

Eli Morningstar

By L. Depriest Ellsworth

PUBLISHED BY

L. Depriest Ellsworth at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 by L. Depriest Ellsworth

Cover by

Wallpaper Wiz

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thanks you for downloading this e-book. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

**Table of Contents**

One - Abduction

Two - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Three - Abduction

Four - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Five - Abduction

Six - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Seven - Abduction

Eight - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Nine - Abduction

Ten - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Eleven - Abduction

Twelve - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Thirteen - Abduction

Fourteen - Extraterrestrial Investigators

Fifteen - Abduction

Sixteen - Abduction

Seventeen - Alyce Green and the Men in Black

Discover other titles by L. Depriest Ellsworth

One

Abduction

I dislike coming out of my house. Whenever I come out of my house, life gets complicated. Tonight my life became complicated.

One minute I'm driving down a two lane country road on a Saturday night and in the blink of an eye I'm shirtless, strapped down to a cold metal slab in a white wall room with blinding overhead lights. I'm completely immobilized. I try to wiggle my fingers and toes, but they will not move. Why can't I move? Where am I? Am I dreaming?

Then out of the corner of my right eye I see three tall, slender, eerie figures huddled about six feet from me. One of the figures turns and point in my direction. It then turns back to the other two.

I cannot believe this is happening to me. Stuff like this only happens to other people. I'm just an average hard working guy who minds his own business. You always read about stuff like this happening to people who are vacationing in a Latin American country. I try to move again, but to no avail. After several minutes, the figures turn and start moving in my direction.

The closer they got, the faster my heart pounded in my chest. I quickly closed my eyes, awaiting the worse. After nothing happened, I slowly open my eyes. Looking up into the blinding overhead lights, I could only see the silhouettes of three odd shaped heads. Scared shitless, I open my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. What have they done to me? I cannot talk. I try to move once more, but it's a waste of time and energy.

I close my eyes once more and quickly re-open them, hoping my eerie captors have left the room. The overhead lights are off, and I can finally see the faces of my captors; one figure stood at my head, one on my left, and one on my right. I was at the highest level of fear as I gazed at my captors.

Standing over me are three ash gray figures with large shiny black eyes in a flat face. There was a protruding bump with two small openings which I assumed to be a nose and below that was a slit that I took to be the mouth. There were no discernible teeth, ears or hair. They all wore a white robe. Only the figures on my left and right wore shiny, possible metal, bands around their skinny necks.

Then it hit me as a sack of rocks. I had been freakin' abducted! I wanted to laugh, but couldn't. I am dreaming! We all know that aliens do not abduct black people. I wanted to laugh. Yep, I am dreaming.

I do remember watching a portion of the program on the Science channel where this black guy from Vermont or New Hampshire got abducted with his wife. After him, l cannot recall any other black person report they had been abducted.

I always thought the chances of a black person being abducted were the same as having a black person play the lead role in a sci-fi movie. Slim to none. Every time there's a zombie; apocalyptic, science fiction movie black people usually are nonexistent. That's the way most of the world would like to have it, if black people never existed.

Enough about that for now, I had more pressing matters at hand as being strapped down to the table with three aliens looking down at me.

The joke was that the aliens or grays would perform very painful experiments, most notably the dreaded anal probe. If that's true, I am not looking forward to have an anal probe.

I hated that term, gray. It was almost like saying the blacks, reds, yellows or browns. It was like saying, 'Let's go to the yellow's restaurant or those browns make good doctors.

The alien, which appeared old, standing at my head placed a single spindly, dead cold, waxy finger on my forehead, creating an electrical shock.

Then something astonishing happened. I could hear what the old alien was thinking. Telepathy. The alien was using telepathy to communicate. In the beginning, the words were gibberish then came in crystal clear as English.

"Do not be afraid. We mean you no harm," said the old alien peacefully. "You are experiencing my thoughts because I have synchronized our minds." It was easy for the old alien to say 'don't be afraid'; it was not the one strapped to a table. "This is the method in which we communicate. You will be able to communicate in this manner, assuming you accept the process," said the old alien unexcitedly.

"What process? What's going on?" I asked pleadingly. "Why can't I move? Are you going to anal probe me?"

"Do not worry, the process will not hurt," the old alien said calmly. I closed my eyes again hoping I would be back home in Inver Grove. After I re-opened them, I was still strapped to the table with the three aliens looking down at me as if I were a paramecium under a microscope.

"Why can't I move or talk?" I asked. "The parts of your brain which controls those functions are off," the old alien said.

Then the old alien calmly said, "We are the Vathian's from Vathi. I am Negu." I nervously introduced myself. "I'm Eli Morningstar."

Then Negu, the Vathian, peered at me closely before saying, "You have been chosen by the Tabiil priestess."

"Chosen for what? Priestess?" I asked nervously. "Only Empress Kellil can explain why you have been chosen," said Negu soothingly. "My sole function is to prepare you."

"Prepare me for what?" I asked worriedly. "Are you ready?" Negu asked looking at the other two, much younger looking aliens. "Wait, what are going to do to me? Are you going to anal probe me?" I asked frantically.

"You will feel no pain," said Negu calmly. "My assistants, Espi and Higo, will disable all your pain sensors." The younger looking aliens, Espi and Higo, touched me, and I immediately felt nothing. It was like getting a dose of anesthesia.

Feeling spaced-out, I was at ease with the aliens. I attempted to make small talk with Negu. "Where is Vathi?"

The slit below the bump on Negu's face curled at the corners. I took this as a smile. I still didn't see any teeth. "It is beyond your planetary system in the Zeta Reticuli star system," responded Negu.

"I wish I were beyond my planetary system," I said euphorically. "Earth is such a fucked up place." The other two looked at Negu and nodded. "The process will start shortly," said Negu in a voice akin to that of a mother calming an injured child. The two others closed their dark eyes as they recited a soothing chant.

Suddenly a long narrow, silver, cylinder with three clear hoses attached to one side dropped from the ceiling and hovered over my chest. At the end of the cylinder where hundreds of small pulsating needles. "Are you going to anal probe me?" I asked again while Negu's thin fingers moved quickly over a holographic panel on the side of the cylinder. He smiled again.

The silver cylinder slowly lowered then quickly plunged into my chest. One would expect excruciating pain from hundreds of pulsating needles being jammed into your chest, however there was no pain. It was as Negu said; they had turned off my pain sensors. Amazing!

I watched as the three clear hoses quickly filled with a bluish liquid that rushed into my heart. The bluish liquid, which was cold, quickly disseminated through my body. Soon after the cylinder slowly withdrew from my chest. Negu's black eyes peered at the site of the injection. There was a look of anticipation on his flat face.

Then Negu said with a bit of surprise, "It is done. This one has not rejected the process." Espi and Higo removed their cold hands from me. Negu placed a finger on my forehead once more, and said, "You are now supreme." He waved a long, three fingered hand over my face and my eyes closed.

Two

Extraterrestrial Investigators

I was off the face of the Earth, beyond the moon, for two whole weeks, and I am not an astronaut. After the police had found my empty car on County Road 47, they declared me missing after seventy two hours of not being witnessed by anyone. My picture was on every local and national news program. The story of my disappearance was a sensation on the internet because blue and green lights moving in an erratic pattern were reported by residents along CR-47. Many speculated I had been abducted.

After returning, I was somewhat of a media sensation. I hated it. Every phone call was someone wanting to do an interview so I could give my account of my disappearance. I always gave them the same answer, 'I don't remember'. This only led to further speculations about me being abducted. My response was the idea of me being abducted was ludicrous. Everyone knows alien don't abduct black people. The ufologist didn't believe me and neither did the CIA, FBI, NSA, USAF and the men in black.

I terminated my home phone and internet service, because they, the CIA, FBI, NSA and men in black, were most likely monitoring my communications. The next thing I did was to get rid of all my Genius products which included my game console, television, cellphone, and laptop.

I spent my days dodging group after group of government officials. First it was two guys from the Air Force. Days later it was the CIA and FBI, followed by the NSA who told me I was a threat to national security if I didn't tell them about my disappearance. Soon after the men in black came, making their presence known. They drove by my house daily in three hours increments in their black SUV. So far they hadn't approached me. Everywhere I went, there sat a black SUV with two men in black paying close attention to my every move. I didn't make it hard for them to follow me since I hadn't gotten my car out of the police impound yard. I was using pedal power.

The only person who didn't question my disappearance was my girlfriend and best friend Alyce Green. In fact she was my only friend. You see, I came to the conclusion that people were God's worse creation and humanity hadn't done anything to dispute that notion. So I decided to limit my human contact. Alyce jokingly calls me "Mr. Anti-Social". I didn't think I was antisocial, I was just reserved.

If any other guy had disappeared for two weeks, his girlfriend most likely would have moved on. Not Alyce whom I met her while taking pictures of Minnehaha Falls. The rest is history. We both had a passion for photography and bike riding. She was a dream come true because she also loved sports. We both were fans of Elijah "Prophet" Gaines and the Timberwolves. She told me she would wait until I was ready to tell her about my disappearance. I would never tell her the truth. It was best she didn't know the truth. It was for her protection.

It was now October. The men in black continued driving by my house in their three hour increments. Alyce was visiting her parents up north, leaving me alone. Once she returned, we would take a much needed vacation.

As far as telling anyone about my abduction, I had to decide whom to tell. I just didn't know where to start. When I wasn't dodging government officials, I spent every waking hour watching programs about aliens and alien abductions on the _Science, History_ and _Destination America_ channels. They mostly talked about Project Bluebook and Area 51. Both were ruses to keep humans from focusing on the events taking place around them.

There was a group of ufologists on the _Science_ channel program _UFO Hunters_ I had thought about contacting. They appeared to be very serious. Then there is a group called _MUFON_ who's deep into the whole UFO thing.

After searching the internet for days at the local library, I found a group headquartered in Santa Monica, California called Extraterrestrial Investigators or ETI for short. It was convenient they had an office in Minnesota. Since the ETI wasn't affiliated with the government, they were my best option. I sent them a letter through snail mail in case the men in black had a way of monitoring my email accounts. I remember reading a former U. S. president saying he didn't use email because he feared the government was spying on him. He had right to fear the government.

A week later, two ETI field investigators were ringing my doorbell. They arrived before nine per my instructions.

Standing at my door were a medium height brunette female with glasses, a little extra weight, wearing a blue blouse, tan khakis, and a tan safari jacket and a tall skinny dark haired male with silver rim glasses, a thick goatee wearing a vest with lots of pockets, long sleeve tee shirt, cargo pants and Minnesota Twins baseball cap. They both carried a large equipment bag.

"Hello, Mr. Morningstar," said the female with a bit of hesitation. "I'm Judy Clark and this is my associate Stephen Weiss. We're from the ETI."

I quickly scanned them to verify they were really human. I didn't detect anything. After looking at my watch, I said, "Pull your car into the garage. We have about five minutes before they make their daily round."

Judy handed Stephen the keys and followed me inside. I quickly went into the kitchen and opened the door leading to the garage. After opening the garage door, I watched Stephen drive a green Subaru Outback into the garage. I quickly closed the garage door.

"The ETI appreciates that you have decided to share your story with us," said Judy with a wide smile on her round face. "You seemed to be the most trustworthy," I said. Stephen finally joined us in the living room.

"By coming here you are ready to hear what I have to say," I said. Judy and Stephen both said, "Yes."

"I have water, coffee, tea or soda," I said. Both quietly declined. I retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator while Judy and Stephen made their way to the dining area table.

"Do you mind if we record this session?" Judy asked before taking a seat. "No, I don't mind," I casually replied. After receiving my permission to record the session, Stephen quickly set up a small digital camera connected to a laptop as Judy gave me a hasty rundown of their credentials and organization.

"Wait, are those Genius electronics?" I asked looking at the large "G" logo. "I strictly said no Genius electronics. I thought I made that very clear in my letter."

"Why not?" Stephen Weiss asked. "They are linked to what I'm about to disclose to you. They use these products to monitor people," I said with strong conviction.

"Is that the reason you sent a letter by snail mail?" asked Judy. I smiled and said, "Precisely. I suggest that if you have any Genius electronics to dispose of them quickly. I'm sure all of your office computers are Genius products."

