Future Humans

 It was during the period of the C20th and C21st that persistent reports of sightings of the UFO phenomena entered the sphere of public knowledge. The development of mass media communication brought such reports into the mainstream, albeit being a fringe interest at the time. Such reports were treated as far-fetched, especially those involving actual physical encounters. However certain aspects of these sightings exhibited a number of consistent aspects, namely the so-called saucer shape to these extraterrestrial vehicles and the description of the vehicle of their occupants; the “grey alien” trope. 

It was following the end of the major global conflict of 1939-45, and the paranoia of the following cold war between the power blocks of the time, that the number of sightings entered the mainstream consciousness. This conflict, in a century marked by bloodshed, was brought to a conclusion with the use of nuclear weapons. The standoff between the one-time allies during the Second War World (as it became known) was renowned as being one of Mutually Assured Destruction, as both political and economic power blocks developed increasingly sophisticated and powerful weapons of mass destruction. M.A.D. kept the peace, in that a catastrophic hot war between the two sides was averted, however, wars were waged via proxy states in the less industrialized countries instead. To such countries the relative peace enjoyed by members of the “nuclear club”, made the acquisition of these weapons appear desirable, despite the huge financial costs involved in their development. The risk of nuclear annihilation was long held to be the catalyst for the interest in humanity shown by these “extra-terrestrials”. The famous Roswell incident of 1947, with the initially reported crash of a vehicle, and capture of occupants (living and dead), occurred nearby a US nuclear bomber airbase, reinforced this belief. 

Evidence of visitation was long ridiculed and looked upon as fringe subject. As well as vehicle sightings, reports of human and animal abductions, involving medical experimentation became commonplace. It was long held that Govts were privy to knowledge of such events despite vehement denials. Despite career risking whistleblowers making public these govt investigations and coverups, the media kept up the pretense that such events were outlandish and open to ridicule. However, some information was still able to seep into the public consciousness. Believers were frustrated by the slow drip feed of information; however, it became clear that Govts worldwide were very aware of these visitations and were following a set roadmap of releasing knowledge to the general public. 

Some unofficial investigators (so called UFOlogists), fed by rumours regarding the captive E.T. discovered at Roswell, put forward the suggestion that these “grey aliens” were not actually as they appeared to be. Far from being aliens, they were humans from the far future, with the means of inter-dimensional travel across time and space. Such claims were vilified by certain sections of the UFO community, who refused to believe this. These aliens were interstellar naturalists, collecting biological samples. But all those that encountered such beings were struck by their odd insectoid mannerisms. 

However, this raised further questions such as why were some families targeted across several generations, and what would the connection be with the nuclear arms race, unless the unspeakable was due in the near future? The targeted families seemed of no real consequence, being very average; why wouldn’t the “visitors” approach chosen families of renown? 

Other clues were hidden in plain sight, in retrospect. In 1954, just seven years after Roswell an international grouping of governments embarked on building a Large Hadron Collider in Cern in Switzerland. This was a vast civil project, which didn’t come online until 2010 (excluding the abortive magnetic quench attempt in 2008). The building of this particle collider, not only possessing the ability to recreate the moments after the big band but also to open portals to other dimensions, began decades before the technology to operate the facility was available. As the knowledge of physics took great leaps forward, Cern was compatible with the new technology, such as quantum computing. If there were some who questioned this fortunate coincidence, it wasn’t made widespread.  Some recorded strange, and unnerving atmospheric anomalies (many seemingly saucer shaped craft) above Cern published on the internet, which were quickly disavowed as computer generated images. 

Despite the continuing narrative the world’s population were becoming increasingly aware that not all was at it appeared. People began questioning the reality as described in the world’s media, which was in opposition to their own observations. Politics became oddly extreme, despite the Western power block winning the cold war during the late 80’s and 90’s, the peace dividend was squandered in pointless wars. In the C21st a new cold war began to form as a rising economic superpower began to assert global hegemony, economically and militarily. This coincided with deep intersectional rifts forming in western societies in the early C21st; to such an extent that even questioning biological certainties became the status quo. Onetime open and liberal societies were on the point of self-destruction.  

At this point, as reality became increasingly frayed, a global Coronavirus pandemic took hold in 2020. The narrative of this pandemic itself was questionable from the initial nightmare images shown in the country of origin, which weren’t echoed in other countries, to the extreme measures enacted by economy destroying lockdowns. Its origin was a source of contention, from a so called wet market in Wuhan or an actual manufactured virus in a lab, the narrative remained fluid and subject to change, yet forcefully adhered to across all media outlets.  One theme was common, which was repeated across borders, which was the insistent application of RNA based vaccines. Many had questioned the wisdom of mass introducing synthetic RNA into the human genome, as the long term effects were an unknown. Across the media such dissenting voices were ruthlessly silenced. Two shots to acquire immunity required a booster and as the C21st progressed Govts inflicted biannual boosters on their population. This began to have a profound, long-term effect on human biology. 

The change was barely noticeable at first, but as countries across the globe introduced social credit systems and authoritarian control of their populations under the guise of climate concern, only the compliant continued with careers, especially as AI and robots caused mass redundancies amid the mass of the population. Procreation was only possible under license, the universal basic Income and enforced pod habitation made the traditional family life impossible. The vaccinated compliant became increasingly of one thought, developing a “hive mind”. It would take centuries for the physical changes to take shape of diminutive size and greying skin tones. 

