IDbyET: Intelligent Design by Extraterrestials

By Terrence Rickard

This intriguing novel is based on the possibility that extraterrestrial genetic engineers visited this planet in the distant past, and some of the novel's zany characters examine many of the problems associated with the Theory of Evolution.

Lucy, and two other palaeontologists, discover an alien space craft that was buried by an erupting volcano in a remote corner of Western Australia about a million years ago. While digging out the craft Lucy becomes involved with Colonel West, the officer in charge of the army unit sent to investigate the strange discovery. It seems the Aliens who left it there were genetic engineers. But more than that they were intelligent designers, artists who used DNA as their medium and the earth as their canvas. In other words they were fooling around with life here on this planet.

To carry out their work, it appears the aliens trapped animals in a large transparent dome that was filled with a lush tropical garden, which featured a small pond that was kept brimming over by a little fountain - A fountain that, when reactivated, turns out to be the Fountain of life.

Then Paul arrives on the scene. He drinks the water and is miraculously changed and claims to be able to understand the aliens. Word of the discovery eventually leaks out and people come from all over the world to drink from the fountain of life. But they don't always get what they want. For some it's the elixir of life, an answer to their prayers. Its waters can cure the sick and make the old young again, but for others it's a toxic nightmare, it can turn sane people insane, and normal people into amazing and sometimes beautiful genetic freaks.

Recently in the US, and here in Australia, there was a heated debate about whether Intelligent Design, the biblical story of creation, should be taught in schools alongside the Theory of Evolution. The attempt was rejected on the grounds that ID was not based of scientific fact. My novel explores a third option when considering the origins of life here on Earth - that it is the result of the diligent efforts of some super-smart extraterrestrials with a superior technology. In my novel one of the characters coins a name for this new theory – ID by ET. (Intelligent Design by Extraterrestrials)

I like to think of this novel as speculative fiction. The focus of attention is not on aliens. It’s on people, and how events changed their lives. It’s about their deep seated desires; - greed, love, courage, and disappointments. The discoveries cause people to start wondering about the validity of the Theory of Evolution. In strategic places throughout the novel scientists get together and debate the pros and cons connected with evolution, and intelligent design. I have tried to present information and concepts in interesting, and highly entertaining ways. I believe this novel offers people something to think and talk about.

Incidentally, I have written a screenplay version of this novel, and I have spent years writing, revising, and polishing both of them. This is not a hastily written novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terrence Rickard
• Release date: Nov 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466037304

Terrence Rickard

I'm addicted to reading, and when I've got the time to dedicate myself to writing, to sit down and start writing and not stop until I’m finished, I find writing novels and screenplays a magnificent obsession. What else do you need to know about me? How about this: - I live in Brunswick, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia. I have finished five screenplays and four novels and built up an impressive pile of rejection responses. I intend to submit more novels for publication soon. Incidentally, while writing the IDbyET novel I was also writing a screenplay version of it. I have spent years writing, revising, and polishing both of them.

Book preview

DESCRIPTION OF NOVEL

This intriguing novel is based on the possibility that extraterrestrials genetic engineers visited this planet in the distant past.

Lucy, with two other palaeontologists, discover an alien space craft that was buried by an erupting volcano in a remote corner of Western Australia about a million years ago. While digging out the craft Lucy becomes involved with Colonel West, the officer in charge of the army unit sent to investigate the strange discovery. It seems the Aliens who left it there were genetic engineers. But more than that they were intelligent designers, artists who used DNA as their medium and the earth as their canvas. In other words they were fooling around with life here on this planet.

To carry out their work, it appears the aliens trapped animals in a large transparent dome that was filled with a lush tropical garden, which featured a small pond that was kept brimming over by a little fountain - A fountain that, when reactivated, turns out to be the Fountain of life.

Then Paul arrives on the scene. He drinks the water and is miraculously changed and claims to be able to understand the aliens. Word of the discovery eventually leaks out and people come from all over the world to drink from the fountain of life. But they don't always get what they want. For some it's the elixir of life, an answer to their prayers. Its waters can cure the sick and make the old young again, but for others it's a toxic nightmare, it can turn sane people insane, and normal people into amazing and sometimes beautiful genetic freaks.

IDbyET

Intelligent Design by Extraterrestrials

A Novel By

Terrence Rickard

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Copyright 2011 Terrence Rickard

CHAPTER 1

The rain was really starting to piss Lucy Pascal off. For three days it had been steadily falling on the flat barren plains of the Tanami desert. This part of Western Australia had not received any serious rain in almost a year. Thanks to El Nino and global warming this year had been the driest on record. Now the rainy season’s early arrival seemed to indicate that the rain Gods were intent on trying to put things back in order.

Lucy, an American, was a dedicated palaeontologist working on what was beginning to seem like a never-ending definitive dissertation about bipedal herbivores, and was trying to make the most of her short stay in this part of the country. She was sitting on the ground in a pit scraping and brushing away muddy gravel, trying to expose more bones of an extinct giant kangaroo called Macropus Titan that had died and was buried here about fifteen million years ago.

With a stiff-bristled brush, a little trowel, and a bucket she was doing battle with a sculptured patch of wet clay studded with partially exposed bones: the splintered vertebrae of a twisted spine, bits of ribs, and the shattered skull of the dead kangaroo, which seemed to be determined to stay where it fell all those years ago. The skull, with its vacant eye sockets and short sturdy teeth in a gaping mouth that was set at an odd angle, looked gruesome. With the application of a little imagination it was almost possible to hear the eerie screams of desperation that the large animal must have made as it died in pain.

Lucy was wearing a rain coat, heavy boots, and a large felt hat, and was protected from the rain to some extent by a large sheet of canvas strung above from a few wooden poles. A trench had been dug around the perimeter of the area to direct the water away, and for a while it had worked as planned, but now the trench was silted up again and she realized, as she looked around in disgust, that she was fighting an up-hill battle. Mud was washing back in to refill some cavities that not long before she had meticulously excavated.

