Alien Reasoning

By Arthur Rae

Science Fiction:

Above all, Alien Reasoning is an entertaining story about an Alien invasion of Earth, or is it simply an Alien Visit that will benefit humankind. Only time will tell.

At face value, it is a story about Aliens, who are intellectually superior to humans, coming to earth. Their st

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arthur Rae
• Release date: Mar 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9780645763706

Book preview

Chapter 1

FIRST SIGHTING

Bart, an unknown amateur astronomer; middle aged, short and stocky, had first sighted the spaceship. As events would unfold, it is perhaps fortuitous that it was this particular man who had first sighted the craft. Bart is bookish, as the saying goes. A quiet thinker, member of the Ballarat Astronomical Society, a person of impeccable integrity and well liked within his small social circle. If you have a favourite Uncle, that is Bart. He is one of those rare individuals who does not seek fame or fortune and although comfortably situated, does not seek aggrandizement.

It was pure chance that the craft had crossed the lens of Bart’s telescope as he gazed skyward from the backyard of his home, at some distant stars within his own galaxy. Once sighted, he followed the craft in his lens, transfixed by the spectacle before him.

No huge and daunting machine was this, to darken the skies and strike fear into the hearts of men as it descended toward the earth, but rather a modest craft, unpretentious in size and almost totally quiet.

Nevertheless, Wow, what is that! had been Bart’s exclamation on seeing the craft as it advanced overhead.

Had the spaceship continued on a single trajectory, Bart might have thought it to be a shooting star, a meteor, or perhaps an aberration of reflected light within his new telescope; but to Bart’s utter amazement, the craft came about in an arc as it descended.

Bart quickly switched from telescope to binoculars, in order to keep track of the craft. Then, with heart thumping and hands trembling, he called the local television station on his mobile telephone. Once connected to the newsroom, Bart began a journey that would alter the course of his life. You’re not going to believe this, but a spaceship is landing, right here, right now!

Under normal circumstances, the reporter on the other end of the telephone line would have been incredulous at this news. In the best Australian tradition, one could have imagined him to reply: ‘Whatever you’re on mate, I’ve got to get some;’ but something in the timbre of the voice of this caller rang true in the ears of the news reporter. I’m Augur, what is your name and location, was Augur’s actual response.

Augur is a likable individual, a man in his early twenties, tall, handsome in a rugged sort of way, fast to evaluate situations and quick to act. Perhaps a little impetuous, but not unduly so. His training had equipped him with the tools to ask questions and the tenacity to question everything. Moreover, Augur’s natural personality is both inquisitive and sceptical.

The two men met up at Bakery Hill, a local landmark. It was three a.m. on a midweek day in early winter. The City was as quiet as a graveyard, which is normal for Ballarat at that hour. A light and wispy fog hung in the air, as it is wont to do, lending a surreal aspect to the ambience. Bart climbed into Augur’s early model Ford®, and they sped off, zigzagging through the labyrinth of Ballarat’s streets, in pursuit of the now clearly visible spacecraft.

Their search came to an abrupt end, adjacent to a small, well-lit park; enclosed on three sides by Barkly, Gladstone and Laurie Streets, not far from their original meeting place. As the craft hovered for some moments over a small patch of open ground, Augur, remembering his professionalism in the midst of his bewilderment, reached into the back seat of his car and pulled out his digital camcorder. The two men made a dash for the relative shelter of a covered bandstand, situated within the park. Augur trained his camcorder on the spacecraft, as it resumed its descent. A heat haze was clearly visible, emanating from the underside of the craft, but there was little noise and no tongues of fire that one might expect from a descending spaceship. As the men watched in wonder, the Alien craft came to rest quietly on the open ground, right in front of them.