Nodding, Stephen reluctantly stored away the laptop and camera. "Just write everything I'm about to say on paper," I said. "It can't be track and can easily be destroyed if necessary."

"What about a tape recorder?" Stephen asked as he held up a small recorder from the Stone Age. "It can't be tracked. I always come prepared." I nodded my okay.

"Is there a reason for not giving an interview on camera after there was some speculation about you being abducted?" asked Stephen as he placed the tape recorder in front of me.

"Because the world isn't ready to hear what I'm about to say," I said seriously. Judy studied my face. She was looking for micro-facial clues to see if I was telling the truth. In any field investigation team, there is a believer and the skeptic. The skeptic in this case was Judy Clark. I guarantee my story would make her a believer.

I looked at my watch again. It was almost nine and time for the men in black to make their round. Going to the living room window, I raised the blind. "Please go to the kitchen for now. I have to say hello to some friends." Judy and Stephen got up from the dining area table and walked into the kitchen.

"Who are your friends?" asked Judy. Before I could answer Judy, a black SUV with two clean cut white males drove by slowly. I waved to them then promptly lowered the blind.

I turned to look at a wide eyed Judy and Stephen. "The men in black," mouthed Stephen, his face covered with awe. Smiling at Stephen, I said, "The one and only."

Judy and Stephen made their way back to the table.

"We'll start with some simple questions," Judy explained, "then we'll get into the night of the abduction."

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" I asked. "Why do you ask?" asked Judy with an inquisitive look on her round face.

"Sometimes people who get too close to the truth have a habit of meeting an untimely ending," I said seriously. "Remember Terry Gilbert who went public with stuff he saw at Area 51. Six months later he was found dead in his apartment."

A look of uneasiness fell across Stephen's face. "If your story is as good as you claim, I'm willing to take that chance," said Judy as she looked at Stephen for an answer. The young man nodded enthusiastically.

To lighten the mood, I said something which brought a slight chuckle from them both. "I didn't think aliens abducted black people."

"I don't think aliens discriminate," said Judy earnestly, ", unlike people."

"Are there a lot of reports from black people?" I ask jokingly. "You're our first," said Judy as she looked at me over the top of her glasses.

"Well, I guess I'm the Jackie Robinson of UFO reporting," I joked "but I'll be the last."

"What do you mean 'you'll be the last'?" asked Judy as she rifled through her bag. "Because of what I'm about to say to you," I replied sincerely, "there won't be any more sightings or abductions." Judy looked at me over the top of her glasses as she placed blank sighting report forms on the table

"Are we ready?" she asked. Stephen nodded as he pressed the play and record buttons on the tape recorder.

Without looking at me, Judy asked, "What is your name and age?" Looking at her, I said, "Eli Morningstar, 28." She skipped several boxes on the sighting's report, most notably the phone and email boxes.

"When and where were you abducted?" asked Judy as she recorded my response onto the sighting report form. "The 31th of August, 2013 on County Road 47," I said as I looked at her. "It was a little after eleven."

"Why were you on County Road 47?" asked Judy. "I was returning home from Faribault after biking in Sakatah Lake State Park," I replied. "Where you alone?" asked Judy. "Yes, I was alone," I replied softly.

If Alyce hadn't decided to go to visit her parents up north at the last minute, she would have been with me.

"Did you have anything mind altering such as alcohol or drugs?" asked Judy without looking at me. "No," I said clearly, "I don't do recreational drugs."

"Now Eli, do you care to tell us exactly what you observed?" asked Judy. I looked into her eyes as that night came back. It was as if it happened yesterday.

Three

Abduction

My eyes popped open. I'm alive! I'm still shirtless and still strapped to the table which is now in an upright position. It's pretty damn cool in the white wall room. At least my shorts weren't removed and there's no pain in my anal region.

I can finally turn my head. For the first time, I can see a little more of the white wall room. The overhead lights are shining down on me as if I was a priceless statue in a museum.

The portion of the wall which I can see suggest that the room is either circular or oval. The floor is probably some type of alien tile. On the wall across from me is a holographic panel next to a section of wall that looked like a giant milky membrane. It must be a door.

The last thing I remember was being in my car and being told by an old alien, 'You are now supreme'. Everything else is foggy. What did that mean? What did they do to me?

I didn't know what else they had planned for me. I really needed to get off this table before they came back. I'm sure there were more than the three who were in the room with me. Then something amazing happened.

I thought about getting off the table and whatever was immobilizing me disappeared. I could finally move. I stepped down and stretched. Damn, it felt good to be off the table. The floor wasn't tile as I suspected. It was spongy and cold. Where were my socks and shoes?

I looked down at my chest and saw a circular scar about six inches in diameter. How in the hell did that get there? What had they done to me? I wish I could remember. I traced the scar with my right index finger. It felt energized. I walked around the table to get a look at the rest of the room. There were no more holographic panels or any other pieces of equipment. I did find my Timberwolves tee shirt, on a table, neatly folded. I quickly put it on to cover the scar. Where were my socks and shoes?

The floor was cold. I wished I could have found my shoes. I hated having cold feet. Then almost on cue, my feet warmed. I still wanted my shoes, they cost me ninety dollars at the DSW. I continued walking around the room until I came to the small holographic panel. I nervously tapped at the panel. Nothing happened. I touched the giant milky membrane which was sticky, like a wet marshmallow. I gently tapped at the holographic panel again and nothing happened.

I was becoming frustrated. I think more scared than anything. Then I did it again. I thought about getting out of the room and the milky membrane melted away, revealing a black ten feet high rectangular dark area.

I slowly made my way to the edge of the door, gazing into the darkness. Waiting for an alarm, I stood in the doorway before proceeding any further. No alarm. Building my courage, I stepped into the darkness. Instantly, floor lights came on illuminating a long windowless, white walled corridor.

I slowly, yet cautiously, proceeded down the long, windowless corridor which is cool and noiseless.

Then I decided to try my new trick again. A window appeared just a few feet to my left after I thought about one. I quickly went to the window and saw nothing but stars against a backdrop of darkness. I felt at peace seeing the stars from this perspective. I guess astronauts must feel like this every time they venture into space. The stars were absolutely amazing!

I thought about closing the window and it happened. I proceeded up the cool, noiseless corridor again. I truly wished I had my shoes or at least my socks. With each step I took, more floor lights came on.

After walking for several minutes, I came to an intersection. I turned and looked in the direction from which I came. It was completely dark.

I'd walked the entire corridor and did not see another alien. I was starting to become concerned.

I stood at the intersection trying to decide which direction to go. Then a voice urged me to turn right. Someone were whispering to me. Following the whispers, I turned right into another corridor with the same floor lighting. The more steps, the more lights.

I came to another intersection. The whispers grew louder. Another long corridor. How huge was this ship? Still no aliens in sight. Where had they all gone? The whispers grew louder with each step down the corridor.

I felt as if I were a mouse in a maze trying to reach the cheese. It also felt as if I were being watched. Where the aliens studying me as I navigated the corridors? If they were studying me, what did they think?

Finally, I came to another milky membrane at the end of the corridor. The whispers stopped. I thought about opening the milky membrane and it quickly dissolved. This time it didn't open into darkness, but a huge chamber. Standing in the doorway as if I was the statue of F. Scott Fitzgerald in Rice Park on a winter day, I didn't move.

Four

Extraterrestrial Investigators

County Road 47 or Northfield Boulevard runs from Hampton, Minnesota to MN-3. It is a twelve mile two lane country road lined with scattered homes, farms and large fields. On a clear night, the stars are shimmering diamonds on a black velvet cloth.

Judy Clark continued to study me, looking for micro-facial clues to see if I was telling the truth.

"It was a clear and starry night," I said quietly. "I was on County Road 47 driving about sixty."

"What happened next?" Judy asked hastily.

"I remember I was listening to the Current. I'm going uphill when, to my right, I notice over a field, blue and green lights moving erratically," I said recalling the moments before my abduction. "I thought it was a helicopter."

"What kind of pattern?" Stephen asked. "It was up and down then it would zip in a straight line," I responded.

"What about the lights?" Stephen asked as he took the lead asking questions while Judy studied me. "The lights pulsated," I said. "The object had to be no higher than five hundred feet or less off the ground."

Judy sat silently as she continued studying me. "I don't know why, but I slowed to get a better look," I said, experiencing the events again. "Suddenly the object stopped moving and hovered."

"What happened next?" Stephen asked with great interest. "The lights disappeared," I said as I looked at Judy giving her a clear view of my face.

"What do you mean 'disappeared'?" she asked. "It was if a light switch was suddenly turned off," I said leaning back in my chair. "Just as I started to pick up my speed again, my car stalled. I was able to pull over to the shoulder and quickly tried starting it, but it wouldn't turn over. I tried to use my cell phone, but the battery was empty."

"Was your phone charged?" Judy asked. "Yes," I said quickly. "It was plugged into the USB port charging."

"Did you notice any helicopters or other military vehicles in the area before, during and after the event?" asked Stephen. "No," I said.

"What about the shape of the object?" Stephen asked with great interest. "The object was moving too fast to make out the shape," I said.

"What about your car?" Judy asked. "It's a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan," I replied. "It had been a month since the last service."

"What happened next?" an excited Stephen asked. His thin face reminded me of my nephew on Christmas morning. "There was a high pitch deafening sound," I said, rubbing my right temporal area. "Suddenly the blue and green lights returned then everything went white."

I took a peek into Judy's and Stephen's mind. The young man was a believer, but Judy was still skeptical.

"The next thing I know, I'm strapped down to this cold table surrounded by three ash gray aliens with dark eyes. I'm shirtless and completely immobilized."

"What about physical features?" Judy asked as she quickly recorded my account into her report. "May I have a pen and a piece of paper?" I asked. I could have probably shown her the exact appearance of the aliens, but didn't want give them everything all at once.

Stephen slid a pen and piece of paper across the table. I quickly drew the best picture I could of the aliens. After giving the drawing to Stephen, I watched as his eye lit up. He then passed it to Judy who carefully looked over the drawing.

"It's about the same as other descriptions of the grays," said Judy nonchalantly. Looking at Judy, I asked, "Could we not used that term?"

"What term?" Judy asked passing the drawing to the Stephen. "Grays, let us not refer to them as grays. They have a name," I said. Judy nodded then asked, "What about height?"

"They were two to three heads taller than me with skinny arms and hands that only had three fingers with an opposable thumb," I said remembering my encounter in the white wall room.

"Then what?" asked Judy as she continued looking at the drawing. "The Vathian standing at my head told me not to worry," I said. "He communicated this to me using telepathy or as he called it mind synchronization."

"Vathian?" asked Judy with a bit of interest. Hopefully, her skepticism was fading.

"I told you they have a name. The alien at my head, Negu, said they were Vathian's from Vathi," I said, "in the Zeta Reticuli star system." A smiling Stephen looked at Judy. "Did you say Zeta Reticuli?"

"Yeah, he said they were from the Zeta Reticuli star system," I said. "That's the same star system reported by Betty Hill and Marjorie Fish," said an elated Stephen.

"Betty Hill along with her husband were abducted in 1961. Marjorie Fish was an amateur astronomer who designed the map of the Zeta Reticuli star system Betty Hill said she saw on the ship," explained Stephen with excitement in his voice. He certainly seemed to enjoy his job.

"You said he," said Judy in with great interest. "According to most reports, the grays are sexless. How do you know this particular gray was a male?"

I glared at Judy who quickly corrected herself by saying, "Aliens are sexless."

"Empress Kellil told me the females of the coterie wore a band of midine around their neck," I said, staring at Judy. Before I could say another word, she quickly said, "An empress. What empress?"

"Yes, Empress Kellil, their leader," I said with a smile on my face. Things were going to get very interesting.

Five

Abduction

Oh boy! It was the only thing that came to mind as I stood at the door leading into the chamber. Running was not an option. Besides where would I run?

Hundreds of pairs of large black eyes stared at me. I still couldn't tell which was male or female. They all were the same in every physical aspect. Maybe they were androgynous.

I took one step into the chamber, a large windowless room with vaulted ceilings, and stopped. The milky membrane door closed behind me. It may not have been a closet, but I was trapped as R. Kelly. A narrow aisle divided the room. On both sides of the aisle huddled curious black eyed Vathian's. At the end of the aisle sat a Vathian, flanked by Negu and two other Vathian's armed with a staff, in a high back chair on a raised platform. This must be the empress.