Realizing the hopelessness of the situation she suddenly decided she was beaten. With a rush of anger she threw down her tools, got to her feet, and started walking away.

She climbed a small slippery embankment and then headed directly towards the campsite where she had been staying for the last three months with two other Palaeontologists.

The campsite was no more than a few hundred meters away, and consisted of some small tents, a caravan with a canvas annex, another larger open-fronted tent, two 4WD vehicles, a stone fire-place, some camp furniture, and other odd and ends. All were now being drenched with rain and the muddy ground all around was dotted with jumping puddles of water. Lying in the mud still pegged to a collapsed clothes line were a pair of jeans and a couple of work shirts.

*****

James Malouf was standing just inside the entrance of the large tent holding a cup of coffee watching Lucy’s pitiful figure as she approach. He was feeling slightly pleased that his prediction; that it was too wet to work today, had been confirmed. On a sudden impulse he put down his coffee cup, picked up a small video camera, and lined up the water-logged image of Lucy in the view-finder.

Carelessly splashing straight through the puddles Lucy stormed into the campsite and not noticing the fallen clothes line inadvertently ground a shirt deeper into the mud. She waded straight up to the big open-fronted tent. Standing under its awning she removed her coat and hat and dropped them onto a camp chair and without worrying about her muddy boots entered the big tent.

She walked straight passed James, who followed right along behind with the camera still to his eye. She made her way passed packing crates filled with precious bones to the place where a coffee pot sat on a little camp stove. There was another person there in the big tent, Raymond Webster, also an American. He was sitting at a long table examining bones, measuring them with callipers and writing down the results.

The tent was their headquarters, their office, and their main working space - the place where they did their sorting and cataloguing, and perhaps, starting from today, where they sheltered together from the rain. The tent was filled with their equipment and most of the bones they had collected so far this season. There were bones all over the place, in stacks of padded lidless boxes, big and small, waiting for additions. A colossal Diprotodon thigh bone was leaning against a filing cabinet, its huge scull was sitting on the floor in front of the long wooden table which was covered with more bones and slates etched with fossils.

To get to the coffee pot Lucy had to step over a plaster cast of a protoceratopsid skull that didn’t quite fit under a bench, the nose of which poked out and was forever a traffic hazard. James followed along behind with the camera, merrily singing the same verse over and over, Just digging in the rain, what a glorious feeling, I’m happy again, just digging in the rain….

Shut up, and turn that bloody thing off, will you, said Lucy, noticing that the camera was still following. I’m just not in the mood.

Told you it was too wet, said James.

Lucy put her hand up and covered the lens of the camera. Look James! I’m telling you, I’m not in the bloody mood, so turn it off!

James reluctantly put down the camera, shrugged, and still smiling, went back to the entrance of the tent and picked up his coffee cup.

It’s not going to stop Lucy, said James. Once it starts raining around here and the wet season sets in, it can rain for weeks, or even months. You know that. I say we pack up what we have here now, and head back to Sydney.

No, for Christ sake! What have we got now? Nothing! One big head, a few good diprotodonts fragments, and a few good Fulgurotherium thigh bones, but the rest is crap. No! I’m not going home until I find something better.

With a cup of coffee Lucy made her way to the entrance of the tent, and stood there opposite James, drinking, and looking out at the rain.

What about you Ray, asked James, raising his camera again and turning to look at Raymond through its viewfinder, think it’s time we packed up and called it quits?

Raymond looked up from his notebook. No, not yet. I’m still optimistic about finding a bit more of this procoplodons.

As the two palaeontologists at the tent entrance stood there looking out at the rain, a Range Rover, that was thoroughly splattered with mud, pulled up outside, and an aboriginal named Joe quickly got out, and carrying some parcels, made a dash for the tent.

Good morning Joe. Half didn’t expect you here today, thought the track might be washed out, said James.

Joe put all but one parcel down on the table. Narr, she’s still right, just a bit muddy up near Darwin, dat’s all. In private the palaeontologists referred to Joe as their gofer – He did all the shopping for supplies in Darwin, some of the cooking, and helped out in general around the place. He was completely indispensable, particularly when an extra hand was needed for a bit of heavy lifting.

Here, got some lettas for yous. He flipped open the lid of the cardboard box and brought out a small bundle of letters, which he quickly sorted and started handing out. Here ya go Raymond, he said leaning across the table, smiling, as he handed some letters to Raymond. Bet dar top one’s from dar misses. Then turning to James. Here James, reckon one of yours must be from ya girl friend. I can tell by der writin, and it’s got perfume on it. Smells good! And dese are for you Lucy. Sorry Lucy, looks like nothin but bills far you.

James opened one of his letters and started reading. Raymond put all of his in his pocket, and Lucy quickly flipped through her lot until, in delight, she discovered the one she was looking for. She quickly opened the envelope and removed its contents and started flicking through a set of printed pages, stopping to read a sentence or two, here and there.

Don’t be sorry Joe, this is all I want. They’re the results of the carbon dating of the palorchestes bones. I’ve been waiting weeks for these.

Joe looked out at the rain, then turned to look at Lucy. No diggin tar day Boss, dat’s for sure.

James smiled at this comment, happy with Joe’s supportive opinion.

I think the sky’s clearing a bit, said Lucy. But you’re right, there won’t be any more digging today. It’s still too muddy. So instead, I think we should all go and do a bit of prospecting on the mountains over there. She turned and looked at the mountains she was talking about, indicating them with a nod of her head. That way the day won’t be a complete write off. She paused, and drank some coffee, then continued. We haven’t been there for a while, and I reckon all this rain must have washed out a few new bones.

Ya mean old bones, don’t ya Lucy? said Joe.

Yeah, old bones, some new old bones, said Lucy.