It was approximately the same length as a cricket pitch, turquoise in colour and eerily similar in shape to a touring bus. It stood now on a plethora of short stumpy turquoise legs, like a motionless millipede. The craft had no windows as far as Bart and Augur could see. On reflection, they realised that it also had no doors, or any hint of an access port. If one had not seen it, it could easily have been argued that such a machine could not fly; yet fly it most certainly had, and Augur had the only images in existence to prove it.

It seemed an eternity until anything else happened. Augur’s mind wandered to a presentation to himself of the coveted Walkley award for his news-breaking story and actual footage of the first spaceship ever to visit earth. He was going to be famous.

A loud click brought Augur back to himself, as a ramp descended from the lower body of the craft to the grass beneath. Augur could not believe his luck, as it extended out toward the bandstand and not from the opposite side of the craft. The ramp seemed to be made of the same material as the spaceship itself. Extraterrestrials seem to have a thing for turquoise Augur thought to himself. He was filming again before the ramp touched the ground.

After a short interval, three beings descended from the craft. To Augur’s astonishment, they did not walk through a door in the craft, but rather seemed to nudge their way through the wall, as if it were a sheet of water that moved around them as they passed through it. They were humanoid. Their heads a little longer than humans and a little broader in the brain region. All three had thick wavy honey coloured hair and deep blue eyes, their faces radiant and quite beautiful. They stood fully 6’6" (2m) tall, straight and erect, their bodies slender and pale; unnaturally pale and rather ghost like. They were two males and a female, which was easy to discern, as all three were totally naked.

Bart stepped down from the bandstand and a few steps forward to meet them. He held the palms of his hands open toward the Aliens in a gesture of good will.

Augur was mesmerised by the beauty of the forms before him. It was only with an effort of will that he kept his camcorder recording, rather than put it down and simply admire these exquisite beings. He speculated that they might have presented themselves naked in order to show that they meant no hostility. Augur noted that personal aspects of the form of these beings were also similar to humans. Perhaps there is one creator of the universe after all, he mused.

The female Alien re-entered the craft and emerged again carrying a donut shaped contrivance before her in both hands, as if it were something of considerable value. She walked up to Bart who had been standing as still as stone and attempted to place the contrivance on his head. Bart flinched back, afraid. The female then placed the apparatus on her own head. It was light brown in colour, a fact that Augur found strangely reassuring. It began to shimmer and to emit a single low tone when she placed it on her head. She left it there until it ceased to shimmer and to emit the tone. Then she removed it from her head and held it out for Bart to take in his own hands. Bart tentatively took the apparatus in both hands and cautiously placed it on his head.

Later he described to Augur, the sensation of having this machine on his head. His brain had tingled all over, as a million billion synapses were firing in close succession. Augur had repositioned himself so that he could film the Aliens and Bart in the same shot. Bart had a queer look on his face while the device was operating, and Augur was just beginning to feel concern for his new found friend, when the apparatus fell silent and Bart’s expression returned to normal.

The female reached out, removed the device from Bart’s head and placed it on her own again. It behaved very similarly, but Augur discerned that the note the device now emitted was a tone higher than before. It also whirred for a longer period of time. Both men gazed in wonder at what would happen next.

- - - - - - -

They did not have too long to wait. A few moments after the device on the female’s head fell silent, she spoke for the first time. To Bart and Augur’s utter amazement, she addressed them in their own language. Her voice was full and melodic, if a little stilted and unsure at first.

I am Patrician and these are my companions Sage and Amain, she announced, gesturing a hand toward her fellow travellers. I am Bart and this is Augur, Bart replied, similarly gesturing toward Augur. Augur was still filming, but Bart wondered if the technical team back at the television station would be able to rescue a usable image from the digital camcorder in Augur’s trembling hands. Bart decided to venture a question. What mission brings you to our planet? he asked.

We come to proclaim our sovereignty over the universe! Patrician replied.

Bart regarded Patrician carefully. She bore no hint of aggression or air of superiority in her demeanour; her face was wan and rather expressionless. At length Bart concluded that the brown donut device, which Patrician still wore on her head, had its limitations after all. Well, welcome, was Bart’s delayed response.

