Alien Opportunities Ch. 4 : Suspicions Part 2

   One day Thomas, an old friend of Chris, came to visit him, worried and resentful. “I am worried Chris. My girlfriend Louise volunteered for work with them on their home planet, and six months ago she went out there in one of the alien ships from their space field. She promised she would send me a message as soon as she arrived there to say she was safe. I have heard nothing, nothing at all.”

     “How long is the journey supposed to take?” Chris asked.

     “With the alien superdrives they claim that the journey takes two months. That’s ample time to receive a reply, but I have heard nothing,” said Thomas.

      “Have you made any enquiries?” asked Chris.

      “Yes of course. The alien owned travel company says that the ship arrived safely, but when I asked for proof they wouldn’t let me see any proof of that.”

      “What proof would you expect?”

“Even some lists of voyages with dates would be something to go on. But they could show me some messages from the home planet to prove the ship got there safely. The trouble is they just say politely say that all their ships are safe and they haven’t lost one for a thousand years, and expect me to take their word for it. I asked to speak with humans in their employment, but they don’t know anything or reveal anything more than their bosses have said. They express concern over my unease, and say they’re sure everything is alright. They say my ex has probably not returned a message yet because she’s enjoying her new position so much. Probably a message is on its way, they say. They said I could send my own messages to her, and I have done that.”

     “Have any humans who have gone to the alien worlds come back yet?” asked Chris.

     “I have asked that question. I am told that some who did not wish to stay for long have returned after perhaps a year or so. Everyone is free to return whenever they wish.”

      “Have you met anyone who has returned?” asked Chris.

      “No,” said Thomas.

      “I think we should try to find out whether anyone has really returned before anyone else goes up there, don’t you think,” suggested Chris.

    Chris went with Thomas to the offices of a national newspaper which had raised the issue that travellers to the stars had not been heard from or returned. “Have you heard of anyone returning?” asked Thomas.

    “No not a single person, according to our enquiries,” came the reply.

    “What sort of enquiries have you made?” asked Chris.

    “Our reporters have asked alien leaders for evidence or information. They have given us nothing but assurances. We have asked the relatives of a fair number of those who have travelled, and none have attested to hearing any word of their family members. We have asked the government and foreign governments about those who have gone. We asked them what assurances the governments have received to allow this exodus to proceed when the safety and wellbeing of the travellers could not be guaranteed. They have not concerned themselves with the issue seriously, being willing to trust the aliens because of their belief that the aliens are not a danger to us. To confront the aliens would be to risk the good relationship they believe they have and to risk alien anger which they fear. It is convenient for them not to think of this as a problem.”

    “This is incredible,” exclaimed Chris. “Why has a greater outcry not been made?”

    “Many people are willing to believe what they wish to be the truth. They will follow beliefs and hopes rather than waiting for evidence. There are many nowadays who like the aliens, who like the effects they have had upon our society, and do not wish to doubt them.”

     “You have directed your questions to the Starmanenans themselves, as you say?” he asked. “Do they seem genuine in their replies? Do they care how we think of them? Or are they suspicious of your questions, covering up?”

     “I do not think it is possible to see any of the feelings behind their outward visages. Their assurances always sound convincing when they make them. They appear reasonable and very civilised. But still not a single shred of evidence have we found to prove what they say. Either they believe what they say and we should be patient for our evidence to be provided, or they are lying to us and our travellers will never return or contact us again.”

   Chris was alarmed. Thomas was unhappy too. Chris had come to trust the aliens he worked for. He had shared more than friendship with them. He had shared more of himself with them than he had shared with humans. He could not bear that they might lie to him and the human race, that they might be other than they had seemed. Chris determined that he would talk to Braidt, his closest confidant amongst the strangers. He had to solve the heavy doubt which had settled on him before he could return to the trust he had begun to feel.

   “I have a good old friend whose girlfriend decided to visit your planet. Apparently she had become fond of a family of Starmanenans in much the same way as I have. She worked for them, presumably became a lover as I have, and decided she wanted to see your planet. Many of our humans, male and female have done the same I believe. She took ship about six months ago on a flight to Starmanena and has not been heard from since. Indeed we have been asking questions and find that no messages have been received from any humans who have made the journey on any ship. No one has returned, although such ‘passenger’ flights began three years ago.”

