The Experiment

By Gary Curlew

Currently, it is generally accepted Unidentified Flying Objects are buzzing around in our airspace under control. A question is who or what is controlling them.
Another question can a gal from an advanced civilization way out there in the cosmos find any-thing worth her time on the planet Earth in the 21st century hanging around with an old mechan-ic that drinks a lot and is 100,000 years behind her in evolution?

The Experiment is a catchy page turner that answers both questions. When it comes to the UFO phenomenon, nothing has been proven. However, a lot is accepted, and more disclosures are be-ing made and accepted every day. So, the time is right for this book. All of it could be true and a lot of it, I suspect is true. Carl Sagan said, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
The Experiment is different nothing like this has ever been done in the UFO field. It looks at the trials and tribulations of these two unlikely beings meeting and trying to work together in 20th century USA. The female is an off-world entity 100,000 years ahead in evolution than her part-ner a 20th century mechanic in the USA.
There of course are bad guys, good guys, even a little sex is also thrown in. Well, it is sort of a natural thing at least for one of them. And it always sells books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664133075

Gary Curlew

This is my first novel. Until now all my writing has been practical writing. I wrote machinery manuals and technical articles. I also wrote essays about my research. After retirement one day I said I think I will write a novel I soon found writing short to the point articles is one thing. Writing an interesting 75,000 word novel is quite another thing. I soon found out what Hemingway meant when he said. “Just sit in front of a typewriter and bleed.”

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Copyright © 2020 by Gary Curlew.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 09/24/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Sid Meets Naomi

Chapter 2     Naomi’s Back

Chapter 3     The Commander

Chapter 4     Naomi the Nude

Chapter 5     Sid’s Character Traits

Chapter 6     The Project

Chapter 7     The Plan

Chapter 8     The TI Team

Chapter 9     Dundee, Montana

Chapter 10   Ms. Swifter (Lori) Arrives in Dundee

Chapter 11   Naomi and Steve Arrive in Dundee

Chapter 12   The Spaceship Arrives

Chapter 13   A Very Busy Day

Chapter 14   1439 Visits

Chapter 15   Naomi Cleans Out the Spacecraft

Chapter 16   Sid Takes Care of Business

Chapter 17   Back to Work

Chapter 18   Back in Washington

Chapter 19   1439 Again

Chapter 20   Sid Gets Lucky

Chapter 21   Washington Finds Out

Chapter 22   Back in Montana

Chapter 23   Explosion at Dundee

Chapter 24   Going to Dundee

Chapter 25   Setting Up Camp

Chapter 26   Back at the Farm

Chapter 27   The Plan

Chapter 28   The Press Conference

Chapter 29   The Boss Takes Charge

Many thanks to my life’s editor and Calliope. Also to the editors at Xlibris who turn hacks like me into authors. Also, thanks to Dale & Dave Verell for the cover photo.

1

Sid Meets Naomi

On the South Georgia coast, the sun was setting when Sid Grant gave a quick look around as he entered the rooftop restaurant at the Ocean Lodge on St. Simons Island. Mostly, happy hour tourists, he thought as he sat on the only empty stool at the bar. It is at the end, of course, Sid concluded from many observations of places like this all over the world. For the most part, people don’t like to sit at the end of bars. Sid liked the end. Sitting there, he could observe everybody at the bar. When the barkeep came over, Sid ordered a Bud in a bottle, no glass. The barkeep brought Sid an ice-cold bottle of Budweiser beer.

Sid noticed an older couple sitting at the other end of the bar. Whenever Sid looked their way, they were looking at him. The gentleman was graying with a medium-length beard. The woman had long blonde hair. Sid couldn’t stop trying to get a look at them. Every time he did, they were looking at him. Christ, this is strange, he thought.

The gentleman and the woman across the bar stood up. The gentleman headed out the door. The woman walked up to Sid.

Hello, I’m Naomi Green.

Sid Meltzer. Pleased to meet you, Naomi.

Sid, would you care to join me across the bar?

What happened to the guy you were with?

He had to go to another business appointment.

Sid, who always knew to err on the side of caution was thinking, Two middle-aged people. Obviously a team. The guy is now missing, and the female is putting a move on him. It sure feels like a setup. I’ve got to be careful here. However, it won’t hurt to play along for a while.

He didn’t have anything to do except to go back to the room and read a little before turning in. He followed her back to the other side of the bar. Sid took the seat next to the one her accomplice vacated. She ordered a fresh beer and glass of wine for herself. Sid told the barkeep to put them on his tab, which was charged to his room. She started talking.