I should get a news crew and cameras out here, Augur blurted out.

Patrician’s response to this suggestion was immediate. Please don’t! she commanded. Augur froze. It wasn’t that Patrician had some supernatural power over him, but rather that her tone of command was compelling. Considerable care must be taken in the way that our arrival is announced, she continued. I would like to meet with your Government officials, before anything else.

I think that we should adjourn to my house, Bart interjected. Good Idea, Augur responded, without hesitation. He was feeling the cold of the night air, and wondered at the fact that the Aliens were not shivering. Will you join us? Bart asked Patrician. Patrician indicated her assent with a slight nod, then she returned to the spaceship for a second time. Bart assumed that she wished to fetch something, like clothes perhaps. However, she emerged a few seconds later, empty handed, having left her translator device in the spaceship. Augur assisted the Aliens into the rear seat of his car, and they departed for the short drive to Bart’s house.

It was not long before all were seated in his lounge room, before a welcoming wood fire that had been quickly kindled.

Despite the hour, a couple of brief telephone calls from Augur brought the Mayor of Ballarat to Bart’s doorstep in a trice, with state and federal representatives reportedly not too far behind.

Mayor Felicity is a picture of beauty, with long, wavy, naturally Burgundy coloured hair, deep blue eyes and light champagne skin, she presents a figure both elegant and impeccably dressed. However, those who knew her, had come to respect Felicity more for her tenacity in protecting the historical architecture of Ballarat from insatiable developers, than for her fashion sense. She introduced herself to the Aliens without formality and with genuine warmth. Patrician sought a favour of Felicity, she requested that a protective fence be built around the park where her spaceship was located. This request was answered with immediate action. State Emergency Services were called and a tall iron fence was erected around the perimeter of the park before any of the local population even had a chance to notice that a spaceship had landed.

Victoria’s State Premier, Aton, arrived a short time later, prompting Bart to retreat to the kitchen to put together a platter of dried fruit, which he had prepared himself with a convection drier. He presented both the dried fruit and a large pitcher of lemon barley cordial to his guests.

Each member of the small gathering enjoyed the refreshments and time passed easily as they relaxed in exceptionally comfortable lounge chairs, before a welcoming fire. Bart was completely relaxed with these strangers in his home. He had often said to friends that he read so much science fiction, that if some extra terrestrials walked into the room, he would be unlikely to notice that anything was amiss. ‘Many a true word spoken in jest,’ he mused.

Last of the dignitaries to arrive was Australia’s Prime Minister, Aegis. The PM can authentically be described as a luminary. Ironically, for the times, the PM is actually concerned for the wellbeing of the population of Australia, as well as that of the world at large, genuinely interested in improving infrastructure and amenities for the benefit of all and sensible in the use of public monies. In an era in which it is commonplace for politicians to regard any opportunity for personal gain, which is not actually illegal, to be fair game, Australia’s current Prime Minister upholds the highest standards of the office and behaves with integrity and restraint. The Right Honourable, the Prime Minister, Aegis, is a personage in whom the citizens of Australia can be truly proud.

The current aggrandizement scheme, which the PM is attempting to address, is the practice of ministers renting a property in Canberra from a family member when Parliament is in session and claiming exorbitant rents back on their expenses. Despite the fact that Parliament Sits for a fraction of the days that the rest of the population work, the PM wants the Commonwealth to purchase some town houses in Canberra for politicians to reside in when Parliament is in session, so that any rent levied will be returned to the Commonwealth’s purse. The next assignment that PM Aegis wants to look into, is the interminable number of Government initiated feasibility studies. Are they all necessary, or would investigation reveal some dodgy practices, designed to benefit particular individuals, rather than the people whom the Parliament is sworn to serve? There was always one more trust-destroying trick to be looked into.