With a worried expression Joe looked out at the distant horizon, at the blue jagged smear through the rain that was a string of low mountains.

But Lucy, I gota tell you somethink - I don’t think it’s sucha good idea to go foolin round on dem mountins. Dere’s some pretty mean old fellas livin on dem.

Old fellows? - What do you mean, spirits? asked James.

Yeah, I guess so, spirits, from dar dreamtime. None of my people will go near dat place. De old fellas dere, dey’ll give you a pretty bad ‘ead ache. Dey’ll make ya go crazy.

Yeah, right Joe, and they’ll probably turn us all into toads too, maybe, said James.

No James, day don’t do dat. Day just make ya go crazy. I reckon you should keep away from dat place.

Lucy walked over to a bench and picked up a small box and a pair of tweezers. She opened the box, and with the tweezers dug into some cotton wool and brought out a tooth. She held the tooth up for Joe to see. Look at this Joe. It’s the tooth of a very young male Leaellynasaura amicagraphica. It lived out there about one hundred and six million years ago. It was about six foot tall, and walked on its hind legs. It had unusually large eyes, which means that it hunted at night, and it was probably killed and eaten by something a lot bigger. She picked up a large magnifying glass and offered it to Joe. Look at it Joe, isn’t it beautiful?

Joe took the glass, and looked at the tooth.

You can tell all dat by lookin at dis one little tooth? Joe asked with a doubting expression. It looks just like an old Crocodile tooth tar me.

Arrr, but it isn’t, said Lucy. It’s definitely a tooth from a Leaellynasaura. And I found it last year, just near the base of one of those mountains. And nothing’s happened to me yet - I’m still sane. And there’s got to be some more of it out there, somewhere.

Joe quickly put down the glass and stepped back, away from Lucy and the tooth from the mountain. Lucy put the tooth back into its little box and picked up another little bone. And look at this Joe, it’s a scapula of a diprodontidae. I found this over there too. She held the bone out towards Joe. But Joe stepped back even farther.

Keep dat ting away from me. I’m not touchin nothink dat came from dat place, and don’t point it ad me.

All the others in the tent looked at Joe, not really surprised at his reaction, but amused by it.

*****

A short while later they were all travelling in Raymond’s big Range Rover, cruising along parallel to the base of a string of low rocky mountains that seemed to have popped up out of the flat plane of the desert, like a group of tropical islands sitting in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Joe was sitting up front next to James, who was driving, and Lucy and Raymond were in the back.

At forty two Raymond was the oldest of the group and he considered himself its unofficial leader. Unofficial, because since they had all arranged their own finances he had no control over the purse strings of the others - thus he didn’t have the power to insist on having things done his way. They had teamed up simply because they had all wanted to work in this area and had decided that the best way to do it was by pooling their resources. He had a grant from the Monash Science Centre in Melbourne where he was the assistant head of Palaeontology and had been so for the last eight years. The other two palaeontologists had grants from their respective employers: - which for Lucy was The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. And for James was the Queen Victoria Museum in Launceston, Tasmania, the city where he was born and grew up.

It had been agreed that all decisions relating to the dig would be made by the application of a democratic process, but it was obvious to Raymond that it stood to reason that since he had worked this area before, many times, and because he was senior in both years and experience it was natural that his opinion should carry more weight.

Both Lucy and James knew that Raymond held this attitude and didn’t care; as long as his need to believe he was in charge didn’t interfere with their personal plans they were prepared to humour him. They both knew that he felt his career, because it lacked the prestige that comes from having been recognised for making a really significant discovery, was stuck in a holding pattern, and that he was now desperate to come up with the goods. They knew he felt that the time to do so was quickly slipping away.

Naturally both Lucy and James were also keen to make the great discovery that would sky-rocket their careers to the dizzy heights of the forefront of international recognition, but they did not share Raymond’s sense of desperation about it. This was James first dig. He was only twenty two and believed he had plenty of time yet to make his mark. Lucy, although thirty eight and thus almost as old as Raymond, had never felt insecure about her career path-line. She had always claimed that she was a palaeontologist for one reason only - because she loved being one, loved the life style, loved the thrill of finding something that had lived, breathed, and walked around on this planet millions of years ago, and had never been seen by humans before. Having been a member of a team that discovered and dug out a beautiful Kakanaut in Siberia two years ago had bought her a great deal of satisfaction, and had enabled her to continue living the life style of her choice.

Adding to Raymond’s sense of desperation was the fact that his wife Ruth’s career now seemed to be skyrocketing. She was also a palaeontologist, and had been on the same team as Lucy in Siberia when the Kakanaut was found, and subsequently had been offered a position with the University of Copenhagen and was seriously considering accepting it. In the past Raymond and his wife had worked together on digs, usually overseas, and always on someone else’s expedition, but lately they had gone their separate ways, and for the last few years he had been coming up here to Western Australia while she, seeing no reason to change her opinion, continued to consider the frozen wilds of eastern Europe as the best hunting grounds.

She had a point: Australia did have a reputation as being an unlikely place for finding any big dinosaurs. So far a lot of teeth, some odd interesting bones, and a few partial skeletons had been found, but not one full skeleton of a big dinosaur had ever been found here.

Because this sad fact was well known, a valid question to ask would be, What were they doing in a place like this? The answer, obvious to all in the team, was this - It stood to reason that if you wanted to find something that had never been found before, you took a chance, and looked in a place where very few people had ever looked before. In this respect the loneliest corner of the least populated content on earth was ideal. So Raymond was determined to stay here and make his big discovery - to show his wife, and the rest of the paleontological world that he had not been wasting his time way out in the middle of nowhere.

*****

By now it was mid morning and the rain that had made digging impossible earlier had abated to just a few odd periods of light drizzle, and although the sky was still completely overcast there were indications that it was clearing, and thus the prospect of another scorching hot day when the sun broke through seemed likely.