Then a soft voice in my head said," Approach the throne." I nervously start walking down the aisle, casually glancing from left to right. It was really scary being in the chamber with that many aliens.

After taking about ten steps, I immediately dropped to one knee, grabbing my head in pain. I could hear the thought of every alien in the chamber. All their thoughts at once was like getting whacked in the head with a baseball bat. I felt like puking. Most of their thoughts were about my outer appearance.

Look at it! It's disturbing to look upon. Look at its skin. What is that on its skull? It has more than three fingers. Look at its feet. Its eyes and mouth are unnerving!

I wanted to yell aloud, but I still couldn't speak. I screamed inside of my head for the voices to stop. They instantly turned off as a light switch.

Coming to my feet, I started walking again, concentrating on the alien in the high back chair. I was about ten steps away from the seated alien when Negu instructed me to stop. Not wanting to provoke the aliens, I stopped and waited further instructions.

"I am Empress Kellil," said the seated alien in a soothing voice as she nodded at me. "I'm Eli Morningstar," I said nervously. I didn't know if I should bow or kneel. I bowed.

"Why did you perform such an act?" the empress asked me. I thought for a moment and said, "I thought it was the right thing to do to an empress."

On Kellil's hairless, but elegant head sat a thin metallic band. She wore a shimmering necklace of blue stones and sleeveless white V-neck gown that covered her feet.

"To dismiss your human curiosity, I am the same as a human female," said Empress Kellil in a soothing voice. They weren't androgynous. She was right, I was curious about their gender.

Staring at Kellil, I asked, "Are you the only one?"

She replied, "All females of the coterie wear a band made of midine around their neck." I turned and looked into the group of curious aliens on both sides of the aisle. Sure enough, there were Vathian's with bands around their thin necks.

Kellil stared at me for several minutes without saying a word before turning to Negu. In the meantime, I struggled to keep the other Vathian's' thoughts out of my head.

After a long moment of silence, Empress Kellil said, "We have searched several cycles for one who did not reject the process. The Tabiil priestess, Risra, has discovered the right one. Now there is much you need to know. We must begin at once if your home world is to survive." She stood and every Vathian in the chamber, except Negu and two armed Vathian's, bowed.

Stepping off the platform, Empress Kellil said, "Walk with me." We exited the large chamber and into another long corridor. Negu walked immediately behind us while the two staff wielding males walked behind him.

"You have a lot of questions Eli Morningstar," said Empress Kellil. "You may ask."

"First question, what did you mean if my home world is to survive?" I asked nervously. "Second question, why me? There are billions upon billions of humans you could have abducted."

"You weren't abducted," responded Empress Kellil as she avoided answering my first question. "You were chosen by the priestess." I glanced at Empress Kellil and said, "I was taken against my will. On Earth, we call that an abduction or kidnapping."

Kellil nodded slightly. "There have been others Eli Morningstar, but you did not reject the implants," responded Kellil. "Implants?" I inquired.

"Yes, you were injected with nanomachines," said Empress Kellil. "Most humans instantly reject the nanomachines."

"What happens to the humans who reject the implants?" I asked curiously. Negu joined the conversation and said, "They are returned with an unclear memory of the event. You are the first human to accept the nanomachines."

"Okay, why did you inject nanomachines into me?" I asked as I ran a hand over my chest. That circular scar on my chest must have been the injection site. It was all coming back to me now. The silver cylinder with the pulsating needles and the bluish liquid in those tubes.

"Earth needs saving Eli Morningstar," responded Empress Kellil with a smile across her lipless face. "What do you mean?" I asked nervously. "I didn't know Earth needed saving."

There was a long pause. I wasn't picking anything up from Kellil or Negu. Somehow they had blocked me from their minds again.

"The time of your home world is short and getting shorter," said Empress Kellil. "What are you talking about?" I asked seriously. "You keep saying that but haven't answered my question."

"We, the Vathian's, gave the Gondorans refuge before their planet Gondora imploded," said Empress Kellil remorsefully. "In turn they sought to turn our home world into a poisonous wasteland to better suit them." A look of sadness covered Empress Kellil's flat face. "You must understand, the Gondorans cannot live in an uncontaminated environment and are immune to all forms of toxins," said Empress Kellil as we continued walking the long corridor. "Soon we were at war. The Gondorans, led by their leaders, the Prime, were ultimately defeated during the Two Cycle War."

"How does your war have anything to do with Earth?" I asked as my curiosity rose.

"We imprisoned the Prime in what we called the Celestial Cluster, hoping they would change their ways," said Empress Kellil. "With the Prime imprisoned, we attempted to reform the remaining Gondorans by placing them on Phand, our second moon, so that they could learn to live in a contaminated free environment, but it failed."

Negu said, "Unwilling to accept their defeat and new way of life, a small band of rebel Gandorans liberated the Prime from the Celestial Cluster."

"I still don't see what this has to do with Earth," I said with a bit of frustration, not that I cared.

Finally, Empress Kellil said, "The Prime came to Earth during what you called the Industrial Revolution."

Negu added, "Given their ability to alter their appearance, they soon blended in establishing themselves as leaders and people of importance on Earth. Even to this day they maintain those positions of power and importance."

This was mind numbing. Aliens are on Earth posing as humans in positions of power. That mean the President of the United States could be an alien or anybody deemed important by society. "Why Earth?" I asked.

"Earth is a young planet," responded Empress Kellil. "The Prime saw it as an opportunity to cast Earth to support their coterie. They quickly recognized how easily humans could be herded. Given the Prime's superior knowledge, it was easy for them to ascend to the higher ranks of Earth's society."

"Why not stay on Phand?" I asked. "Phand could not be turned. Many Gandorans failed to adapt and died."

Did they place the Gandorans on Phand knowing they would not survive? Where they attempting to wipe out the Gandorans?

Soon we stopped in front of another milky membrane. Kellil nodded and the membrane dissolved revealing another large chamber with a small octagonal table in the middle. Hovering over the table sat a glowing orb which provided the only light in the room.

Empress Kellil entered the room and motioned for me to follow. The door quietly and quickly solidified. Negu and the two armed Vathian's remained outside the room.

Approaching the table, she waved two spindly fingers over the glowing orb causing it to glow brighter. The table slowly lowered to the floor. This room was similar to the other white wall room. An oval, white wall room with the same type of floor. However, this room was warmer.

"What's the deal with Negu?" I asked out of curiosity. "He is my chief counselor," answered Empress Kellil. "He fought with my father in the Two Cycle War."

Satisfied with Kellil's answer, I asked, "What's my role in all of this?" A smiling Kellil replied, "You will be their end."

"What do you mean their end?" I slowly asked.

Six

Extraterrestrial Investigators

Judy Clark and Stephen Weiss, field investigators of the Extraterrestrial Investigators, were on the edge of their seats as they listened attentively to the beginning stages of my abduction by the aliens known to me as the Vathian's. They had not heard the best and would probably fall off the edge of their seats when they did.

"Who is Empress Kellil?" asked Judy Clark as she adjusted her glasses. "She's the Vathian leader," I responded. "Before I tell you about her, you should know what they did to me."

"Of course," said Judy with great anticipation. There still was a hint of skepticism.

"Negu, the Vathian standing at my head place a cold finger on my forehead," I said. "After he touched me, there was a slight shock, almost like a static shock."

"Is that all?" asked Judy as she made another entry into her report. "No," I said quietly. "After he touched me, I could hear his thoughts. He called it mind synchronization." I waited for them to fall off the edge of their seats. Stephen's lower jaw dropped as he looked at Judy who had removed her glasses. This, however, was not the best part of my abduction.

"You could hear his thoughts," said Stephen as he finally got his lower jaw to come up. "Yeah, it was sort of like trying to find your favorite local radio station in another city or state. Just a lot of static. After several seconds, his thoughts came in clear."

"Others have also stated the grays use telepathy," said Judy. I looked at Judy who corrected herself once again by saying, "Other have also stated the aliens use telepathy."

"Was this their primary means of communication?" asked an excited Stephen. "Yes," I replied. "His first words to me were 'Do not be afraid. We mean you no harm'."

"That always seem to be their first words," commented Stephen mockingly. "What happened after he was able to communicate with you?" asked Judy.

"He proceeded to say I was 'chosen' by the Tabiil priestess Risra," I said as I looked at Judy. "Who is that?" asked Judy. There was doubt in her voice. Judy the skeptic. "I don't know," I said quietly. This was the one piece of information Kellil refused to reveal to me.

"Now what did he mean by 'chosen'?" asked Stephen.

"I was chosen for their process," I said. "What process? Is that what they did to you?" asked Stephen as his level of excitement increased.

"Two others Vathian's, Espi and Higo touched me and it was as if they had given me a shot of anesthesia because I didn't feel anything," I said with a grin. I waited for Stephen or Judy to interject or ask a question, but neither said a word. I guess they wanted me to get to the end.

"Soon after, a long silver cylinder about the diameter of Mason jar with hundreds of pulsating needles on the end came out of the ceiling," I said. They sat listening as parishioners listen to the Sunday sermon. "Attached to the cylinder where three clear hoses that filled with a bluish liquid."

Again I waited for the two investigators to ask me a question. They sat patiently waiting for me to complete my tale.

"The cylinder hovered over me for a few seconds before plunging the needles into my chest," I related. "I did not feel any pain from the injection because of the two Vathian females touching me."

I could read their thoughts; both were amazed. I continued by saying, "Every cell was filled by the blue liquid." Judy kept a clear face, but disbelief filled her mind. Soon that disbelief would be erased.

As Judy halfheartedly recorded the notes in her report, I slowly raised my tee shirt. Despite my ability to heal, the huge circular scar on my chest from the injection hadn't gone away.

Stephen gasped as he looked at the scar. Looking at the scar, Judy put on her glasses. Her face was several inches from the scar. Instantly the nanomachines reacted to her proximity.

"For some reason, it will not go away," I said as I looked down at the scar. "Some days it feels as if it has always been a part of me."

Judy reached out and using her right forefinger traced the scar. The nanomachines gave her a nice little jolt of electricity. She immediately withdrew her finger. "You shocked me!" she proclaimed as she rubbed her finger.

"It was the nanomachines reacting to you touch," I said. Hopefully, that was enough to wipe away her disbelief.

"What nanomachines?" Stephen asked as his eye widened. As I lowered my tee shirt, I said, "The fluid was filled with nanomachines. They injected me with millions of microscopic machines enhancing me in every way imaginable."

They had not fallen off their seats as I thought, but they were at a loss for words. They were totally in shock.

"Enhanced you in what ways?" Judy asked as she snapped out of her daze. "My eyesight, hearing, strength, reflexes, and resistance to injury and sickness have all increased," I said. "I seem to have no limits."

"What do you mean no limits?" asked Stephen. "I ran five miles in three and a half minutes," I said seriously. "Any proof of this?" Stephen asked even after seeing the scar and witnessing the nanomachines react to Judy. Sometimes people needed to see the X-ray proving you have a broken leg despite the signed cast.

Going into the kitchen, I removed a butcher's knife from the silverware drawer. Taking my seat again, I rolled up the right sleeve of my tee shirt and placed the knife edge on my arm. Stephen had a look of concern on his narrow face. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Here's your proof," I said crossly. "What are you doing?" asked a startled Judy.

"I want to show you what they did to me," I said staring directly at Judy. "Don't you think this is a little extreme?" asked Judy as she kept her eyes on the knife. "I agree with Judy, especially if it means harming yourself," chimed Stephen. "We believe you!"

Suddenly I dragged the blade across my left forearm. Bright red blood immediately streamed from the deep opening, down my arm and onto the table. "What are you doing Mr. Morningstar?" asked Stephen excitedly as he slid away from the table.

"Stephen, get a towel or something!" yelled Judy as she managed to take the knife from me. Stephen stumbled as he tried to get out of his chair. "Do you have a first aid kit?" asked Judy hysterically.

"I don't need one," I said calmly with a huge smile on my face. Then right before her eyes, the blood began to flow back into the opening. Her eyes widen as she silently said, "Stephen, forget the towel."

Stephen returned to the table and hovered over me as he watched the blood flow back into the opening. In mere seconds, the wound had completely healed. Not a drop of blood remained on the table or on my arm. There was no scar. "Did you see that Stephen?" asked Judy as she inspected my arm.