Sid, to put your mind at ease the gentleman I was with has left the area. You have nothing to fear. He, like you, is just passing through.

I’m not exactly passing through. I am going to be here for the week.

Sid, consider the big picture—a week, a year, a lifetime. In it, we are all just passing through. It’s a matter of perspective.

Yeah, I guess, Sid said as he took a close look at her and thought, Something just doesn’t add up here. She has some miles on her and looks rather good. However, she really does not look quite right it is strange, to say the least. She turned and smiled as she took a sip of her wine. Sid noticed the smile and thought that the smile was not exactly right either. There is something bizarre going on here.

Sid said, I’m going to order some finger food for my dinner tonight.

She replied, If that is the case, I’ll join you as it will be mine also. I will be joining you in your room later. I’ve come a long way to meet you.

I don’t know about that, Naomi.

I do, and you have nothing to say in the matter.

We will see about that, Sid thought as he called the bartender over.

Sid ordered the stuffed mushrooms, bull bites, and two orders of shrimp and grits tapas from the appetizer menu, commenting, Finger food is not exactly a balanced meal but very suitable in a crowded bar.

After Sid almost finished his food, he excused himself to go to the restroom. On his way there, he was thinking, Fuck. That is one weird woman. While he was washing his hands, he thought, I think I’ll leave that weirdo in the bar and make a getaway while I can.

He left the restroom and went to the lobby. He told the desk clerk he was in the bar and started to feel ill. He asked her to call the bar and tell the barkeep to close out his tab and charge it to his room. He asked the clerk if there was a convenience store nearby. He said he wanted to get something for his stomach. He really was on a mission to get a couple of cold beers as he had made going to the bar off-limits to him for the rest of the night and for as long as that weirdo was around.

The clerk gave him directions to the nearest store, which she said was too far to walk. Sid said he had a car.

Outside, Sid went to his car. He got in the car thinking, More than one way to skin a cat as Grandma used to say. He put the key into the ignition switch and turned it to the start position. Nothing happened. Awww, shit, thought Sid. Now I’ll have to go back to my room and locate a repair place and tow truck. However, by then, it may be safe to return to the bar, so no big deal.

Sid went back inside and to his room. He put his room key in the door lock and unlocked it. As he opened the door, he noticed a light was on in the room.

What the fuck? he thought as he opened the door all the way. Then he saw Naomi Greene sitting at the table, working on some sort of handheld electronic device.

She looked up and Sid asked, What the hell are you doing here?

"I’m waiting for you, Sid. I told you downstairs in the bar that I was going to join you in your room tonight, which is technically incorrect as, presently, you are joining me in your room.

Well, you can’t stay here.

I can and I will. As I said downstairs, you have nothing to say in the matter.

Naomi, look. I am not interested in you or any of your crap. I think you are a nutcase.

That is of no significance, Sid. What is significant is I am interested in you. And I know what you think as well as a lot of other things about you.

Like what?

Let’s start with your name. Garret. Sid Meltzer isn’t your real name. However, that’s all right. Naomi Greene is an alias also.

As she was talking, Sid was thinking, Shit. This is getting real weird.

She went on, It only seems weird to you, which, like I said, is of no significance.

You knew what I was thinking?

O yes, and even when you went to the restroom and in the lobby. That’s when we disabled your car.

You disabled my car?

Yes. However, it is enabled now. Furthermore, there is a beer on ice in the bathroom sink. Why don’t you get one, and we will talk?

Sid went into the bathroom followed by Naomi. There were long neck Budweiser bottles sticking out of the ice-filled sink.

It looks like she has iced beer before, thought Sid.

Naomi watched as he pulled one out and dried it off on a towel. He held the bottle with his left hand against the side of the counter. The edge of the cap was resting on the edge of the counter. He hit a quick sharp downward blow on the bottle cap with the heel of his right hand. The bottle made a slight jerk downward, leaving the cap behind. Sid took his beer and went back into the room. He sat on the bed as Naomi took a seat at the table. He put the bottle up to his lips and took a big slug of the cold Bud. He wiped his lips off with his hand, noticing a little frown the wiping action brought on Naomi.

Sid asked, So what’s next?

To begin, I’m glad you have come to the realization. You don’t have any choices. And just to clarify, I have never iced beer before.

Well, you got it right. The necks should always protrude from the germ-laden iced sink. Was it a lucky guess?