The PM’s thoughts were brought back to the present, as introductions were being made and the Aliens stood, dressed in; well, not dressed at all. It took some getting used to. Patrician addressed the group at large and the Prime Minister in particular, expressing a desire that she and her companions be accepted as friendly Aliens. When Augur’s television cameras come, I would like you to stress the positive aspects of a sharing of ideas, Patrician requested. We are concerned not to create panic, which may ensue if our arrival is reported too spectacularly.

Prime Minister Aegis, listened with interest to Patrician’s suggestion. A politically astute individual, the PM had spent much of the travel time to Bart’s house, thinking on just such matters. It had seemed an almost impossible task, to disclose the news that Aliens had landed on Earth, without generating world-wide alarm. Patrician’s suggestion was irresistible. The television-viewing public were easily persuaded to any idea simple enough for them to grasp. After all, the infantile slogan: ‘You have been waiting ages for Aegis’, had resulted in a change of Government, with a landslide victory. What more proof could be asked? It was perfect.

PM Aegis did express the view that representatives from each of the news services should have an opportunity to participate in the proposed presentation. However, Patrician forestalled this suggestion stating, logically enough, that the least number of reporters involved, the least opportunity there would be for unfortunate and ill-advised material to be leaked to the general public. Besides, she argued: Augur deserves some credit and recognition for being the first reporter on the scene.

Aegis applauded Patrician’s suggestions, which prompted Aton and Felicity to also agree that this was a good idea. The Prime Minister also ordered that the Aliens should be adorned in golden robes before any filming began. Patrician did not understand the significance of this, but assumed it to be customary and had no objection to the suggestion. By mid morning the film and editing crews had put together a presentation which was acceptable to all concerned and it went to air for the first time.

What the television viewing public saw, was the television station’s most experienced news reporter, talking with Local, State and Federal ministers, about a planned interchange of information with three Aliens from a distant world, who had come to Earth to take part in a cultural exchange.

The camera then drew back to include the Aliens in the frame. Patrician, suitably adorned in her new golden gown, explained that she and her two companions had travelled many light years, from their home world, Erudition. She also spoke of the important opportunity to share scientific and historic knowledge. Tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity for enlightenment, she concluded. Later in the presentation, footage of the spaceship landing, with strategically dimmed and slightly out of focus images of the Aliens leaving their spaceship were shown. The whole tone of the interview was so banal, that it was unlikely that anyone could become excited by it.

Augur was rather disappointed. He wanted his footage of the first Aliens ever to visit Earth to be viewed as awe-inspiring news. He wanted viewers of this phenomenon to be on the edge of their seats. When you get right down to it, he wanted to be presented with awards and to be steeped in praise for his work. Augur also felt a little sceptical of his own industry. The Government Officials’ influence over what would be aired and how it would be done, was something that he had never experienced. They had assumed total control, and they had reduced this news, to something that would be shown after the advertisement break.

Augur had an uneasy feeling and began to question how much influence the Aliens had exerted in all this. Why had they come and what were their plans for the future, he wondered?

- - - - - - -

Chapter 2

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

After the presentation, explaining the Aliens’ arrival on Earth had been recorded, reviewed, broadcast and rebroadcast around the world, which they observed on television and by monitoring an explosion of material developing on Social Media; Bart asked Patrician if she and her companions would like to stay at his home, as his guests. Prime Minister Aegis interjected immediately, stating that a prestigious suit at the fabulous Woomera resort had been reserved for them. Fittingly enough, this distinguished venue was originally built to accommodate international scientists, who were researching space flight. In more recent times, it had been used as a welcoming centre for visitors from far off lands, seeking assistance from Australia, in times of turmoil in their home countries.

Patrician was thoughtful before responding; Thank you Prime Minister for your most gracious offer. However, I must confess that my companions and I would feel much more at ease, if we are permitted to remain here with Bart.