"Most of it," Stephen said disappointedly. "I wish I could've gotten a video of it."

"Then there's the ability to communicate to computers," I said with a devilish grin.

Seven

Abduction

"Are you well Eli Morningstar?" asked Kellil. "Yes, I'm okay," I said as I came out of my stupor. What should have been my reaction after hearing I would be someone's end. I've never hurt anyone or anything in my life. Now I'm supposed to be someone's end.

"You never answered me," I said. "What do you mean their end?" She still didn't answer me. I did not like where this was heading. I could not kill anyone despite my disdain for humans. "Are you going to answer me?"

"There is no need for me to answer the question to which you already know the answer," responded Kellil serenely. "I'll show you the Prime from lowest to highest."

She was right, I knew the answer to my own question but did not like it. I was not a murderer. I worked hard, paid my taxes and avoided unnecessary human contact. I led a very peaceful, uncomplicated life.

She waved a spindly hand over the glowing orb, producing a life-size 4D holographic image of someone I had seen plenty of times on a checkout counter magazine cover. I could not believe my eyes. In front of me stood Julian Frost, a former child star of a television program on the Nickelodeon channel which ultimately led to a singing career. At the age of fifteen, he had surpassed Elvis, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson in all album sells. All his albums had gone platinum and were on their way to being certified diamond. Personally I did not care for his brand of bubblegum music.

"No way," I said. "This kid cannot be an alien."

An expressionless Kellil looked at me and said, "He's a Prime. His Prime name is Canos. During the Two Cycle war, he was known as the Primeval because he reveled in the killing of Vathian's. Do not be misled by this innocent looking facade."

I smiled, not at the fact that Canos killed Vathian's, but on Earth he was a pop sensation loved by millions. I would gladly give an arm and a leg to see the faces of all his screaming fans when they discovered Julian Frost was an alien older than Earth. "So where is the real Justin Frost?" I asked.

"There is no real Justin Frost," said Kellil as she waved her hand over the orb. "Remember, Gandorans have the ability to transform, to blend in with their surroundings."

Another holographic image appeared over the orb. My jaw dropped. "I knew she was not human. There's no way anyone without an ounce of talent could be this popular," I said excitedly as I pointed at the image of Nina Montoya. All I know is she slept with some actor, made a video of their sex session and the rest is history.

Ever since that sexual escapade she has graced the cover of every supermarket tabloid and television screen. Her reality television show is the most watched all over the world. Her fans have urged for her to run for president. I'm not a fan, but when the media report every nuance of her life, it is impossible not knowing a little about her.

"Her Prime name is Xantha," said Kellil as she looked at the image with disgust on her flat face. "She is the spawn of the High Prime."

"I always knew there was something about her," I said still excited that my suspicions about her were true. Kellil nodded.

She waved her hand over the orb again, producing another image. I gasped aloud. "What is that sound?" asked a surprised Kellil. I replied, "It was a gasp. I'm surprised."

"Are you well?" a concerned Kellil asked. "Yes," I said. "I just can't believe he's a Prime. I mean there is no way this man is not from Earth."

Rotating over the orb was the 4D holographic image of my favorite NBA player, Elijah "The Prophet" Gaines.

A walk on at the University of Minnesota, playing both football and basketball. He performed a feat never done in college or professional sports. He led the Golden Gophers to both, the college football and basketball national championships, three years in a row garnering many prestigious awards. Deciding not to play professional football, he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the second overall pick in the first round. Leading the NBA in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals his first three years in the league, he did the unbelievable by leading the Timberwolves to the NBA Finals his first four years in the league. Three times they tested him for performance enhancing drugs and all three times the results were negative. If they knew what he was on, they would shit a brick.

"This is impossible," I protested. "I watched this guy play basketball and football at the U of M. There's no way Prophet Gaines is a Gandoran."

"His Prime name is Brale," said Kellil as she waved her hand over the orb once again. "He's the greatest Gandoran battle commander. He single-handedly defeated a legion of the best Vathian soldiers."

Another image promptly came up. I quickly recognized this guy. He was a real asshole. "I'm I to kill this guy," I asked.

"Not just him, but all of them," said Kellil as she gazed upon the image. "What do you mean all of them?" I quickly asked. There would be no way I could kill Elijah Gaines. The man was beloved my many. He was a State of Minnesota treasure with the keys to the Twin Cities.

"Eliminate all Prime members if your home world is to survive," said Kellil in a soft monotone.

"I'm I supposed to save the human race," I asked with a slight laugh. How could she ask someone with such dislike for other humans to save them? I've said it once, and I'll say it again, people are God's worse creation.

Instead of Kellil answering my question, she said, "The Prime have been preparing Earth." It was starting to feel like something straight out of a science fiction movie. According to science fiction movies, I was not the guy for the job.

"What do you mean preparing Earth?" I asked wanting to hear the rest of the story.

"The Prime oversees the secret transport of Gandorans from Phand to Earth," said Kellil. "They have been amassing legions of soldiers on Earth for cycles in preparation for the invasion." Yep, this was starting to feel like a sci-fi movie.

"Is this for real?" I asked as I tried to digest the information that was just divulged to me.

"Most sightings of unidentified objects by humans are the Gandorans being transported to Earth," said Kellil.

Kellil waved her hand over the glowing orb causing a holographic image of Earth to appear. Her spindly fingers moved the image as if she was touching a physical globe. "As far as we know, a huge concentration of Gandorans are transported here," said Kellil as she pointed at New Mexico.

"That's New Mexico," I said. She tapped the holographic image again, causing it to zoom in on the mountainous area of New Mexico. A name appeared unknown to me. I whispered the name, "Dulce." I had never heard of Dulce, New Mexico. Then again I had never heard a lot about New Mexico.

Kellil waved her hand over the orb once more, and the holographic image of that asshole came up once more.

Eight

Extraterrestrial Investigators

"What do you mean communicate with computers?" asked Stephen as he tilted his head. "It's almost like being a hacker," I said boldly. "Let's just say there is no firewall or layers of security that can stop me from accessing a computer."

"Place your laptop on the table Judy," I commanded. Reaching into her messenger bag, Judy placed her Genius laptop on the table. "Do you want me to turn it on?"

"No need," I said with a smile. I touched Judy's laptop then said with a smile, "That's a nice picture of your two dogs, Han and Luke, taken on May 23, 2013."

A wide-eyed Judy looked at a smiling Stephen. "H-how did you do that?" asked Judy. I could hear the fear in her voice. "I simply asked the computer for your photo files," I said. "I assure that's all I accessed."

Stephen and Judy sat silently for several minutes. I took a quick peek into their minds. There was a bit of fear as they didn't quite know what to make of me. I didn't know what to make of me. Then I decided to show them a little more of the nanomachines.

"Judy, think of a place," I said. "Why?" she asked. "Just think of a place," I said again. She closed her eyes then asked, "What place?"

"Northfield. You thought about last week's visit with your mother in Northfield," I said. "How did you do that?" Judy asked silently. Smiling, I said, "It's another facet of the nanomachines. They allow me to hear a person's thought, but I need to be within close proximity in order for it to work."

The look in Judy's eyes told me she was beginning to fear me. She was thinking about what I had become. She went from being a skeptic to fearful. "What did they do to you?" asked Judy as her voice trembled. "They made me better," I said nonchalantly. "I'm better."

Stephen reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a yellow legal pad. He quickly made a crude drawing of something then held up the pad. "What are you doing?" asked Judy. Stephen didn't answer as he held up the pad. "It is a drawing," I said, "a very crude drawing of a house, car, and a dog." Stephen turned the legal pad over for Judy to see. Her lower jaw slightly dropped. Judy sat silently as fear started to overtake her.

"Are there others like you?" Stephen asked excitedly. "No," I said. "I'm the only one, although others have undergone the process."

"What do you mean?" asked Stephen. "If you've interviewed someone who said they were abducted, they were most likely subjected to the process," I said. "According to Kellil they have searched for centuries looking for the right person."

"Are you the right person?" asked Stephen as his curiosity levels increased. "I didn't reject the nanomachines," I responded. "I guess that makes me the right person."

"Why didn't you reject the process?" Stephen asked his voice filled with excitement. "I don't know. It could be a number of reasons," I said, looking at Stephen.

Judy remained quiet as she documented my account onto her forms. Her hand trembled slightly. She was truly afraid of me.

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Stephen. Finally, Judy decided to join in the conversation again. Adjusting her glasses, she looked at me asking, "What else can you do?"

She wants to know what more I could do. More proof. I guess she needed to stick her hand in the fire to understand that it will burn. I pointed my fist at my living room floor. "This is what else I can do," I said as I pointed my index and third finger towards the floor. The nanomachines did their thing. Instantly a holographic image of Julian Frost appeared in the middle of my living room. "His name is Canos," I said. "You may know him as --."

"Julian Frost," said a surprised Stephen. "Julian Frost is an alien!"

"Not just an alien, but a Gandoran Prime," I said. "The Vathian's refer to him as the Primeval." Judy's eyes got wide as she looked at the 4D holographic image. "How are you doing that?"

"It's the nanomachines," I said. "This is incredible," said Stephen as he got out of his chair. He walked around the image carefully inspecting every detail. He passed his right hand through the hologram several times.

"Who or what is a Gandoran Prime?" Judy asked quietly.

Nine

Abduction

"You know him as William Van Buren," said Kellil.

He is a loud mouth right winger who's constantly shouting about deporting everyone who isn't white and taking back America. His take back America rhetoric often worked his supporters into a frenzy which sometimes led to acts of violence. His show, The Van Buren Report, was a favorite among the bigots of America. They had all pushed for him to run for President. He gracefully declined saying that he was in a better position to take back America.

"His Prime designation is Helus," said Kellil. "It was his rhetoric which was the catalyst to Gandorans attempting to turn Vathia. He urged the Prime to use the Terra Synthesis Generator on Vathia."

"He said some things on Earth that incited an attack on a mosque," I added. "He's a real piece of work." I would love to be his end.

"He has been a slave owner from 1858 to 1865, worked alongside a Nazi doctor 1940 to 1944, a southern sheriff from 1950 to 1980, and a New York city policeman from 1980 to 1990," said Kellil.

"What about the gaps in his timeline?" I asked. "Most likely time of researching the right human facade, one which suits his desires," responded Kellil.

"This is incredible. How do you know all of this?" I asked. "We have kept the Prime under surveillance after we discovered their location," said Kellil. "Remember some sightings are Gandoran transport ships while others our automatons keeping a watchful eye on the Prime."

"Why didn't your people come and take them away?" I asked. "Earth's atmosphere is too toxic to beings of my coterie." H.G. Wells was right. Okay, they can travel billions of light years and inject me with microscopic machines, but one little hit of Earth's atmosphere would render them null and void. Well, I guess everyone has their weaknesses.

"Why doesn't it affect the Prime?" I asked. "Remember the Prime is immune to all forms of toxins," said Kellil as she looked at the image of William Van Buren.

"One more question, why didn't you use an automaton to pick up the Gandorans?" I asked Kellil. I was one of those guys who would watch a movie just to find a hole in the story. This was a hole in Kellil's story. "We attempted it in the earth years August 1945 and October 1962," said Kellil. "We soon discovered that if one of the twelve were overcome by any means other than human, the Prime would speed up the collapse of Earth." Okay, that explanation was good enough for me.

Kellil waved her skinny hand over the glowing orb again. An image of a thin faced, unkempt man appeared. Before I could ask his name, Kellil was giving me the rundown.

"This is Vonar known as Graham Corbett on Earth," said Kellil softly. "He's the creator of the Genius line of mobile devices and computers used by many humans." It was true, everything from businesses to individuals were linked by a Genius products. Now I understand why you could only use the Genius product with the Vonar browser.

"Yeah, the cellphone that displays a holographic image of the caller and can be used as a credit or debit card," I added excitedly. I own the entire line of Genius products.

"He's also a defector," said Kellil. "What do you mean a defector?" I asked.

"He's not a true Gandoran or Prime. Fearing the Gandorans would win the Two Cycle War, Vonar defected to what he thought would be the victors in order to save himself," said Kellil with a little anger in her voice. "In order to be accepted by the Gandorans, he participated in their Incantation of Decay ceremony to become an amalgam."

