robert.” The café was a very short walk, and I did need the rest, and a good hot meal. I had been eating dried trail food for two days, and the thought of a ‘real meal’ sounded good, so I agreed, and we started walking. As we walked Ian began his incredible tale.
“I want to start by assuring you that you have absolutely nothing to fear from me. As we learn more about each other, and if we both agree that you would be a good choice to help me with my mission, I will answer all of your questions. For now, let’s just discuss the most important issues, starting with what you believe you saw on the trail. I did not step out of a granite wall. I crossed over from another, for lack of a better word, ‘dimension’. I live on another planet similar to earth named Taros, in the same general physical location as earth, but our world is invisible to you because it exists in a different dimension than your world. The word dimension however is terribly inadequate since your science actually has no words to describe the location of my world. Later, when we have more time, I will try to explain the fundamentals to you. I must warn you, however, that while you may believe that your background in Physics will help you understand these things, it probably won’t. Your world’s understanding of all areas of science is very basic. As a scientist yourself, you must realize that in spite of the rapid scientific advances on earth in the past hundred years or so, each answered question has resulted in many more unanswered ones. Fortunately this is a healthy thing. There was a time when earth’s scientific community felt it had everything pretty much figured out. On my world, as advanced as we are compared to earth, scientifically, and spiritually, we realize even more than you do, what an infinitesimal amount of the total picture we understand.
My main function here on earth is somewhat that of a cultural anthropologist, although many trips, like the one today, are for more serious matters, such as security breeches. It is absolutely imperative that our presence on other worlds will not substantially change the world’s natural evolution. We take extreme precautions to prevent this, however occasionally something beyond our control occurs and threatens to upset the delicate planetary balance of the more primitive worlds. Recently there was an accident near here that resulted in the loss of some of our dimension crossing equipment. It is essential that we retrieve this equipment before it is discovered. We are not concerned that anyone could learn out how to duplicate or even use this equipment, as it is far beyond your present scientific comprehension. The concern is that if its existence is widely publicized, there may be a global panic. There would be all sorts of speculation about possible alien invasion, or who knows what, as it would be evident that it is a very advanced technology not of this earth. I need to work with someone who lives here and can move about freely without suspicion, to help me retrieve this equipment. Are you interested?
My mind was whirling. I was so overwhelmed with the magnitude of this stranger’s statements that I could not speak. I just walked in silence for a while. We arrived at the café, and Ian was the first to speak. “I can imagine that this is a lot for you to absorb, let’s have something to eat, and get to know each other better”. I was more than happy to just order something to eat and let this information sink in for a while. We sat in a far corner out of earshot of other customers and Ian began again. “You don’t have to commit to anything at this point. We both need to learn much more about each other before deciding to work together. If either of us decides it is not in our mutual best interest, I will erase all memory of me, and you will continue your life as if this meeting never took place. Now let’s eat”. We sat in silence while we ate. I have no idea what we ordered. I was far too preoccupied processing the incredible things Ian had already told me.
After we ate, Ian suggested that we lighten the conversation a bit. He told me that he had been studying life on Earth first hand for many years. His specialty was human behavior, and he seemed to be very familiar with our local cultures and customs. We discussed politics, skiing, sailing, backpacking, and even commented on a few of the good-looking women in the café. For a while I almost felt like this was just an interesting chat with another fellow backpacker. I told Ian about my childhood as a navy brat, moving from place to place while my father was stationed in various seaports. This was good news/bad news for me. I was painfully shy as a child and it was hard making new friends, but out of necessity I came out of my shell and am probably a much more social person than I would have been otherwise. I worked hard putting myself through college and earned my doctorate at M.I.T. I thoroughly enjoy my teaching position at U.C.L.A. Thanks to my background at M.I.T. I have been able to obtain several research grants, so I have the fun of pure research without the constraints of working for private industry. Of course the pay isn’t nearly as good, but the freedom to do my own thing is makes it worthwhile.
Ian listened to me ramble on about myself, and when I finally paused he looked at me intently with those piercing blue eyes and began telling me more about his present mission. “Robert, I wish we had more time to get to know each other, before deciding to work together, but I find myself in an awkward position. The immediate recovery of the equipment I mentioned is absolutely imperative. It was lost near here, and there are enough hikers in the area that its discovery is probable, even though it is not that close to any well used trails. I know the things I have told you must seem like some far fetched science fiction tale, but I assure you they are true. I need someone that is intelligent, physically fit, open minded, and able to improvise in unexpected situations. From your description of yourself, and after talking to you, I have a feeling you would be a good choice, and it would seem that fate has put us together. In all my years visiting earth I have never come close to being discovered, so maybe our encounter was meant to be”.
I am by nature a very cautious person, not given to snap decisions and rash judgments. I looked long and hard at Ian, wondering how I could believe him, and trust him, before turning my life upside down and following him like a puppy dog. Who knows where this would lead? One thing was certain, if I agreed, this little adventure would very likely completely destroy my comfortable view of our universe and my place in it. Right or wrong, I knew I was hooked. Any consequence of helping Ian would be minor compared to the loss I would feel if I passed up an opportunity learn some basic truths about our universe which otherwise might not be discovered for eons, and certainly not in my lifetime.
“Let’s do it”, I said, feeling like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. “I just want you to promise me one thing. Under no circumstances will you ever erase my memory of anything I see, or do, even if I beg you to. My whole life has been about learning, understanding, and exploring my environment. The thought of any experience or knowledge being erased is absolutely abhorrent to me, regardless of your motives. And as far as me telling anyone about you, I’m sure you know that they would just lock me up in the loony bin if I did.
“Alright, I agree”, said Ian. “The only purpose of erasure would be for your own sake, possibly to protect your sanity. There have been many cases of such erasures. Most people just can not cope with the destruction of their entire belief system, for truly things are not as they seem in your limited view of the universe, and even the world around you. In your case you seem to be a secure enough person to handle it. I certainly hope so, as there definitely are people in ‘loony bins’ around your world who have been put there for telling people about very real experiences which your world is just not willing to believe. As I told you, this is the first time I have been discovered, and I have had no prior need to reveal who I am to a person on your world for any reason, therefore I have never had to erase anyone’s memory. The fact is however, I am only one of many visitors on your planet. Your earth has been studied and explored by countless civilizations throughout the universe, far before the advent of humans. There will be time for more discussions about all of this later, but we better get going. We have a lot to do before dark. I only hope we find the equipment before anyone else does.