As Lucy sat in the back seat of the cruising Range Rover Looking out over the vast flat plain of the desert she was in a contemplative mood. It’s hard to believe that this place, all this dry emptiness, was once a lush tropical rain forest, she said as she shook her head slowly and sighed. And before that, hundreds of millions of years ago, it was covered by an ocean, and that fish swam here.

Joe turned around to look at Lucy. Fish! - what sorta fish, Lucy, barramundi?

Yes, barramundi, sharks, and whales, and before them plesiosaurs – all a very long time ago.

At these words both Joe and Raymond turned and looked out and scanned the dry red plains that was now sparsely spotted with scraggy trees, small Spinifex bushes, and the odd termite mound, and was, for as far as the eye could see, as flat as the ocean it had replaced. James took one quick look too. He knew what was out there, but just wanted to make sure.

You had better stick your fingers in your ears, Ray, said James. If you don’t want to hear us heretics talking nonsense.

After a few seconds of silence it became obvious to Joe that no one had any intention of acknowledging that James had said anything, so he asked, Whad did I miss? Why did ya tell Ray to stick ess fingers in ess ears?

James looked across at Joe and smiled, pleased that he had got a bite after all.

So he can’t hear what us heretics are talking about. You see Ray here is a Christian, one of the give me that old time religion variety. He believes that everything written in the bible is true, literately true. He believes that the Earth, no the whole universe, is only about six thousand years old. So when we start talking about millions of years he thinks we are committing a sacrilege, that we’re buying a one-way ticket to eternal damnation.

Joe sat thinking about this for a while - there seemed to be something that didn’t make sense here. But yous are all looken for old bones…

Oh yeah, he loves finding old bones. But what you’ve got to bear in mind here Joe, is this – he doesn’t believe they’re old bones. He doesn’t believe the animals actually existed. He thinks that about six thousand years ago God planted them, the old bones, in the ground for us to find now, in order to test our belief in him.

Yeah?

Yeah!

Joe looked around at Raymond with an expression that indicated he was expecting either confirmation, or denial.

James likes to exaggerate, Raymond said to Joe. Sure I’m a Christian, and I do believe everything written in the bible, but I definitely don’t think you’ll both be dammed to hell for eternity for just a few words of blasphemy. You probably won’t get more than a few million years.

Joe looked confused, then suddenly, as if a light had just been turned on, a strange idea flashed into his brain. Hey Ray, de ocean dat was out ‘ere, he jerked his thumb in the direction of the window, do you think dat it couldn’a been the great flood? You know, when Noah built de ark and loaded it up with all de animals?

As a matter of fact I do Joe.

Hey Joe, said James, how come you know about Noah and the ark, and the flood?

I was sent to a catholic school for a few years when I was a kid. De nuns taught us a lota stuff like dat.

Adam and Eve, and all that crap?

Yeah, and Jesus on da cross. He musta been a stupid bugger to let dem do dat to him.

You’re going to bun in hell for a few extra million years Joe, said James, for talking about Christ’s crucifixion like that. Isn’t that right Ray? He’s going to get burnt to a crisp.

Yeah, that’s for sure, said Ray, no doubt about it, right next to you, for your smart arse remarks. You will be able to compare notes, and keep each other company.

I take it that you’re not a religious person Joe, said Lucy. That you don’t believe what the nuns taught you."

The government forced me mom to send us to dat school. We all knew dat what dey were teachin us dere couldn’t be true. Dey didn’t know anythink about our dream time. Our religion is dar oldest in the world.

That’s right Joe, it is. said James. Stick to your guns, my man, and don’t take any crap from any Christian up starts. They are just new-comers in the religion business, compared to your people."

Everyone was silent for a while. James looked in the rear vision mirror for Ray’s reaction, but Ray just shrugged, and turned and looked out the window as if what he had just heard was so ridiculous that it was not worth a response.

I still don’t get it, said Joe. Ray, if ya think all dar bones in dar ground are fakes, den why do ya wanta find dem?

Some people spend all their time studying the scriptures, trying to understand God better, because we all know that God moves in mysterious ways. A long time ago it occurred to me that if God went to all the trouble of burying bones and fossils all over the place then he must have had a good reason for doing it. That’s about when I decided to become a palaeontologist. It is my intention to discover God’s reason for doing it.

What it boils down to Joe, said James, is simply this - our friend here is just a little bit bonkers.

Bonkers?

Crazy, Joe, said Raymond. James thinks I’m crazy. I’m looking for bones to discover more about God, and he’s out here in the middle of nowhere, with a crazy like me for company, looking for bones just for the fun of finding them.

So you’re both crazy, is dat what you’re tellin me Ray?

Exactly!

Whata bout you Lucy, are you crazy too?

Lucy had not been paying much attention to the conversation. She had been busy studying the rocky hills as they drifted by, trying to spot signs of recent land, or mud slides. She had seen a few, but none worth getting excited about.

Yeah, I must be crazy too, said Lucy, to be sitting here listening to all the crap that’s been coming from the bunch of monkeys I have to work with.

You see, it’s like this Joe, said James, craziness is not a prerequisite for being a palaeontologist, together the three palaeontologists finished his sentence, but it sure helps.

Otherwise you’d go crazy, said Raymond.

That’s for sure, said Lucy.

After half a minute of silence they turned their attention back to the mountain, studying it for any likely places to find freshly exposed dinosaur bones.

With one hand on the wheel James reached for his video camera, put it to his eye, and panned from one side of the vehicle to the other, then along the face of the mountain wall. It was his intention to keep a visual diary of everything that happened on this expedition. He wanted to record not only all of its highlights, the great moments of discovery, but also all the little trivial details. At the back of his mind were thoughts about producing a documentary that could be shown on television when they returned in triumph with news of a sensational dinosaur discovery. The fact that his camera was only an amateur rig didn’t worry him in the least - he was convinced that the grainy images it produced would add something in the way of authenticity.