She sounded really angry. "He produced some of the deadliest weapons of war for the Gandorans. If it weren't for the combined efforts of our technologists, Vathia would be under Prime rule."

"What did he do on Earth before he created the Genius product?" I asked. Kellil waved her hand over the orb and a data sheet came up. At first the writing looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics, but after a few seconds the nanomachines modified it into English. His credential before his success was really impressive. "He created weapons for both the Allies and Axis during World War II, played a vital role in the creation of the hydrogen bomb and nuclear bomb. Why the change of heart?"

"He, just like the others, saw how easily humans could be controlled. Now his weapon is the Genius products which keep humans so occupied, they are not aware of the events occurring around them," responded Kellil. I owned the entire line of Genius products, TV, cellphone, laptop, and game console.

"What events?" I asked. "The slow, but methodical transformation of Earth into a toxic wasteland," answered Kellil as she gave me a sympathetic look. "According to our calculations, it will take one more Earth year before the atmosphere is at a suitable level to support the Gandorans."

That was comforting to know. One more year, three hundred sixty-five days, eight thousand and seven hundred sixty five point eighty-one hour before Earth was taken over by an invasion force of aliens.

We moved on to the next Prime member. "This is Volerlust, now known on Earth as Senator Art Rhodes. He has always been a politician on Earth; nothing else, nothing more. Always morphing into another human to assume a different political role. His most important political role was that of several vice presidents."

"Why was being a vice president important?" I asked. Kellil said, "To ensure that a Prime always held the highest political office." The information Kellil was telling me was mind blowing. I could not believe that the U.S. and possibly the world was controlled by aliens.

"His main agenda was getting laws passed which allowed companies to discard chemical waste into the soil and water. He is the engineer of global warming on Earth," Kellil said somberly.

I was beginning to see the big picture.

"During the war, Volerlust was known as a master manipulator. He manipulated several Vathian's to undergo the Incantation of Decay," said Kellil. "It was also Volerlust and Helus who facilitated the extermination of the Tabiil, a small band of Diviners who warned us that the Gandorans were not aligned with the natural order."

Soon all human life would face the same end as the Tabiil. Extermination with extreme prejudice.

Ten

Extraterrestrial Investigators

Judy and Stephen were still speechless as they gazed at the holographic image being projected from my fingers onto my living room floor. "This is unreal," said Judy. "How are you doing this?"

"The nanomachines move to the epidermis," I said, making a fist turning off the holographic image. "Now to answer your question," I said. "What question?" Judy asked as she came out of her daze.

"You wanted to know who or what is a Gandoran Prime," I said. "Yes," said Judy, completely out of her daze. "I'm sorry, but I was so enthralled by the holographic image."

"It's okay," I smiled, "You should have seen my expression the first time I saw it."

"Okay, who or what is a Gandoran Prime?" Judy asked with a smile.

I didn't know where to start. I ran my hands down my face as I tried to find a good starting point. I put my hands behind my head and said, "The Gandorans are a race of aliens that can alter their appearance as you have seen with Julian Frost."

"So a Gandoran Prime can be anybody," said Stephen. "Not just anybody, but people with power and influence," I said as I leaned forward looking directly at Stephen. "People with power and influence that have shaped this country and this world into this thing we see today."

Judy and Stephen sat silently which was my sign to continue my story. "Before Gandora imploded, the Gandorans were welcomed on Vathia. The Gandorans soon discovered they could not live in the clean environment of Vathia. They attempted to convert the environment into the same as on Gandora. The Vathian's noticed the small changes in their environment and a war ensued."

"They fought a war because of changes in their environment," said Judy. "Yeah, they realized the Gandorans was trying to change the entire planet with a Terra Synthesis Generator," I said, sounding as if I even knew what a Terra Synthesis Generator did. I hope Judy or Stephen didn't ask me what a Terra Synthesis Generator did.

"What does this generator do?" asked Stephen with a smile. Damn you Stephen! Then something kicked in my head. "A Terra Synthesis Generator convert the minerals in the soil into toxins that rapidly spread, similar to a virus, soon making the planet uninhabitable for everyone except the Gandorans." It must have been a metamorphosis of the nanomachines.

"Are they planning to use this Terra Synthesis Generator here?" asked Judy with just a slight quiver in her voice. The nanomachines allowed me to feel her blood pressure rise slightly. The next thing I said would most likely increase her blood pressure just a little bit more. I said, "No. We've started the process for them."

"What do you mean?" asked Stephen as he chewed on a pen. "With the Industrial Revolution came these amazing technological advances which also introduced water and air pollution," I said as I got out of my chair and walked to the large picture window in the living room. "We literally attracted them here, as a moth to a flame."

"So what happens next?" asked Stephen as he seemed unfazed by anything I had just revealed to them. I raised the blinds waiting for my friends. I looked at my watch. It was almost noon and time for the men in black to drive by. "The invasion happens next once the toxic levels are at the appropriate levels," I said tapping lightly on the window.

"Isn't there anything we can do to stop the toxic levels from rising?" asked an excited Judy. Looking into the grey October sky, I solemnly said, "It's too late. It has always been too late."

I didn't need to turn and see the expressions on Judy and Stephen's face, I could read their minds. Then I decided to drop a bomb on them.

Scratching the back of my neck, I said, "There's already a shitload of Gandorans near or in Dulce, New Mexico in a secret underground base."

Stephen's lower jaw dropped again while Judy raised her glasses to the top of her head. "I knew there was a secret base in Dulce!" exclaimed Stephen. "We finally got proof that the government has been working with aliens."

"The government has never worked with aliens Stephen," I said convincingly. "Unfortunately for us the aliens are the government, here and abroad."

"Wait a minute," said a concerned Judy, "what are you saying?"

Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, I said, "Remember I said the Prime could be anybody, especially people of power. They have infiltrated the government. Several U.S. President since 1850 have been a Prime."

"That's impossible!" exclaimed Judy.

"Not impossible," I said. "One Prime, the High Prime, has been the President of the United States at different times."

"How is that even possible?" Stephen asked. "Which presidents has this Prime impersonated?"

"Pierce, Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States, Cleveland, McKinley, F. Roosevelt, Johnson, and G. W. Bush," I said, rattling off the names with ease.

Judy got out of her seat and stood next to me. I could feel her heart pound in her chest. "I can't believe this," she said, folding her arm across her chest. "What proof do you have?"

"Always playing the part of the skeptic. I downloaded the information into the nanomachines before I left," I said as I peered at the steel grey clouds.

"Why the Vathian didn't's come to Earth and get the Prime?" asked Judy. "For the simple fact that Earth is too toxic for them," I said. "Once the Prime finish converting Earth, it'll be too toxic for humans."

A worried Judy returned to her chair. I could feel her fear rise.

I checked my watch again. "Okay, I need you in the kitchen now."

Judy and Stephen went into the kitchen. Just like clockwork, the black SUV with two different white males slowly drove by. I gave them my usual wave. After they cruise through the stop sign, I lowered the blind.

I turned and pointed to the floor and produced the next 4D holographic image. "Shall we continue?"

Eleven

Abduction

So far Kellil had shown me six of the twelve Gandoran Prime living on Earth as humans and told me their plan to conquer Earth. In other words, they planned to get rid of all humans.

"What would happen to the human populace?" I asked Kellil. There was a sigh then she said, "All humans would die because of the toxicity of Earth's environment."

Humankind was at the brink of extinction and I was the only one who knew about it. Even if did tell someone they would most likely have me committed to an insane asylum. Nah, they would only laugh because black people never get abducted by aliens.

Kellil waved her hand over the glowing orb once more, producing another image. "Who is that?" I asked. "His Gandoran designation is Morvant. On Earth, he is known as Houston Burch," said Kellil.

The name instantly rang a bell. Houston Burch had more money than Warren Buffet and Bill Gates combined. He was a real shrewd businessman. The one good thing he did do was to bring American jobs back to America. Another distraction from the truth. People were working and spending money to not notice anything. His part in the scheme to destroy Earth as a Prime would make that accomplishment look like a penny in his Himalayans of wealth.

"I work in one of his warehouses," I said quietly. "I can't believe I've been working for the enemy."

"Do not be sadden Eli Morningstar," said Kellil, "The Gandorans duped us until the Tabiil noticed the unsettled ecological harmony of Vathia. Unfortunately, the majority of humans are too busy to notice the imbalance in Earth's ecological harmony."

It was true. The majority of humans had their faces buried in the Genius phone or notebook created by Graham "Vonar" Corbett or spending the money they earned in one Houston Burch's warehouses or factories.

"Everything they do is connected," I said dejectedly. "Your insight serves you well Eli Morningstar," said Kellil with a smile. Corbett or Vonar invented the Genius products manufactured in Burch's factories and shipped to his warehouses. Those factories most likely produced chemicals which Senator Art Rhodes got a bill passed that would allow dumping in rivers. Everyone who owned a Genius product used it to keep track of Julian Frost, Nina Montoya, Elijah Gaines, and Van Buren. No one saw the connection. I'm sure there were more dots to be connected.

Kellil waved her spindly hand over the orb creating an image of a female with dark hair and a crazy look in her dark eyes.

"Who's this?" I asked. "Another defector. Her Vathian designation is Phesa," said Kellil. "However on Earth she is known as Lilith Delacroix."

"I've never heard of her," I said as I looked into her crazed eyes. "She is the only one to stay out of plain sight of humans," said Kellil.

"Why?" I asked. "It gives her the benefit of performing her experiments," said Kellil as she turned away from me. "What do you mean experiments?" I asked placing a hand on Kellil's shoulder. It was the first time I had touched a Vathian. Her skin was smooth, yet waxy, as a candle. She turned and looked at me.

"Her intellectual capacity is far greater than Vonar, especially concerning biologics. Phesa was the principal scientist of the Vathian scientific society and Vonar is her acolyte," said Kellil. "She was also my acquaintance."

What did she mean by acquaintance? Where they lovers or just good friends? Now I understand the look on her face. She was sad. "She wasn't always like this," said Kellil as she stared at the image. She quickly waved her hand over the orb again and said, "Let's move on."

The next image that appeared was of a bearded man's face I've seen on the news several times. He was head of a radical Muslim group, Soldiers of the Jihad, who kept things stirred in the Middle East, especially when the word peace was mentioned. It was rumored he had nuclear weapons and wouldn't hesitate to use them.

Before Kellil said anything, I said, "I know this guy. He's Saleem Shaban, head of a radical Muslim group somewhere in the Middle East." Kellil nodded her approval of my answer. "His Gandoran designation is Sabar and the acolyte of Helus."

"So he's some type of assistant to Van Buren or Helus," I said, putting together another connection. "Yes," said Kellil. "Use your insight an you'll see their Earth connection."

"Van Buren hates everyone who is not a white American and Shaban is always screaming to kill all Americans thus keeping both sides of human disliking the other and not seeing the big picture," I said with a smile on my face. "Not bad for a black guy."

Before Kellil could wave her hand over the orb again, the milky white membrane dissolved. Negu, along with the two armed Vathian's, rushed in and said, "Empress Kellil, Gandoran ships are entering Earth's atmosphere."

For some reason, I wasn't blocked out of this conversation. Kellil said, "Report to the control room." Negu nodded and retreated out of the room.

"We will complete your education of the Prime later," Kellil as she waved her hand over the orb twice, turning it off or putting it a sleep mode. "Let us go to the control room."

We left the room and made a left. We quickly walked down another long corridor until we came to another milky membrane. Kellil waved her hand in front of the membrane and it quickly dissolved revealing a shaft of light. Kellil stepped into the light. "Come, we must go up to the control room." Taking a step, I was engulfed by the light and swept upward.

Twelve

Extraterrestrial Investigator

Field investigators Judy Clark and Stephen Weiss of Extraterrestrial Investigators arrived at my door eager to hear my account of my alien abduction. After seeing the things, I'm capable of doing Stephen's belief in my story shot through the roof while Judy, the skeptic became fearful. Maybe I shouldn't have involved them knowing the consequences faced by those who got too close to the truth.

I had previously shown them the Prime Canos known as Julian Frost, the mega pop star. I pointed my finger at my living room floor and produced a life size 4D holographic image of Nina Montoya, the no talent super-duper reality star.