The Prime Minister, eager to placate, assured Patrician that wherever she and her companions felt comfortable would be agreed on. Admiring Patrician for her forthright approach, the PM mused, ‘I would that some of my colleagues were thus.’

That question dealt with, Bart suggested that despite the hour, they would all benefit from reaping some sleep.

Both the Media and Government Officials felt that they were being dismissed. Just a minute, Augur responded, there is much more that I would like to know.

Perhaps yourself, our Prime Minister, Premier and Mayor would like to join us for dinner, say seven o’clock, Bart parried. Would you be up for that Patrician? he added. Patrician could see that by making this specific invitation to dinner, Bart had excluded the majority of the media from their next meeting. She nodded her assent. Bart opened his hands toward Augur and the Dignitaries, awaiting their response to his invitation. I wouldn’t miss it, the Prime Minister responded, without hesitation. The PM’s reply was followed by similar acceptances from the Premier and Mayor. Err, well yes, thank you; Augur replied, surrendering to the inevitable. He was fuming. Augur wanted his television station to get more footage of the Aliens before the international media took over. He felt that his objectives were being thwarted at every turn.

Thanks everyone, Bart said assertively; giving them all the hint to leave.

They all filed out in an orderly fashion, Augur muttering under his breath, as he walked down the path of Bart’s home, to his waiting faithful old Ford.

Bart walked out with the Prime Minister. As they ambled down the path, Bart spoke frankly, yet quietly; I have a concern that if the Aliens are hounded by the media, like celebrities, they will leave us! I share your concern, the PM responded; still, I fail to see what I can do to prevent that from happening. Take it to the Legislative Assembly! Bart suggested.

At that moment, in addition to the expected Television station’s truck, Bart noticed a van parked on the roadway opposite to his property, which had an antenna protruding from the roof of the goods compartment. It seems that it has started already, Bart remarked, gesturing toward the van. No not yet, Aegis replied in a hushed tone. They are on our side. Their brief is to protect yourself and your new found house guests. They were expecting to relocate to Woomera. However, as matters have unfolded, they will be instructed to remain here.

Back in the house, showers were run, beds made and curtains drawn, before the household settled into silence for a few hours. It was fortunate that Bart had beds enough to go around. He had the joy of having his grandchildren to stay overnight on occasion and his home was set up to accommodate, ‘the whole tribe,’ as he called them. He relished the visits of his grandchildren. His wife had long since departed, and they provided occasional, but very welcome company, in an otherwise largely uneventful life; in a house which was sometimes, just a little too quiet.

Bart’s house is situated in an older section of Ballarat. Originally built in the 1870’s, its Elizabethan design and weatherboard construction, were popular in the era of the gold-fields. The original house has been renovated and extended, but retains much of the grandeur and grace of that era. Gone however are the gas lanterns, which once adorned the walls of each room. Gone also, the hessian wall lining material, which was once covered with wallpaper and would have allowed the wind to whistle in through loosely fitting joins in the external weatherboard walls. Bart was sad that the gas lanterns had been removed before his time. He was however, less nostalgic about the original wall lining material. This had been replaced with plaster walls, and ceilings adorned with ornate cornices and ceiling roses from which small crystal chandeliers, illuminated with warm coloured LED lights hung, as a symbolic reminder of a bygone era. The house is situated on a large block in a quiet street, quite near to the centre of town. A back yard densely colonised with well-established, frost-hardy, fruit trees, of several different kinds; serves both as a food source and as a buffer against the noise of a busy city metropolis.

Prior to this sleep, Bart had been up since the morning of the previous day. It had been pure adrenaline that had kept him alert until now, but he was definitely ready to rest.

Outside, the weather was developing into a typical Ballarat winter’s day. Gentle rain was beginning to fall, and would continue to fall for several hours. Grey skies were reflected in the characteristically grave faces of the local inhabitants, as they laboured along damp grey asphalt footpaths, their countenance inward looking and sullen.