Will you put that thing down and concentrate on your driving? said Raymond, who, by now, was well and truly pissed off at the sight of James’s camera.

Take it easy! What’s there to hit out here? Have you seen any busses, or trains? There’s not even a wild kangaroo sun-baking in the middle of the road, because there’s not even a bloody road out here.

Before Raymond could respond with an answer Lucy reached forward and put her hand on James’s shoulder and shrieked, Hey! Look at that, over there, on the side of the mountain. What is that? She pointed, and the urgency in her voice let them know that she was filled with excitement.

They all looked.

What? - Where? asked Raymond.

Lucy quickly reached for her bag and started fishing around in it.

Wait James, slow down, she said. Then finding a pair of binoculars, she resumed looking at the mountain. James slowed down a little and turned to look at Lucy.

Where? demanded Raymond.

Lucy pointed. Over there! Look! James, slow down. There, look! James, please stop. STOP! There’s something real strange over there on the side of the mountain.

Yeah, I see it, said Raymond. Let me have the glasses. He could just see what Lucy was making all the fuss about. Half way up the side of the little mountain a strange shaped object was protruding out of what looked like solid rock. Lucy reluctantly handed Raymond the binoculars.

James stopped the car and turned to see what all the fuss was about.

Joe, whose eye sight was probably better than the other’s looked too, but only with great reluctance - he was already of the opinion that if there was something strange up there, then he didn’t want to have anything to do with it.

When Raymond looked at the object with the aid of the binoculars he saw something that was indeed strange, something that he knew instantly was unnatural - it was cubed shaped, with sharp, straight edges, and flat smooth surfaces, and it was big.

Where? What is it? demanded James, bewildered by all the fuss.

There! said Lucy, pointing. It looks like a building. It’s cubed shape, half way up the side of the mountain. See it?

Give me the glasses, said James, growing impatient. Let me have a look.

Raymond handed the glasses over to James, and as James started scanning the area Raymond’s brow wrinkled up in disbelief. It looks like some sort of building, but it can’t be, not out here. No one would build way out here on that mountain. No one would be that crazy. We’re hundreds of kilometres from anywhere. Look, there’s no road, not even a dirt track leading up to it.

Yeah, I see it, said James. Whoo, that’s strange all right. I’ve got to have a closer look at that thing. Here Joe have a look. He offered the binoculars to Joe. But Joe declined to take them.

No tanks. I don’t wanta look at it. Only dar old ones live over dair, and day don’t wanta be gawked at.

James shrugged, and offered the glasses back to Raymond. Raymond quickly took them and James spun the wheel and started heading towards the mountain, and because the windscreen was a mess with splattered bugs, he leaned out of the side window to continue studying the strange object.

*****

When the vehicle arrived at the base of the mountain Joe remained in it, but the others quickly got out and stood there, looking up at the strange object.

What the hell is that? asked Raymond. It’s not a building. And it can’t be a natural formation. It looks to be too smooth and regular for that.

And too bloody big, said James.

It couldn’t possibly be a large crystal arrangement, could it? asked Lucy."

I don’t know Lucy, said James, wearing a big grin and nudging her with his elbow. It could be a massive black sapphire, and there’s probably a gigantic diamond, as big as the titanic, buried right under it.

Lucy turned and punched James’s arm. All right smart-arse, you tell us, what is it?

I just told you, didn’t I? said James.

Well! It’s got me beat, said Raymond. I’ve never seen anything like that before.

Not for a second did Lucy expect to find a path as she scanned the terrain of the mountain looking for the best way to get up to the object. The mountain was not steep and the object was not very far up, less than fifty meters above the flat of the desert, but between them and the object it was boulders all the way, big and small, that were glued together with mud so that they resembled piles of big, rusty, odd-shaped, cannonballs. With a sigh and a shake of her head, and with nothing but rough stones underfoot, she started walking towards the first set of boulders. Well, there’s only one way to find out what it is. You guys coming?

James and Raymond took one quick look at each other, and in unison, shrugged, and made expressions that meant Why not and started following her.

James had only taken a few steps when, suddenly remembering something, he turned and dashed back to the Range Rover and found his canvas carry bag that contained his geologist’s pick, and other handy odds and ends, which, when on digs, he never went anywhere without. After slinging the bag’s strap over his head he was about to set out again when he noticed Joe sitting on the hood of the vehicle.

Hey, Joe, you coming?

No way! – Dem old ones, up dair, day don’t want no one climbin on deir mounten.

James stood there for a few seconds, wondering if he should try to convince Joe that he was being a bit stupid, and decided not to bother.

*****

For a while the going was relatively easy, just a matter of stepping from one boulder to another, heading upwards all the time, like climbing a well-weathered stone staircase. It reminded Lucy of the time she climbed to the summit of an Inca temple in Machu Picchu, Peru, where human sacrifices had once been made to the sun God Viracocha.

At about the half way point they found that the boulders were all much bigger. Here the three palaeontologists, who were all in good physical condition from all the digging and walking they had been doing lately, had to help each other up. It was like climbing a pile of washing machines that were stacked one upon another. It reminded James of the time he climbed, with the aid of an Arab guide, half way up the great pyramid at Giza.

After about fifteen minutes of steady climbing they were making their way over the last few big boulders that separated them from their objective. Their attention to the task of climbing was constantly being distracted by exciting glimpses of the strange object between the few big boulders yet to be climbed, an object that seemed to defy all possible, and logical explanations.

The rain had completely stopped now and behind them the sun was streaming through broken clouds sending thick beams of light down onto the flat deck of the desert below like spotlights onto a stage. It occurred to Raymond that it was fortunate that the day had started out so miserably, because soon these boulders would be as hot as, well, as hot as stone baking in a hot sun. Whatever that thing was just up ahead they would need to get to it soon, examine it, and get the hell down off this mountain before the sun took control and with its full force turned this place into an Earthly version of Hell.