"Is that Nina Montoya?" asked a wide eyed Stephen as he inspected the image. "Her Gondoran Prime name is Xantha, daughter of the High Prime," I said, looking at a nervous Judy. "This is effin' amazing!" exclaimed Stephen as he walked around the holographic image. "The hottest girl on the face of the planet is an alien."

Judy flashed Stephen a look of displeasure. "Do we need to see anymore?" asked Judy. I could sense her apprehension. "Yes," I said, "this is the proof that you wanted. This answers all of your questions. I've shown you only two so far. There are a total of twelve living among us in plain sight."

"Who are the other ten?" asked Stephen as he continued inspecting the Nina Montoya holographic image.

Looking at Judy, I thought about the next image. Immediately the 4D holographic image changed to a towering Elijah "The Prophet" Gaines, the collegiate All-American and NBA superstar. There weren't enough adjectives to describe the things this guy did. I didn't want to believe he was an alien, but it was proven to me. I can now understand why he was able to do the things he did at the U of M and NBA.

Is that Elijah "The Prophet" Gaines?" asked Stephen hysterically as he looked up into the face of the 4D holographic image. "On Vathia, he is known as Brale," I said, still keeping an eye on Judy. Her fear was escalating. She had asked for proof, and I was giving it to her.

"This is mind blowing," said Stephen as he walked around the 4D model and occasionally passing his hand through it. "I once saw him score six touchdowns at the U of M."

To calm an excited Stephen, I thought about the next image, showing them Helus, known as William Van Buren on Earth. Of all the Prime, he was the most despicable. He was a maestro of chaos.

"Van Buren's is a Gandoran alien," said a baffled Judy. "Yes," I said as I glared at the 4D model of Van Buren. "He's the most despicable of all the Primes."

"I can believe that," chimed Stephen as he threw a punch through the hologram. "Although it was not proven I believed he incited that attack on the mosque."

"He did," I said confidently. "It's his nature to create chaos."

I thought about the next Prime on the list. The 4D holographic image of Graham Corbett popped up.

"It's Graham Corbett, the guy who almost single-handedly put Apple and Microsoft out of business," said Stephen as he stood next to the hologram. "If it had not been for government intervention he would have done it."

"This is just too much," Judy said. "I'm still having a hard time believing that all of these people are aliens."

"Why Judy?" I asked. "I've shown you what I can do. Why can't they be aliens?"

"I do not know," said a confused Judy. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense Judy," I said, "Just look around you! Just look at the state of the world!" A baffled Judy glared at me. Hopefully, by the time I finished showing the last Prime, she would understand that it all makes perfect sense.

"I think I'm starting to see how all of this makes sense," said Stephen. Judy cut her eyes at Stephen then said, "Please enlighten me Stephen."

Before Stephen could enlighten Judy, I said, "Graham Corbett's Vathian name is Vonar." Taking a peek inside Stephen's head, I knew he was not close to understanding, but he wasn't too far away. "He is a Vathian who elected to join the Gandorans. If you own any Genius products, they were developed by Corbett."

"All of our current tech products are alien in origin," said Stephen as his excitement level continued to rise. "All of it," I said. "Now you understand why I did not want you use your laptops."

A cellphone rang loudly. Judy reached into her bag and removed a Genius 9TKL. Before she could answer, I extended my right hand and the nanomachines quickly disabled the phone. A shocked Judy looked at the smoking phone. "My phone!"

"All Genius tech must be destroyed," I said angrily. "Remember the men in black." An upset Judy jammed the phone back into her bag. "What did you to it?"

"I fried the CPU and all its processors," I said, glaring at Judy. "Just like that," said Judy with a bit of fear in her voice. "I liked that phone."

I thought about the next Prime and produced a 4D holographic image of Art Rhodes. "That's Senator Art Rhodes," said Judy as she peered at the image. "I just can't believe this."

"I can believe it," chimed Stephen. "This dude is real political douchebag."

"To you he's Art Rhodes, but to me he's Volerlust the master manipulator and engineer of global warming," I said looking at the glowing hologram. Judy shook her head in dismay. Looking inside her head, she wasn't sure if she wanted to continue hearing my story.

"What do you mean he engineered global warming?" asked Stephen as he looked at the hologram. "He saw that global warming happened as part of their plan to elevate the toxin levels."

Stephen shoulders slumped and his head dropped. "This is unbelievable."

"He has been the U. S. Vice President on several occasions to ensure that a Prime could always return as President. He has performed the same duties in Russia and China," I said.

Neither Stephen nor Judy said anything. I immediately produced the next Prime on the list. The glowing 4D life-size hologram of Houston Burch appeared. It was as if the billionaire two times over was standing in my living room.

"It's Houston Burch," said Judy dejectedly. "So the richest man in the world is an alien."

"His Gandoran name is Morvant," I said. "Now you understand why he's so rich." Judy shook her head in disbelief. I still don't understand why all of this was hard for her.

"I think I'll have that water now," said Judy as she tried to take in everything I had shown them. I went to the refrigerator and fetched a bottle of water for Judy who had her head in her hands. I took another quick peek into her mind. She was still filled with fear and doubt. Then she said something very stupid. "We have to inform people about all of this. We can't just sit back and do nothing."

Placing the bottle of water next to Judy, I asked starkly, "Aren't you listening to me? It's too late to do anything."

Thirteen

Abduction

As the shaft of light came to a stop the milky membrane quickly dissolved. I felt as if I had been sucked up in a giant vacuum cleaner hose. That puking feeling came over me again. The nanomachines quickly remedied the sick feeling. We stepped out of the shaft of light and into another white walled oval room filled with large holographic panels situated horizontally and vertically.

In the center of the room was a large horizontal holographic panel surrounded by Negu and two other Vathian's. Along the wall of the room were five holographic panels with Vathian's standing at each one performing some type of task. These panels seemed to work on the same principle as the glowing orb, no contact required. Maybe I was standing in some type of communications or radar room.

Every Vathian stopped doing whatever task they were performing and looked in our direction. Once again I immediately picked up every Vathian's thought. It was not a good feeling, especially when the thoughts were about my appearance. Again the nanomachines quickly corrected the problem.

Negu greeted us and led us to the large holographic panel in the middle of the room. "Two Gandoran ships, Outer System Frigates, just entered Earth's atmosphere." A large 4D holographic image of Earth appeared over the panel as well as two diamond shaped fast moving objects. "What is their trajectory?" asked Kellil.

Negu waved his spindly hand over the panel displaying the trajectory of the two fast moving objects. "It's exactly as we thought," said a stoic Negu. "Their trajectory is Dulce, New Mexico, United States, North America."

"Use your death ray or something?" I said animatedly. Every Vathian stopped working and turned their dark eyes towards me. "We have no such weapon," Negu said glaring at me. "This is not a vessel of war." That was embarrassing.

"We are not here to stop them from landing on Earth," said Kellil abruptly. "I've already informed you of the consequences if the Gandorans becomes aware of our presence." She had. The Gandorans would speed up the collapse of Earth if they became aware of the Vathian presence.

Waving his hand over the holographic image in a certain configuration, Negu zoomed in on the two Gandoran ships as they descended into a mountain. Wow! This Gandoran technology was amazing.

"If you are not here to stop the Gandorans then why are you here?" I asked as I looked at Negu then Kellil.

"It is as I said Eli Morningstar, you will be their end," said Kellil without looking at me. Something told me she was angry with me. "You are being prepared to be the end of the Prime who continually increase the numbers of Gandorans on Earth."

There she goes again talking about me killing someone. I just didn't have it in me to kill. If that were the case, I would have killed the guy who called me the N-word.

"You are correct Empress Kellil," said Negu as his thin fingers moved over the panel producing another hieroglyphic report. "According to our readings, Earth has twelve months or less before the Prime initiates their assault."

"What do you mean less than twelve months?" I asked Negu with concern in my voice. "The levels of toxins have elevated to forty-five percent," responded Negu somberly. "According to our calculations they are increasing it at five percent per month. At the end of twelve months they would have increased the toxins to one hundred percent. Even at seventy-five percent a large portion of humans will cease to exist."

Those words echoed in my head, 'humans will cease to exist'. Earth as I know it would be no more.

"The time for your training must begin at once," said Kellil mildly. "What training?" I asked as I turned away from Negu. "You must learn to utilize the nanomachine properly, if Earth is to survive," Kellil said with a smile on her lipless face.

Save my home world. Most of my life I wanted to get off my home world. "What if I don't want to save Earth?" I asked Kellil seriously.

Kellil and Negu looked at me. "Why wouldn't you want to save you home world Eli Morningstar?"

I smiled and said, "Earth's remaining time isn't enough to tell you why I don't want to save my home world."

"I am confused Eli Morningstar," said Kellil as she cocked her head. "I do not understand. Please explain your reason for not wanting to save your home world."

I didn't even know where to start. I didn't even know if Kellil and Negu would even understand me.

I took a deep breath and said, "Earth is a fucked up place. The people of Earth are fucked up. If they got their hands on either of you, it wouldn't end nice."

"Why do you say that Eli Morningstar?" asked Kellil. "They would experiment on you in the name of science and national security," I replied. "You would not receive a warm welcoming."

Kellil and Negu only looked at me. Yep, they didn't understand a word I said. I'll try again.

"The people of Earth are very diverse. This diversity leads to misunderstandings among the people. All of these misunderstandings leads to hate, and in turn leads to conflicts," I said. They still weren't understanding me. "Besides, I'm a black guy. Why should I save a world that hates me because of the color of my skin? Why should I save a world that would rather see me dead?"

An expressionless Kellil and Negu didn't respond. They just stood there like bumps on a log. They still weren't understanding a word I was saying, so I decided to try a different approach.

"Does every Vathian have the same skin color?" I asked Kellil, hoping to evoke some type of response.

Finally, Negu said, "Yes, every Vathian's skin color is the same."

"Well, every human skin isn't the same and this causes a lot of conflicts, especially between everybody else and people with my skin color," I said, hoping they would understand. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand what you said," said Kellil, "but don't understand why a thing such as skin color leads to such feelings."

"Neither do me," I said. "Is there only one religion on Vathia?"

Negu responded by saying, "All Vathian's worship the deity Xon, our creator."

"On Earth there are a couple of major religions. Some religions branch out into other forms. These forms of religions have caused humans to kill one another," I said with a bit of remorse. "I'll never understand why, but it is these petty differences which lead humans to kill one another."

Kellil looked at me and said, "Remember Eli Morningstar, humans have been manipulated by the Prime. It is the Prime who has caused these conflicts."

I didn't believe that. It was impossible for twelve aliens to manipulate an entire planet of people. Totally impossible. I for one hadn't been manipulated. My problem with Earth was that I, as a black man, was considered the lowest form of human.

"There are humans who have sided with the Gandorans for the promise of riches. Some humans may have already participated in the Incantation of Decay," said Kellil, "specifically the men in black."

"I refuse to save Earth. Let them perish," I said coldly. "Let us see where their hate get them."

"Do you have a coterie on Earth Eli Morningstar?" asked Kellil. "Yes," I said, "but I would rather see them dead than continue living in a world of hate."

I turned, walked away from Kellil, and entered the shaft light. I would return to the place of my injection.

Fourteen

Extraterrestrial Investigators

Sometimes people say things without thinking. That's what Judy Clark did when she suggested we should warn people of the Gandoran plot. She wasn't listening to me; it was too late to do anything. The wheels were in motion and couldn't be stopped by any normal human being.

"We cannot warn anyone Judy," I said as I looked at my watch. The time for my friends, the men in black, to do their round was approaching. "Why not?" protested Judy. "We just can't sit by and wait for the end."

"Listen Judy, if the Gandorans discovers that their presence on of Earth has been uncovered then they'll speed up the destruction of Earth," I said sternly as I looked into her worried face. "I've already told you this things goes all the way to the top and when I say top I mean the White House, the Kremlin and the Office of the President of China."

"What are you saying?" asked Judy softly. I responded by saying, "They know of the aliens because they are the aliens. Haven't you been listening to me?"

"Whoa!" exclaimed Stephen. "Do you have any idea what you are saying?"

"Yes," I said as I looked at my watch again. "The governments of the world have been covering the truth about UFOs because government is the aliens."

"Are you saying that the president of the U.S., Russia, and China are aliens?" asked Stephen. "Bingo Stephen!" I exclaimed.