    “Do not worry,” said Braidt, as she reached towards him, “All of your people will be safe with us.” He would not accept her touch, and even pushed her hands away from him.

    “This is important. You cannot answer our questions merely with assertions. We need proof. We need to know that our people are safe. How can we be sure they are safe when you give us no proof? My friend has asked your people at the space terminal, and has been given only platitudes and promises, but no evidence that they have ever arrived safely, or that they will be able to come back.”

    “You must learn to trust us, to understand us. Then you will know your friends are safe. They will be there by now. The journey will be a little less than three months, but there may be none of our ships returning yet. We do not travel lightly across the void.” Her face was immobile, expressionless to him. He could not read them. He could not be convinced by these strangers. He had thought he knew Braidt, but he realised how little he actually did. Was all this culture and kindness a front for the aliens’ sexual desires. He knew very well, from personal experience, how much they coveted human bodies. They appeared to want our souls too, and probably our obedience. He could not give it. He had thought that he could, after his observation of Braidt with her husband’s daughter and Argibal, but that was before his fears had been aroused by Thomas. Braidt tried to reach out and touch him again. She draped her many fingered hand over his shoulders, but he only shuddered and stepped back. He still felt desire. The lovemaking he had witnessed had been exciting, it still pulled at him. He wanted to give himself fully to his newfound lusts, but the new turmoil was overriding. The lives of his fellow humans and perhaps even his own could well be at risk. Perhaps Braidt was telling the truth, but he could not be convinced by mere words, so he doubted. Honour to his own people and fear for himself led him to this refusal.

     “I will work for you, but I cannot make love to any of you while you refuse to prove their safety. I need the truth, and if the truth is that they will never return or are to be harmed in any way, I will have to withdraw from your household and the company. Earth governments will no longer welcome you.”

      Tony was an old acquaintance from the past. He had worked in accountancy, a young guy who was open and talkative to those he admired or wished to know better, surly to those he despised, and neutral to those who didn’t count. He liked to think of himself as a bit of a whizz kid, although in fact, he had only average qualifications from his schooldays and was unlikely to be allowed onto any fast track of employment promotion. However he had been fast at his work, and that had not gone unnoticed by his employers, who had been advancing work to him, finding him an efficient and ambitious worker, which of course was exactly what they wanted. Chris had liked him at first, because he was outspoken and persuasive, if a little naïve, and Chris always responded well to people who seemed to like him. He later realised Tony was a poseur, and selfish, and his loose tongue could make fun of any who had opened up their true thoughts in any way.

  “Hi mate. How’ve you been. It’s been a while.” Now Tony greeted him as a long lost friend.

   “Hello. I’m fine thanks. How’s the old firm Tony,” asked Chris, responding to Tony’s outstretched hand.

   “I’ve been doing quite well for myself since you left. They’ve promoted me you know,” said his old comrade. Chris could not help himself thinking Tony’s promotion was the inevitable result of the staff turnover which had already set in before Chris left, as a result of the drain towards alien employment, but Tony had certainly showed loyalty by staying on, and probably deserved some reward for his efforts for the firm. Chris conjured up the image of those last few months in the firm, when things were getting tight, thanks to staff turnover and subtle conflict between those who wanted to relax more like other workers in firms where a new less pressured mentality seemed to be on the rise, partly to prevent staff turnover, and those who followed the management’s approach, which was to maintain earlier standards of performance and efficiency by dumping more and more work on fewer and fewer people. That was when life had become more unpleasant than before, and Chris had chosen finally to leave. Tony had been one of those who rallied to management’s side, seeing his opportunity for promotion and a way of raising his own status and authority, which was of great importance to him. Tony had been a real nuisance to Chris and to others in those later days, setting ever greater targets of efficiency and faster accounts production by his own swift performance.