Their excitement and bewilderment was building as they made their way over the very last big boulder and worked their way closer between smaller ones, until at last they stood facing the enigmatic structure.

They were directly above the place where Joe was now sitting on the hood of the car smoking a cigarette with his back to the mountain, and it seemed like a long way down - as if they were much higher than the estimated fifty meters made from the safety of the plane below.

But any worries about the dangers of being perched in such a rugged place were quickly forgotten, displaced with sensations of amazement and thoughts of disbelief, even in the presence of the evidence.

With the palms of their hands they felt the smooth, cold surface of the flat sides of the strange cube-shaped object as they slowly made their way as far as they could around its perimeter, noticing as they went that it was protruding out of solid volcanic rock.

What the heck! said James. I don’t believe this. I just don’t believe what I’m seeing.

Raymond ran his finger along some perfectly straight lines that etched a uniform hexagonal pattern in the smooth surface.

This, whatever it is, was designed and made by an intelligent mind. These patterns have been carved into it. He looked back at the others to see if they disagreed.

Yeah, it looks as if this thing has been tiled with large flat panels, said James.

Come on Raymond, get serious, said Lucy. This mountain is solid igneous rock, look at it! - It’s probably been standing here for hundreds of thousands of years, minimum, maybe a hell of a lot longer than that.

James reached into his bag and bought out his trusty little geologist pick-axe and chipped off a bit of the rock, and examined it with a magnifying glass. At least half a million years, probably double that.

Which means that if this thing was made by an intelligent mind then it wasn’t made by any homo sapiens, said Lucy softly.

The other two looked at Lucy and slowly let these words seep in.

So, what have we got here? said James. Dare I say it, an alien artefact, an extraterrestrial space craft - a flying saucer?

No, it can’t be a flying saucer, said Lucy. That’s impossible - it’s cubed shaped.

Okay, so it’s a flying cube, said James.

An extraterrestrial flying cube, said Raymond.

Well, it’s not flying now, said Lucy. Okay so we agree, it’s not a natural formation, and it obviously doesn’t belong here. It must have been made somewhere else, and bought here, a long time ago.

A very long time ago, said James.

They all turned their attention back to the strange object and stood there looking at it, contemplating the possibility.

James, suddenly remembering something, reached for his bag and brought out his video camera. Damn! he said. I should have got some shots of the expressions on your faces when we first spotted this thing. Why don’t you both move back onto those big rocks over there, so that I can get some shots of you approaching this thing?

Why don’t you stick that bloody thing up your arse? said Raymond, as he made his way along the side of the strange object banging the palm of his hand against it a few times. Sounds hollow, he said. Then with his knuckles he knocked on it. Hello, anybody home? Smiling, at his own quip, and also with a sense of amusement associated with finding himself confronted with such a strange discovery, he put a cupped hand to his ear and listened for while. Not for an instant did he expect a reply, and thus he wasn’t disappointed when there wasn’t any.

James, with his camera to his eye recorded Raymond’s actions, and smiled at the absurdity of the situation and Raymond’s little attempt at humour. That was good Ray. I got a good shot of that. Then he put his hand out and gave Raymond a little friendly nudge, as if in an effort to try to make him come to his senses. What did you expect, that they would roll out the red carpet and invite us in for a cup of tea?

Raymond smiled and shrugged. Who knows? I’ve never been this close to an Alien space craft before.

Who has? asked Lucy.

Come on, don’t be ridiculous, this is not a flying saucer, said James. It can’t be.

So what the hell is it then? said Raymond. It’s hollow, for Christ sake, and look at it, it’s definitely not a natural formation, yet it sticking out of this solid rock like it been a part of this mountain since Adam was a little boy. So you tell me, what in blazes it is?

I can’t. I don’t know what it is. I’ve never seen anything like it before - but an alien space craft - I find that hard to believe.

Well, so do I, but I just can’t think of any other explanation.

The strangeness of their discovery had them all completely bamboozled. There was nothing in their experience on a par with this. Not even finding a bone from a completely new animal could equal this discovery.

They knew that the odds against finding such an exotic object were astronomical - there was no solid proof that flying saucers were anything more than the product of overactive imaginations, combined with media hysteria - yet they could think of no other explanation for this strange object’s existence. Perhaps they shouldn’t have been so overwhelm by the odds, after all, they were Palaeontologists and lived their lives with the hope of stumbling over a colossal dinosaur that no one had ever seen before - and what were the odds of doing that?

I wonder how big this thing is, said James. How much more of it is still buried in this mountain. The part that was exposed, that they could see and touch was about as big as a small car.

Lucy, wearing a serious expression, studied the object again and shrugged – there was no way to tell, or guess. She looked around at the terrain of the mountain, looked down at the desert below, and sizing up the situation, shook her head as the realisation of the enormity of the problem sank in. I think we’re going to need some help - and I mean a lot of help, to dig this one out.

James handed Lucy his video camera and said. Here Lucy, get some shots of me, as I come over that last boulder and discover this thing. We must preserve this moment for prosperity.

Without waiting for her response he quickly dashed off, heading back to position himself between two enormous rocks, practicing the expressions of surprise and excitement that he intended to use.

CHAPTER 2

Colonel Stephen West was in an odd frame of mind as he walked through the spacious corridors of Parliament House, Canberra, the citadel of authority for this great country. He felt that this time something was different, something was lacking. His emotions about the place had changed. He remembered that on past occasions he had felt as though he was walking through a shrine, a holy place, the most important place in the land, the hub of the web of power and command. Somewhere in this great building was the last link in the chain of command, the top rung of the ladder, the resting place of the passed buck. He remembered how in the past in this building he had always felt a sense of being in accordance with a powerful righteousness, and had walked tall with a sense of pride that came from a feeling of being surrounded by an omnipotent strength, and knowing that he was a small part of it. He remembered how on past occasions he had always deliberately worked his mind, his thoughts, to emphasise these pleasant emotions. But today it was not working, today he felt different, today he was unsure if he even wanted to be in the Army any longer.