"How can this be?" asked Judy. "Because it's easy to control things when you are on top," I said as I took my seat again. "Because humans are sheep. The Gandorans quickly recognized this when they came to Earth." I felt as if I had wasted the last six hours talking to a brick wall. It felt as if they hadn't heard a word I said.

Stephen and Judy sat there silently. I looked at my watch again and went to the window. "I need you in the kitchen for a few seconds."

Stephen and Judy got up from the table and went into the kitchen. I raised the blind and counted down. Just like clockwork, two different white males in dark shades rode by in their customary black SUV. Like usual, I waved to them. They did not look too happy. I lowered the blind.

"Now you understand why we cannot warn anyone," I said as I looked at Judy. Looking into their minds, I could see that Judy was afraid while Stephen was full of questions.

"So who are the rest of these aliens?" Stephen asked. Judy's hand trembled as she opened the water. She had difficulty bringing the bottle up to her lips. "Do we need to see anymore?" asked Judy after taking a sip of water.

"I want to show you all the proof I have," I said, looking into her frightened face. She was no longer a skeptic, but a scared believer. "Why do we need to see more of your proof if we cannot warn anyone? Why even show us this?" asked Judy angrily.

"Because the truth will set you free," I said. "I needed to be free of this truth. You have the proof that aliens do exist."

"What good does the truth do if only we know about?" asked Judy angrily. "Why did they do this to you?" Then Stephen said, "Wait, you do not want us to tell anyone because you're going to stop them with your nanomachines."

Judy glared at me. Stephen was smarter than he appeared. Getting out of my chair, I went into the kitchen. Going into my junk drawer, I searched for a coupon. I had a taste for pizza. I could eat practically anything and not gain any weight, courtesy of the nanomachines who quickly used everything as fuel.

"Is that true?" asked Judy. I did not respond as I searched for my coupon. "Is that true Mr. Morningstar?" she asked again, but with more anger in her voice. Taking a peek inside her head, I saw nothing but anger.

After finding my pizza coupon, I said, "Although I have the power to stop them, I will not."

Picking up my not Genius cellphone off the breakfast bar, I quickly ordered a large pepperoni pizza with black olives and mushroom. Judy waited before asking irately, "What do you mean you're not going to stop them?"

I went into the refrigerator and removed a bottle of beer. I could not get intoxicated; I just like the taste. The nanomachines would quickly remove the toxins because of the changes occurring in my blood.

Judy was now standing as she awaited my answer. She was pissed not at the fact that I had the power to stop the Gandoran, but the fact that I did not answer her.

Finally, I said, "I mean I'm not going to stop them. It's not my fight."

Stephen was now quiet. His excitement had quickly waned. "I cannot believe I'm hearing this," said Stephen, shaking his head. "You have the power to save Earth from certain doom, but you're refusing on what grounds."

"Because I'm a black man," I said after opening my beer. "What in the hell does that mean?" asked an irate Judy.

"It means; I'm not supposed to be in this situation," I said. "In every science fiction movie when the world needed saving from the big bad aliens or zombies, it's a white guy. Go find a white guy to save the world, after all they're all superior to me," I said before taking a sip of beer. I was angry. The nanomachines were already removing the alcohol from my blood.

"This is not some effin' science fiction movie!" exclaimed Stephen. "This is reality! We're talking about real effin' life! The entire planet is about to be wiped out, and you're talking about white guys saving the world in science fiction movies!"

I did not think I would see Stephen like this. He was full blown upset. "For your information, there are blacks in science fiction movies." Here comes the list of tokens and sidekicks. I took a sip of beer as I waited.

"What about _Samuel Jackson_ and _Billy Dee Williams_ in _Star Wars_? There's _Will Smith_ in _Independence Day_ and _After Earth_. What about _LeVar Burton_ , _Nichelle Nichols_ , and _Michael Dorn_ of _Star Trek_ fame?" asked a red-faced Stephen.

"You named six black people," I said with a smile on my face. "Now, how many sci-fi or fantasy movies have been made?" Stephen removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I personally apologized there haven't been more black lead sci-fi characters."

"You are a piece of work," said Judy angrily.

"I collect comic books," I started gloomily, "I was twelve years old at the time. Anyhow, while at this comic book convention, looking through boxes, two _Big Bang Theory_ nerds looked in my direction and simply stated, "I didn't know niggers read comic books. You must be looking for the _Nigger Panther_. That was the first time someone called me nigger."

Stephen shook his head. Through clenched teeth, Judy said, "You'll let billions die because of the ignorance of a few. What about your family?"

Kellil had asked a similar question. I gave Judy the same answer. "I would rather see them dead than continue living in this world." Judy glared at me before going into the kitchen. I did not need to take a peek into her head to tell that she was highly upset with me.

"I think the grays might have screwed up your head," commented Stephen as he stuffed his pad into his bag.

Stephen was dead wrong. The Vathians made my head and everything else better. I was supreme. I thought about giving him an electrical shock just for saying my head was screwed up and saying the word 'grays'.

If they were black, they would understand why I did not want to save Earth. On the final day of humans' existence, I would get me a large pepperoni pizza with green peppers, mushroom, black olives and onions with a glass of white wine and watch all the petty differences fade away.

Judy came back to the table and stood next to me. Looking down at me, she said, "You're no better than those ignorant people."

Then the doorbell rang. Looking at Judy, I said, "My pizza is here." Getting out of my chair, I went to the door. The nanomachines quickly revealed it was a female on the other side of the door; however, she was not holding a pizza, but a small briefcase. I slowly opened the door to see Alyce Green. "Hello Eli."

Things are about to get interesting.

Fifteen

Abduction

Here I lay on the cold table again not against my will, but rather of my own choosing. Mere moments ago, I just told the Empress of the Vathian's; I would not be saving Earth from the clutches of the Gandorans. I mean, why she should care about the annihilation of Earth. Doesn't make sense to me. Something else which doesn't make sense is the disappearance of my socks and shoes.

The milky membrane like door quickly dissolved. In walked Empress Kellil of Vathia, alone. "You returned to the chamber without assistance. It appears as if you have an understanding of how the nanomachines work."

She was right. I was beginning to understand the workings of the nanomachines. I just thought about something, and it happened. There wasn't anything too complicated about that.

I did not respond as I looked up into the ceiling. "Are you not well, Eli Morningstar?" asked a concerned Kellil.

"I'm just fine. Just remove your nanomachines and send me back to Earth," I said as I put my hands behind my head. "Also where are my socks and shoes?"

"Eli Morningstar, the process cannot be reversed," said Kellil sharply. Oh great, now I'm stuck with microscopic machines inside of me. Frustrated, I sat up on the side of the table. "As far as your shoes and socks, they're under the table," Kellil said.

Getting off the table, I quickly searched for my shoes and socks. They were just as she said. I do not know why I had not seen them the first time. I quickly put them on then said, "I'm ready to go back to Earth."

"Very well, Eli Morningstar," said Kellil with a bit of sadness. "Before you go, please help me understand why you refuse to save your home world."

I held my hand up so that Kellil could see the back of my hand. "You refuse to save your home world because of your hand," said Kellil confusingly.

"Not my hand, but my skin color," I said, pointing to my skin. A look of confusion crawled across her flat face. She still wasn't understanding me. "Why would something as the color of your skin prevent you from saving Earth from the Gandorans?"

"Humans who are African or of African descent are thought to be inferior to all others," I said angrily. "Because I'm inferior, I cannot handle such an endeavor."

"Surely, not all humans with a different skin color feel that way," said Kellil.

If she could walk a quarter of a mile in my shoes, which I finally got back, she would understand what I was saying. She most likely would cave under the pressure of being black before walking the complete quarter of a mile. Then I asked, "Why do you even care if Earth is taken over by the Gandorans?"

She did not respond. I turned to look into shiny black eyes that somehow seem sadden by that question. Had I touched a nerve? Did I find that one thing which hit home?

"Because I am all that's left of my coterie," said Kellil quietly. "The Gandorans, specifically one, killed everyone in my coterie."

I did not know what to say. I saw a different side of Kellil. "Negu is more than just my advisor. He is the General which ultimately led the Vathian Defense Forces to victory. He rescued me before the Gandorans could end my life."

"Which Gandoran was it?" I asked. "Xantha, the High Prime's spawn," said Kellil bitterly. Xantha or Nina Montoya, the mega reality star. She had everyone, men, women, and children, wrapped around her finger. Me personally, I did not care for her and cared even less about her now that I know she's a murdering alien.

"With her ability to alter her appearance, she masqueraded as my mother, deceiving my father and brother," said Kellil sadly. "She executed my mother before my eyes."

I cannot say how she felt. I've never had someone killed before my eyes. I took a peek inside her head and saw the sadness. I saw her mother executed.

"I have a termination pact to fulfil on behalf of my coterie," said Kellil. "I intend to see it fulfilled." Now the truth was coming out. It was never about saving the people of Earth. It was about revenge, and I'm in the middle. I despised being in the middle of other's affairs.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your coterie," I said apologetically, "but I still can't get involved with your quest for revenge."

"It's not about revenge!" screamed Kellil. "It's about not seeing others suffer the way I have suffered!" Whoa! Another whole side to Kellil. The angry side. I probably wouldn't like her angry. Who knows what she could do to me?

Sighing heavily, I ran my hands down my face then said, "I'm sorry. I can't do it. Find some way to remove the nanomachines and inject them in a white guy or Asian guy. According to Hollywood and the world, they're more suitable for this endeavor."

"I do not know this 'Hollywood', but the Tabiil priestess instructed by Xon my creator has decided," said Kellil. "She has chosen Eli Morningstar, not a white guy or Asian guy."

She was still trying to convince me. Why? Once I had my mind made up about something, I did not change it. I would not change it, not even to save Earth. I was taught to stick to your guns. I'm sticking to my guns.

Then Kellil said something shocking. "By doing nothing, you are no better than the humans you claim that hate you."

I was at a loss for words. I searched for a snappy comeback but didn't have anything. The milky membrane dissolved. Kellil walked towards the opening. Stopping on the other side of the opening, she turned and said, "You will be returned to Earth shortly."

Good, I can finally get back home because I had a taste for a pepperoni pizza with black olives, mushrooms, green peppers and an iced cold beer.

Sixteen

Abduction

Okay, I was in my second week of abduction. Kellil hadn't shown me the last three Prime. I most likely lost my job at the warehouse and my girlfriend, Alyce Green.

She had not returned me as promised and I had seen her only once since I refused to save Earth from the clutches of the Gandorans who had infiltrated the three most powerful governments on Earth. They were plotting to turn Earth into New Gandora or Gandora II. Kellil was keeping me here hoping I would change my mind.

Most of my time was spent alone in the injection chamber. It was my own personal room. It gave me plenty of time to practice using the nanomachines. These microscopic machines made me superhuman, almost like a comic book hero. Everything about me was greatly improved; eyesight, hearing, strength, speed, resistance to injury and sickness, agility, and the ability to process information rapidly. I had not eaten in a week but felt fine.

I seem to be evolving very quickly. Two days ago I discovered I was able to emit a low voltage electrical charge capable of incapacitating a three hundred pound man. Today I discovered I have the ability to communicate with computers. I can understand the zeroes and ones of any computer. Then I had the brilliant idea to 'communicate' with the ship's computer. At first it was not cooperative until I gave it the Morningstar charm.

This ship was amazing! It's an outer-system fortress, a merger of technology and organics. Its shape was similar to that of a blue whale, not saucer shape as the ones often reported by the casual ufologist. This ship is the stuff of science fiction. Its engines were capable of folding or bending space at one point and opening it in another point. They could travel light years in the blink of an eye.

The ship's computer divulged its entire layout to me. It was huge. According to my calculation, it was the length of three aircraft carriers. I was able to see the ship's log. They had searched for the Gandorans for a very long time. They had searched for the Gandorans before my birth. The ship gave me its location as the dark side of Earth's moon, cloaked from all sensors. The ship also divulged the secrets of the nanomachines and the last three Prime. The only thing not on the ship's computer was the identity of the Tabiil priestess.

The milky membrane quickly dissolved. Kellil followed by Negu, and two staff wielding guards entered the injection chamber. The two guards took up a position on either side of the door.