   “It isn’t the same as it used to be,” went on Tony. “More of the better staff have gone to work for those bastard aliens, some of them have gone all the way. You know what I mean. They’ve actually taken ship to the demon planet. I can hardly believe anyone, particularly educated people like our lot, could be so stupid as to place themselves in the hands of  those lumbering monsters. They must have a plan, you know. I mean the monsters. They have to be using us. What possible other use can there be for encouraging so many of our young out to their planets. They are using us as slave labour. They ply us with promises, tell us they think we’re marvellous, pretend that they want to learn from us. They’re using every enticement, I tell you, to get the ‘sheep’ to work for ‘em, not just on their planets, but they’ve even got the nerve to do it here on our very own planet Earth, in front of our very own noses. We must be very stupid indeed.”

    “There have been a lot of people leaving for the alien stars,” Chris agreed. “I can’t imagine what could lead anyone who is sane and educated to take such a risk. They must be crazy. I have a friend whose ex girlfriend has left. He is very worried about her. He hasn’t heard from her for six months, has sent a variety of messages to her, but still has no reply. The aliens apparently say everything is fine, but there is no proof, and my friend doesn’t know what to think.”

    Tony rolled his eyes expressively, “She must have been very stupid. Silly girl. But it was her own fault. She’ll never come back. He can say goodbye to her. If she ever does return , which I strongly doubt, she won’t be the same person who left. They will have done something to her. My bet is that they use humans as slaves, attending to whatever needs they have. Even on Earth it’s well known they use us as servants. But on their planets, if our people ever make it, they will use us for hard labouring, mining, agriculture, factories, who knows even for fighting wars. I bet they don’t do much work themselves, that’s why they really want us to go there.”

    Chris was concerned that Tony would deride him if he let out that he worked for an alien company too, and that he also had been persuaded to do menial work for them, as part of his duties. Even more he was afraid of revealing any hint that he had had some limited sexual relations with the aliens or that he had, only a few days before been contemplating with excited anticipation having full penetrative sex with those creatures Tony referred to as monsters. Why should he care what Tony thought of him. He did not have much respect for the man. Tony was one of those people who looked at life in simple terms. Everything Tony observed was judged in terms of success or failure, or in terms of its position in the hierarchy. Anyone who was earning good money must be working hard and be admirable and deserving. Those who were unsuccessful or be struggling in life must be lazy and undeserving. Chris wondered how Tony would be seeing himself as the firm struggled with the recent economic changes, but of course Tony could point to his rise up the career ladder as success, and it would probably go to his head. In a sense Chris felt that Tony was not so clever because he did not see the complexities of society and character, or appreciate culture as deeply as many others. But Tony had a worthwhile case to make. For what reasons were the aliens persuading humans to give up their past lives on Earth? Listening to Tony brought home the potential dangers which might be hiding behind the friendly faces of the aliens. Chris decided to hide his close involvement with Urilt’s company and family from Tony. He did not want gossip about him to be spread. Tony had an interesting angle on the aliens, even if Chris had sensed no such dangers in the aliens he worked for. He needed to find out everything he could about these aliens to satisfy his own curiosity, as well as for the sake of his friend Thomas.

    “I have met some aliens,” admitted Chris. “I have not seen anything in them which would suggest the slightest intent to harm us, or even to dominate us. They do, on the other hand, seem to look up to us in a strange way. I cannot understand their strange fixation with our culture. It is as if they have none of their own. I think we should learn more about them before we judge them. But the drain of our people to their planets is disturbing, particularly as we do not appear to know what is happening to them.”

   “Chris, I’m disappointed in you. Surely you can see that they’re duping you. They learn all our secrets but tell us none of their own. They persuade our youth with false promises to take ship, softening them up by employing them first, making themselves seem harmless. Earth governments are falling over themselves to court them. They were frightened at first but now they have abdicated all power to the aliens. They allow as many of them as the monsters will send to live amongst us. They allow them to operate as businesses, extending control gradually over us. They might seem to be normal businesses but they are expanding at an alarming rate. The people they employ may think they are citizens of the US or Europe, but in fact they are coming to rely on the aliens for their livelihood, and when the monsters decide to turn the screw they will be able to threaten millions with unemployment if they do not do their bidding, or threaten our governments. Your democratic vote will not be worth much if we let that come to pass.”

    Tony had changed since Chris last saw him, that was for sure. He had never been interested in politics before, unless it was office or management politics. Now he was espousing the politics of resistance to the alien threat. Perhaps he was right. Chris had to admit that there were so many questions about the aliens unanswered. Caution in dealing with them was only good sense.