No, I do not guess. I picked your brain for the procedure.

I guess I’m glad I cleared that up, Sid said, as he took another slug of beer. He again wiped his mouth with his hand as he looked at Naomi for a reaction.

Mr. Grant, it is futile to toy with me by saying uncivilized terms like ‘I guess’ and performing barbaric actions like wiping your mouth with your paw to elicit a reaction. I am an advanced being from an advanced race in the universe. I have no time for such intentional trivialities. I am part of a mission to this planet. I have been assigned to contact you. It will be easier and faster for both of us if you do not try to purposely influence my observations. Do you have any questions, Mr. Grant?

Call me Sid. Almost everybody does. Mr. Grant is what just about everybody called my father. Of course, I am, and he was called other names at times. However, he preferred Mel, and I like Sid.

Mr. Grant, this is not a friendship that we are developing.

Do you have a real name or will Mrs. or Ms. Green have to do? Are you married?

My name is of no importance. We do not have marriages on my planet. We have committed relationships. We have far evolved from vows and attaching prefixes to female names to signify committed status.

I got it. How about, for now, I’m Sid, and you will be Greenie. That really fits. It’s been rumored on this planet that extraterrestrials are little green men. It turns out they are average-size females named Green.

Mr. Grant, I’ve had enough of your trivial bantering. I have concluded this interview is over, and the assignment very likely is a data mismatch. Before we continue, I am requesting a data reassessment.

She packed her device and some other items she had on the table as she started for the door.

Sid said, Greenie, how long will it take to get the reassessment?

Not long.

How far do you have to go?

Not far, she said as she left the room.

Sid sat in his chair thinking that there’s still time to go down to the bar and get a drink. Back at the bar, the happy hour crowd had left. Sid took a seat at the end. He ordered a double J&B on the rocks. The barkeep asked if he was feeling better. Sid told him he wasn’t really ill. It was all a ruse to ditch that woman who was eating with him. Sid asked if she came in there often.

The barkeep said, She has never been here before. I thought you knew her.

Nah. I was just making chitchat with her. I decided I didn’t need to be bothered with her. I’ve got a busy day at the conference tomorrow.

So you’re over here for a conference? the barkeep asked.

Yep. The Southeastern Writers, Sid said.

As he slowly drank his drink, stirring it unconsciously with the plastic stirrer, he was thinking, The barkeep saw her, so she must be real.

Sid finished his drink and returned to his car, which started. He then went back to his room, not knowing what to expect. He unlocked the door and opened it slowly. As it opened, he noticed no light on in the room.

So far so good, he thought, as he pushed the door all the way open. He went in, noticing no beer in the bathroom sink as he went by. This has been a strange evening, he thought.

Somewhat concerned, he decided to just let it go. He set the clock radio alarm for six thirty and went to bed.

2

Naomi’s Back

After a day at the conference, Sid returned to the Ocean Lodge and took the stairs to the second floor. He went into his room to find it as it should be. It was spotless with fresh linen. It was just the way he liked it. Sid put his laptop case down next to the desk. He took off his clothes and put the underwear in a laundry bag he retrieved from the closet. He took a shower, dried off, and laid down on a towel he had placed on the bed. This was his old routine. From when he was an international machinery erector and troubleshooter. Shower, take a rest, and digest the day before dinner. He usually fell asleep for a little cat-nap during the digesting. Today was no exception. When he woke up, he stretched his arm’s neck and upper body as he was opening his eyes.

He looked around and said, Awwwahh fuck! as he noticed Naomi Green sitting at the table.

Damn, Greenie. Don’t you people knock or call when you make a visit?

What purpose would that have served, Mr. Melzer?

For one thing, I could have put some clothes on.

How your container is presented is not of any importance to me. It would be a complete waste of energy.

It would not be a waste of energy as far as I’m concerned.

Are you embarrassed about your container?

Hell no. Well, maybe. I don’t know. I’ve never really given it much thought. Anyway, where I come from, it’s customary to cover your container when you are in the accompaniment of a member of the opposite sex.

Primitive instinct, Mr. Melzer.

I guess, and that is how it should be, isn’t it? If I was as advanced, as you say you are I wouldn’t be necessary, would I? Sid said as he got up and was putting on a pair of briefs. He went to the closet and took out a pair of dress jeans and a black short-sleeved tee shirt.

You make a point, Mr. Melzer.

It’s Sid goddamn it. And I’m getting dressed for dinner. Another primitive custom which I engage in, he said as he was putting on his moccasins.