Negu smiled as he looked up at me. His black eyes were the size of saucers. Oh yeah, did I forget that I could levitate. Sitting in a cross legged pose about six feet off the floor, I stared at Kellil. "Hello Eli Morningstar." I did not respond.

"Excellent," said Negu as he continued looking up at me in amazement. "You are evolving just as the priestess said you would."

"Well, I've had plenty of time," I responded. "What else I'm I going to do?"

"Will you save your home world?" Kellil asked as she looked up at me. "No, I will not fight your fight," I said looking down on her. I almost felt like a god.

Negu said, "It is not just our fight, but the fight of all to stand up to oppressors and slayers. People of your skin color on Earth saw this as very true."

Oh boy, here comes Negu trying to kick some knowledge as the old guy in the barbershop. What did he know about people of my skin color? There was nothing anyone could say that would make me change my mind. I would not save Earth. I would not fight their fight for them. I asked Kellil to remove the nanomachines and put them in a white hero or heroine who fit the bill of savior. Because the process could not be reversed, she politely told me no.

"I lost my consort and my brood at the hands of the Gandorans," said Negu. "Life without them has been agonizing. The only thing which keeps me going is knowing that the ones responsible will someday meet their end."

Another sob story. "I'm sorry for your lost Negu, but I just can't save people who hate me because of my skin color. A man with my color of skin once said that we must live together as brothers or perish together as fools," I said, lowering myself to the floor. "Humans have failed to live together as brother and never will so let them perish together as fools."

"The man you speak about, Martin Luther King Jr. also said the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others" said Negu. "You now stand at times of challenge and controversy Eli Morningstar."

Like I said the old guy in the barbershop. Negu was right. I was standing at times of challenge and controversy, but I would not accept the challenge or confront the controversy.

"So, what will it be Eli Morningstar?" asked Negu. Looking at Negu, I said, "No."

Negu sighed, then said, "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people."

"Who said that?" I asked. "Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963," replied Negu before turning and exiting the injection chamber.

"Why does he know so much about Martin Luther King, Jr.?" I asked perplexed as to why an alien would know anything about Martin Luther King, Jr.

"He has studied all of the great men and women of Earth and has found this particular one intriguing," said Kellil. "How so?" I asked. "He admired that he endured much for the equality of all, even the ones who disliked him," said Kellil before exiting with her armed guards in tow. Schooled by aliens.

Wait! They did not say anything about sending me home. Then I got the brightest of ideas to get home. I'll send myself home.

I looked around my home away from home once more before exiting. I would not miss it. Following the map in my head, I made a left, walked about fifty yards to a milky membrane door, opened it and stepped into the shaft of light. Instead of going up, I went down. In seconds, I was standing in a hangar filled with ships the size of a transport plane and smaller ships the size of a Cessna.

Here was a test of test for the nanomachines. Let's see if they could fly one of these. What was it with the Vathian's? Did they have some weird alien fetish with Earth's aquatic life? These smaller ships were the shape of a stingray or manta ray. Going to the nearest ship, I extended my hand. The single man cockpit opened.

I quickly climbed in and commanded the cockpit to close. Placing my hand on the control panel, the lights came on. I quickly communicated with the ship's computer. In mere seconds, the nanomachines told me everything I needed to know. This specific ship was a weaponless quad skiff used for reconnaissance. It was called a quad skiff because of the four engines. Perfect. With just a simple thought, the engines fired up. So far the nanomachines were passing the test.

The ship hovered then it moved forward towards a large door. Then my escape was discovered.

"Eli Morningstar, you are not permitted to leave," said Kellil. She was in my head. "You refuse to send me back to Earth," I said. "You refuse to save Earth," snapped Kellil. "Until you decide to stop the extinction of your people, you shall remain on this ship."

"Well, either way Earth is done as a turkey on Thanksgiving," I said. I gave another command and the huge door open into space. Nothing but stars and the dark side of the moon.

"Very well," said Kellil solemnly. "Hopefully, you'll change your mind about stopping the collapse of Earth."

Looking out of the door into space, I said, "Never Empress Kellil." With another command, the quad skiff blasted out of the hangar into space. I was on my way home.

Seventeen

Alyce Green and the Men in Black

Okay, all five feet ten, one hundred twenty five pounds of my girlfriend Alyce Green were not supposed to be standing at my door. She should be up north with her parents until Sunday.

"I did not know you had company," said Alyce as she stepped inside and planted a kiss on my cheek. She nodded acknowledging Judy and Stephen. Looking at the duo, I said, "Yeah, they were just leaving."

Stephen had a disappointed look on his face. Judy, on the other hand, was angry. I had refused to save the Earth from the Prime.

Like I said, things were about to get interesting. Judy walked over and introduced herself. "I'm Judy Clark of the Extraterrestrial Investigators and that is my assistant Stephen Weiss."

Stephen waved to Alyce. "Extraterrestrial investigators? Does this have to do with your disappearance?" Alyce asked with a smile. "What do you think?" I asked as I rolled my eyes.

Then Judy did something I did not see coming. Going to her bag, she produced the hand written letter I sent to the ETI and handed it to Alyce. Okay, the nanomachines could do many things, but they could not rearrange or erase ink.

Alyce slowly read both pages of the letters. I checked my watch as I waited for her to finish reading. It was not time for the men in black to make their daily round.

Looking at me with her piercing green eyes, Alyce asked, "Is it true?"

Judy was trying to force my hand. I still would not change my mind about trying to save the Earth from the Prime. Judy and the rest of the humans would have to fend for themselves when the Prime unleashed their deadly attack. I, on the other hand, would be just fine.

Calling Judy's bluff, I looked Alyce square in her green eyes and nonchalantly said, "It's true. Aliens abducted me."

Alyce handed the letter back to Judy who was smiling. Glaring at Judy, I said, "I'm still not changing my mind."

"What are you not changing your mind about sweetie?" Alyce asked curiously. Things are getting pretty interesting. Keeping my cool, I said, "Nothing really. Judy wants me to go public with my story and I just don't think it's safe."

Stephen sighed heavily. "That is so not true. Show your girlfriend what you can do."

"What is he talking about?" Alyce asked confusingly. I could not drag Alyce into this. I would have to lie to her which I did not like doing. Then the doorbell rang. Pizza! I guess it would be easier to tell her over pizza and beer.

Going to the door, I stopped. The nanomachines were going off! It was not a pizza delivery person on the other side of the door. It was the men in black on the other side of my door. They finally go the courage to come to my door.

"I need everyone in the kitchen," I said silently. "Now!"

"What's going on?" asked Alyce as she grabbed my right hand. She immediately got a low voltage shock. "Ouch! You shocked me!" exclaimed Alyce. "Quiet!" I said as the doorbell rang again.

I looked at Judy and said three words, "Men in black." The field investigators quickly gathered their things and moved into the kitchen. "What's going on?" asked Alyce as she rubbed her hand from the pain of the shock.

Putting my hand on the doorknob, I slowly twisted it then pulled the door open. Just like the movies, it creaked.

Standing at my door were two men in black. The whole dark suit and glasses. Both were average height, one sandy blonde and the other with jet black hair. They both looked to be in excellent physical condition.

"Mr. Morningstar, we're agents Clary and Burns," said the sandy blonde. "Who's Clary and who's Burn?" I asked trying to be a smart ass. The sandy blonde said in serious deep tone, "I'm Clary. We're from the ATF. We have reason to believe that you have unregistered weapons in your possessions."

I chuckled lightly, first because Clary said they were from the ATF and second because he said I had unregistered weapons. "Where's your blue windbreaker?"

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," said Burns seriously as he motioned to another parked black SUV with two other agents. Looking into their minds, they wanted to take me in for questioning. Who knows what would happen after they got me into their facility?

Alyce moved closer to me. Judy and Stephen moved further into the kitchen, next to the door that led into the garage.

"Now, do you mind if we come in and search the premises?" asked Clary. Looks like this was going to be done the hard way. "Yes, I mind if you come in and search my premises," I said angrily. "I do not even own a gun."

Clary reached into his pocket. I took a step back, pushing Alyce out of the way. I could feel the energy charge up at my fingertips. I waited. Clary produced a piece of paper. It was a search warrant. He handed it to me, and I looked it over. The topping to their ruse. "I'm not letting you into my home."

Clary motioned to Burns and the pair started forcing their way into my home. Putting up both my hands as if I were trying to push them back out the door, I released a full charge of electrical energy from the palms of my hand. Both men went down like a sack of potatoes. I looked at the palms of my hands as they smoked momentarily.

"What did you do to them?" asked Alyce frantically. I did not respond as I saw the other two agents immediately dismount their SUV with their weapons drawn. Two more white males, who looked just like Clary and Burns. Did they clone these guys? The Clary look-a-like was screaming into a wrist communicator.

Alyce grabbed my arm as I stepped out of my house to confront the Clary and Burns look-a-like. "Where are you going? What did you do to them?"

Breaking free of Alyce's arm, I turned to her and screamed, "Stay inside!" Stepping outside, I could feel the nanomachines charge up. There would be no holding them back.

"Get down on the ground now!" yelled the Burns look-a-like. I continued moving towards them with my fists clenched like a boxer. "Down now!" yelled the Burns look-a-like.

I continued advancing towards the agents then put my hands up. "On your knees!" yelled the Burns look-a-like as he kept his gun trained on me. I dropped to my knees and placed my hands behind my head.

The Clary look-a-like was screaming into his wrist communicator. "We have agents down! Suspect has become hostile! Requesting immediate backup!"

Great! He was calling for backup. Things were getting beyond exciting. I did not know how many would respond to his backup request or how long it would take them to get here. I had to end this now.

Looking to my left, I could see my neighbor Mitch step onto his front porch. "What's going on? What did he do?"

Mitch Patton, widower, grandfather of two little girls, Vietnam veteran and didn't trust or care for the government. He once told me that the government was spying on us all. When he first said that to me, I thought it was just the ramblings of a bitter man. I now understand him.

"Back inside your home sir!" yelled the Clary look-a-alike. "If you do not comply, I will be forced to detain you."

"I will not get back inside my home," said Mitch defiantly. "I have the right to observe law enforcement operations. I'm a damn veteran! I nearly lost an arm and leg for this country."

Three more of my neighbors, an elderly widow and the two single girls, across the street, were standing in their doorway. One of the girls held up her Genius phone. I had to end this now before someone got hurt.

I turned to see Alyce, Judy, and Stephen standing in the doorway. Stephen, holding his camera, recorded the entire incident. The Burns look-a-like, with handcuffs, cautiously approached me while the Clary look-a-like held his gun on me. Looking into their minds, I could see they were afraid. What did they know? Did the Prime know about me?

As the Burns look-a-like reached to handcuff me, I gave him the shock of his life. He instantly dropped to the ground. "What did you do to him?" asked the Clary look-a-like nervously. I stood up, turned and started to walk away. "Stop or I'll use deadly force!"

As I turned the Clary look-a-like fired his weapon, hitting me in the right shoulder. He fired another round hitting me in my right side. It hurt like hell. I went down hard. I could hear Mitch curse and the old lady across the street scream.

One of the bastards shot me! It hurts like hell! I am pissed! I am going to kill every one of the Prime. I'm not doing it to save the Earth, but because one of the bastards fuckin' shot me!

There was a flash of white light followed by gasps. Then the Clary look-a-like was on the ground next to me groaning and foaming at the mouth. The nanomachines quickly expelled the rounds and repaired the damaged tissue. Rolling over onto my back, I could see why everyone gasped.

Standing over me was a very tall pasty alien with long free flowing black hair. The alien extended a delicate hand to me. Taking the alien's hand, which felt human, I pulled myself to my feet. "Who are you?" I asked as I got a complete look at the alien. This alien's features were more human than Vathian's or Gandorans.

This alien had a human shaped nose, lips, ears and eyes. The alien had dark circles around deep seated sky blue piercing eyes. It wore a combination halter top and breechcloth with leggings and boots. It wore bands of midine around its neck, biceps, forearms and wrists. In its right hand was a whip type weapon.

"I am Tabiil Priestess Risra," said the alien. Then there was another flash of light. "You know me as Alyce Green and we must be leaving."

###

This is not the end! The adventure begins in Eli Morningstar: Prime Stalker.

Thanks for reading my book. If you enjoyed it, won't you please take a moment to leave me a review at your favorite retailer?

Thanks!

L. Depriest Ellsworth

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