To all this, Bart and his companions were oblivious, since gentle rain dulled other outside noises. The gurgling sound of water as it entered Bart’s large rainwater tank, which would be used to sustain his garden and trees on drier days, was a soothing and familiar sound to Bart. A small flock of Rosellas were foraging amongst the leaf mulch, in the relative shelter that was afforded by Bart’s fruit trees. As they scampered about, they communicated to one another, in language that Bart had often wondered at. On this day however, their musical chatter was lost to the gentle pitter-patter of rain on an iron roof, and to souls deep in sleep.

Bart was not given to remembering his dreams, but on this occasion he had images of Aliens and a strange craft, pervading his thoughts as he slept. His brain musing, oscillating between images of Alien craft as he had hitherto imagined them to look and that which he had now seen. The encounter with the Alien beings themselves, illusionary apparitions in his mind, holding it in a trance like state of reverie; or was it reality; it was relatively impossible to discern the difference in this stupor of the imagination. At length his mind cleared, as he entered a more relaxing phase of the sleep cycle.

When Bart awoke, rather late in the afternoon, he was not clear in his mind if the events of the previous night were real, or the subject of an elaborate dream. As he arose from his bed and ventured out of his room, his thoughts were a collage of overlapping imagery.

The question was finally resolved when he chanced to enter the lounge room, to find Sage seated in one of his luxurious reclining chairs, before a respectable fire. It all came back to him now; Augur, the landing, the translator device, the media and Government Officials. It had been real after all. Bart gazed at the hearth for the second time since entering his lounge room. He had expected the fire to be guttered, the embers cold. He now understood that these Aliens knew something about kindling a decent fire, as well as interstellar travel. Bart’s practical mind appreciated down to earth skills. He ventured a smile at Sage as he settled himself in a second reclining chair. What a day it had been.

Are you well rested? Sage asked. Bart was momentarily startled. Until this point, Patrician had done all the talking and she had left her translator device behind in the spaceship. You can speak, was Bart’s inane response. Ever since I was a child, Sage responded, with a wry smile.

Bart was about to ask how it came to be that Sage could speak his language, when he noticed one of his physics books in Sage’s hand. This only served to make him feel more perplexed than he was a moment ago. How? Bart’s voice broke off, his tongue dry, the question stuck in his throat. Sage noticed Bart’s gaze moving from the book in his hand, to his face and back to the book again. He realised that a learning process, which he regarded as commonplace, was causing distress for Bart. Oh please, Sage began, don’t be fooled into believing that any of this is magic. He leaned forward and opened a hand toward Bart, as he composed his thoughts to explain. The device which you placed on your head shortly after we landed, captured your memories, and consequently Patrician understood your language, reading and numerical structures. She then passed these important skills to me, through telepathy. So you know everything that I know, Bart responded, not the least bit reassured. No! Sage replied. Patrician would know a good deal more than I, but she is very intuitive anyway and not much escapes her knowing. She has only passed to me those things that I need to know. The only personal thing that I learned about you from Patrician, is that you are interested in the sciences and frankly, on that score, your bookshelves are a dead give-away.

After giving this matter some thought, Bart decided to change the subject. Do you find our physics precepts infantile? he asked tentatively. Not at all, Sage responded enthusiastically. I was enjoying the Maths. As in your culture, we have our geniuses throughout the ages who elevate our sciences to new plains. The rest of us just use the tools that come into our hands as a result of these great minds. As a matter of fact, I was just trying to employ Newton’s variation of Kepler’s harmonic law, to calculate an approximation of the mass of the central core of your galaxy. How did you propose to do that? Bart enquired. "Well, if you use the Earth Sun relationship, where all required values are known, for one set of figures. The second set of required figures can be made up of: the length of a cosmic year, 230 million years; and the radius from your Sun to the centre of your galaxy, 25,800 light years. The only outstanding