As usual he looked sharp in his uniform as he strode purposefully down the centre of the corridors, even though this time it was with a pronounced limp, the result of a load of shrapnel he had caught from an exploding land-mine while on his way to Baghdad.

He was turning his head to look at the inscription on each door as he passed by. He knew from experience that a vast majority of the civilians he met could not, by looking at his insignia, decipher his rank. It was a sad fact that most Australians didn’t have a clue about the insignia of their own defence forces, but, from watching television, knew instantly the rank of any US serviceman. He also knew that most people he passed who actually noticed the impressive set of ribbons he wore on his jacket didn’t have a clue about what all the coloured chits represented. But these things had never mattered much to the colonel, and seemed to matter less all the time.

Upon meeting him for the first time the fact that he was a colonel surprised most people. He was forty five, but didn’t look it, maybe because he still had a full head of jet black hair, and a body that was fit and trim. But usually it was his youthful handsome face that threw everybody; there seemed to be some subtle incongruity here - he simply looked to be either too young, or too handsome to be a colonel. Some, trying to define it further would decide that it must be that he looked to be too innocent to be a colonel. But, if given a chance to get to know him better, they would inevitably change their minds about that notion, and decide that his looks were indeed deceptive, that his deportment must be some form of secret weapon, a natural camouflage, maybe even somehow deliberately cultivated to gain an advantage, the high ground, because everybody who knew the colonel well knew there was no discrepancy; the colonel was good at his job, a master strategists, who had earned his rank many time over in combat.

At this point in time he was between postings. He knew he was due to be given new orders any time now and had a suspicion that the reason he had been summonsed here today would have something to do with where he would be posted next. If that turned out to be the case then it would indeed be strange, because coming to parliament house to receive orders concerning his next assignment was not the usual way things were done. But he just couldn’t think of any other reason why he should be summonsed here today.

He had just returned from two weeks leave which he had spent staying at his married brother’s place in Melbourne and he should have felt refreshed and eager to get back to work. But he didn’t. He felt like he needed more leave, like he wanted to get away from the army, if not permanently then at least for a good long time.

And now he was back in Canberra expecting to be posted overseas again and dreading the thought of it. Last night, just before the arrival of the courier who had informed him that he was to be here today, at the office of William Hugo at eleven sharp, he had been seriously considering resigning from the army. Now as he walked through parliament house he made up his mind – he definitely would not accept any more assignments overseas.

*****

Coming towards the colonel down the wide marble-floored corridor was a tall lanky guy, casually dressed in a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows, corduroy trousers, and bone-coloured suede boots. His name was Professor John Nickleby and he was also looking at inscriptions on doors as he passed them.

Just at the instant when the colonel found the door he was looking for, which had the words, William Hugo, Assistant to the Minister of the Department of Industry, Science, and Technology, inscribed on it, the professor arrived from the opposite direction and stopped at the same door.

The colonel looked at the professor, and quickly summing up the situation, opened the door and stepped aside and let the other man enter first. The professor nodded his head in thanks, and entered, and the colonel followed him in.

Inside a secretary greeted them.

Oh, good, you’re both here. She picked up the phone and announced their arrival, and after hanging up said, Come this way please, Mr. Hugo is ready to see both of you.

She came around from behind her desk and led the way into the next office, where two people were sitting, one behind a desk, and the other facing the desk in a comfortable chair.

The man behind the desk stood up and came around to the front with his hand extended.

Good, come in. I’m Bill Hugo. You must be Colonel West, and you must be Professor Nickleby. He indicated the seated man. This is Professor Updike. Please Gentlemen, be seated.

They all shook hands, and Hugo went back around behind his desk, and they all sat down.

Hugo was short, overweight and his hair was cut short, in a crew-cut style, which on top was starting to thin out. The colonel didn’t have an eye for the latest tastes in sartorial attire, but he guessed, from the look of it, that this man’s suit must have cost a great deal.

Good! said Hugo. Thank you for coming gentlemen. First, I think I’d better elaborate on the introductions; Professor Updike is the curator of Palaeontology at the National museum here in Canberra. Professor Nickleby is a professor of geology and metallurgy at RMIT, and works as a consultant for the department of mines. And Colonel West is here at the request of the Minister of Defence. He paused for a few seconds, then continued. Right, let’s get straight down to business. First I would like to stress that what you are about to hear is classified top secret - Okay, we’re here because three of Professor Updike’s colleagues, three palaeontologists, working, well, for the time being all I can say is working in a remote corner of Western Australia, a very remote corner have found a very strange object. They claims to have found an object that they believe to be - well, for now we’ll call it an alien artefact. Hugo waited a few seconds to let that sink in.

An alien artefact, said the colonel. What do you mean by alien? Do you mean alien, from another country, or....

Professor Nickleby didn’t give the colonel a chance to finish his question. Or from outer space? he said.

Exactly! said Hugo.

Which? asked Nickleby. Another country, or outer space?

Outer space! said Hugo. As in extraterrestrial alien object.

Come on! said Nickleby cynically. What are you saying, that they’ve found a flying saucer?

Maybe, we don’t know yet. That’s what I want you men to find out.

Hugo swivelled his chair and reached out to turn on a TV set and a VCR, and a few seconds later on the screen were various images of two men and a woman climbing over rocks on the side of a mountain, and standing next to a strange object that appeared to be about the size of a delivery van. There were close-ups of the surface of the object, and of the rocky material in which it was embedded. Hugo had the sound turned off, but from their actions it was clear that the three people were having a good time and were excited about their discovery. In one shot, one of the men could be seen banging his fist against the flat surfaces of the object, and laughing, as he appeared to be listening for a response.

Hum, it looks like it’s embedded in that mountain, said Nickleby.