It became clear that the future inter-dimensional visitors were indeed humans (if they could still be described as such) and that they had been drawn to the point in history when their branch of evolution began. It remains moot as to whether these future beings were merely observing this change or were the actual architects of their future evolution. 

Grey Alien by Harnois75 deviantArt

Erasmus Pike

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It was moonless night and the cold ocean was as glass; all appeared calm but from the east ,through the haze caused by the cold air, the ship appeared. It cut through the still water, parting it with ease. At the bow the lookout peered ahead. With the sea so still and with only the light of the stars overhead it was difficult to make out anything. There was no tell tale foam and spray, the ocean seemed empty . All would be utter silence if not for the sound of the bow cutting the seas, the throb of the coal fired engines in the bowels of the ship, and the faint sounds of music carried in the air.

The lookout shivered, as he imagined the great and the good enjoying the luxury of fine food and wine, while he was out in the cold. His breath made a cloud of steam in the night air, he looked at his watch, squinting to make out the position of the hands. 9.42PM; he sighed bitterly, he had hours of his watch yet to serve. By the time it would have ended the party would be over and the remains of the festivities would have been cleared away by the galley and serving staff.

Four days out of port and they were already over half way to their destination. This vessel was indeed a marvel of modern technology and an example of opulence. However in the back of his mind he still considered jumping ship when they made port, while his pockets were full of coin. It was then, breaking his contemplation, he felt the static charge the air behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he turned, looking to the point behind the anchor crane, between the capstans where the air throbbed green and golden lightning seemed to writhe around any object near to it. Was this St Elmo’s Fire? He had heard of the phenomenon from older sailors, but had discounted it as nonsense intended to impress the younger members of the crew. What had they said it was like? Like a green glow that clung to the masts and rigging. This was golden. He looked up at the forward mast and there was nothing. likewise nothing glowed around the four, tall tunnels which belched black smoke. Beyond the ball of static the electric lights from the inner decks shone. He wondered if anyone on the bridge was seeing what he was seeing. He reached for the telephone handset, but before he lifted it, with a hiss, the ball of static dissipated. He clenched his fists, to strengthen his resolve, and walked towards the capstans.

Plasma Ball -Painting by Dark-Stiks - deviantArt

The shadowed figure arose as if out of nowhere, tall and brooding. The figure seemed to be wearing a strange attire that was as shiny as a black mirror. The lookout could almost see himself in reflection; he gasped in horror and attempted to run past it the apparition. As he ran past, the black figure struck out its leg. The lookout tripped over it and fell towards the starboard side, tumbling over the edge into the dark. With a curse the black figure reached out its hands and tried to grab the lookout’s ankle, but the hem of the man’s trousers slid through grasping fingers The lookout’s head struck the side of the ship, rendering him unconscious as he tumbled into the cold black ocean with a splash to never be seen again, or so it appeared.

The black figure swore anew, there would be consequences to be borne, there always were. The figure looked down towards its forearm and tapped an invisible console. The figure looked up from the console in impatience; had the chameleon suit had enough exposure to create a disguise? The console answered with low beeps as the figure took on the appearance of the lookout.

Erasmus Pike breathed a sigh of relief. Time travelling manifestation was always a risky affair, even on land. Almost invisibly the ground level changes over the centuries. Tectonic events and landslides can change the geography instantly but the earth’s mass is always growing. It has been estimated that up to 300 metric tonnes of dust enters the atmosphere every day; spread globally of course this is as nothing but when backtracking hundreds, maybe thousands, of years its best to add this variation in the calculation. Cities are built on the remains of older cities or can just appear. Rome wasn’t built in a day of course, but it may as well have been. There were horror stories of time operatives manifesting half in, half out of building. Death wasn’t as instantaneous as would be expected. On the molecular level it is surprising about how much space can be found within a stone; certainly enough for a human body to materialise between the atomic bonds. The end can be quick as long as the cranium or vital organs are within the stone, otherwise….

Manifesting on a ship called for particular pinpoint accuracy, especially without drawing attention to the natives of the time zone; in this case the early Twentieth Century. He could quite easily have experienced the fate of the unfortunate lookout.

He wondered who the ill starred man had been. How would this play out in the future, now that it was denied the man’s descendants. Such were the hazards of time travel, he wondered why his supervisors took the risk, not that the future could get much worse of course since the collapse of human populations in the early 22nd Century. Perhaps their modus operandi was indeed to try and steer a different course for humanity as per what their synaptic propaganda instructed; however of late, Erasmus had developed doubts as to the legitimacy of this. Nothing seemed to improve, save for the power, prestige and position of the Red Shield organisation. He had been sent for direct cranial indoctrination prior to this mission, but doubts still clouded his subconscious. He should have reported the dreams, that he played out again and again in his sleep, to his supervisors but he had thought better of it. He activated his console on his forearm again, so far no warnings were flashing up about the future consequences. Poor man, he thought, a meaningless, inconsequent nobody that time forgot. Not even his accidental death at the hands of an invader from the future begat future ramifications, other than defining his all-to-brief existence. He had best continue with the mission, the assassination of the quarry. His target recognition inputs were active, he would instantly know the one he was after, just to find him; at least they were on a contained vessel in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, there was nowhere to run.

Standing here, mourning the death of a nobody wouldn’t get the job done, he set off towards the lit decks where the target would be. He passed emergency lifeboats and in the gloom he registered the name written on them. An uncomfortable feeling settled on him. Where had he heard that name before; SS Titanic?

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