Exactly, and that’s why we want you, and the general here, to go out there and have a look at it. We would like you to do some tests, and to tell us how old that mountain is, and, since you’re also a metallurgist, what material this thing is made from.

Colonel West hated it when someone inadvertently, or otherwise called him a general. He hated to have to correct them, and also hated to let their mistake go uncorrected.

I’m not a general yet, Mr Hugo.

What? Hugo looked at the colonel for a few seconds. Oh, I’m sorry Colonel, did I just refer to you as a general?

The colonel stared back at him.

I guess they haven’t opened it up yet, and haven’t been inside, said Nickleby.

No, not yet, said Hugo

What do you know about these characters? The colonel asked. Is their testimony reliable? Could they be pulling some sort of hoax?

Hugo turned to Professor Updike, his expression inviting the Professor to respond.

They are all dedicated Palaeontologists from excellent universities and museums, said Updike. They have been studiously working together over there on that site in Western Australia for the last three months. I know Raymond Webster personally, and I can vouch for him; He is an honest man. I can assure you he is not the type who would jeopardise his career by participating in any kind of hoax, and I’m sure the others are just as respectable.

Thank you doctor, said Hugo, as he turned back to the colonel and noticed that he seemed to be satisfied.

Nickleby looked around at the others. There is something I don’t understand, he said. Why is the colonel here? Why is the Department of Defence interested in this? This thing looks as if it been buried in that mountain for a very long time.

It’s just a precaution, said Hugo. The Prime Minister has been informed and is very interested. And if it turns out to be the real thing, then the army will be in charge of the logistics needed for a full investigation. The army will provide all the essentials - things like transport, equipment, and manpower.

Nickleby instantly realized that he had no choice except to accept this explanation. The colonel was not surprised that the army should be called on to take charge of this operation. Not for a second did he speculate about the possibility of having to confront aliens, and engage them in combat; the likelihood of that was pretty remote - and he knew that this was not the reason for the army’s involvement. No, the army’s task would be to keep the whole thing hushed up. To build a tight off limits barrier around the site, and to keep unfriendly prying eyes away from the discovery while its potential was investigated and evaluated. The colonel also had many questions running through his mind, associated with this strange discovery - the main one still being:- was it some sort of hoax, or not. He found it hard to accept the possibility that this thing was really from outer space. But he knew his questions would not be answered to his satisfaction until he went out there, and had a look at the mountain, and the strange box-shaped object.

He instantly decided his resignation could wait.

CHAPTER 3

The palaeontologists packed up their camp and moved it to the very spot where they had first parked the Range Rover; directly below the position where a corner of the strange object was protruding out of the side of the mountain.

A means of getting easily and safely up and down the side of the mountain was their first priority. To this end they spent some time climbing, inspecting, and evaluating the rocky terrain, looking for the best and easiest way to climb it. Then they set about causing rock slides to fill gaps, digging out foot-holds, sinking steel pegs into crevices between rocks, and stringing up guide ropes.

Once all this was in order the actual work of digging out the mysterious alien structure started. First they got busy with crow-bars, pick-axes, shovels and buckets, digging into the face of the mountain right next to the cube-shaped object. After days of hard back-breaking work they managed to expose a bit more of it and to clear a small flat area along one side. Then it was time to bring up some heavier equipment. Using ropes, winches, and a block and tackle they hauled up a wheel-borrow, a generator, and an electric powered jack-hammer. Then they set about doing some serious digging.

The jack-hammer didn’t make the work load any less, but it allowed them to get much more done for about the same amount of energy expended. In other words it was still hard, back-breaking work, but at least now they seemed to be moving more of the mountain.

Right from the start, because of the danger of inadvertently damaging the as yet undefined treasure, it was decided that Dynamite would not be used. A pity, it would have been a powerful little helper. Small charges of the stuff, carefully and strategically placed would have been a perfect means of breaking up the rocky mountain. It would have been a lot easier than the bone-rattling jack hammer.

More and more of the object was exposed, but much to their disappointment its nature and purpose still remained a complete mystery. When they had first discovered the thing, what they could see of it gave the impression that it was cube-shaped and about three metres in each direction. Now it was no longer cube shaped, instead, it was a bit higher, but a good deal longer - about the general size and shape of a windowless railway carriage. And since it was still sitting embedded in solid rock, surrounded by rock on three sides: its back, bottom, and one end, and since none of them possessed the power of x-ray vision, there was absolutely no way of knowing just how much of the damn thing was still buried, and still had to be dug out.

This situation they all found not only a little disturbing, but also, incongruously exciting and frustrating at the same time. They worked in a constant state of expectation - maybe, just maybe, by removing just a few more bucket loads form here, or there, a door, a hatch, or maybe even a long-buried window, a port-hole, whatever, would be discovered, which would become an entrance into the interior of their mysterious object. But as each bucket load became a disappointment a horrible thought simultaneously repeated itself in their collective consciousness - what if the damn thing turns out to be as big as, or bigger than, the Empire state building, and has no doors, no windows or port-holes, no entrances - no way in. Although digging was an essential chore that every palaeontologist recognised as their duty, thoughts such as these were the fabric from which night-mares were made.

*****

Lucy pushed a loaded wheel-borrow to the edge of the plateau and tipped it up, spilling its cargo of rock and soil out, so that it was sent tumbling, rolling, crashing down the side of the mountain, bouncing from bolder to bolder, settling in and filling up the gaps between the boulders.

More and more now, perhaps in an attempt to alleviate her constant weariness, Lucy was taking the time to watch what happened to each load as she tipped it over. Not much of the debris actually made it all the way to the bottom of the mountain, and Lucy found it fascinating the way it all seemed to just disappear. Although now, as all the gaps were filling up, it seemed to take longer, and to fall further before vanishing.

She wondered what conservationists would say if any knew what was going on here. Probably not much, she decided - because what was happening was