Shades of Gray

[BolianAuthor]

^

Aye, things are off to a rocky start, lol.

One thing I wanted to use this scene to showcase, was the unique nature of each of the three Orvani races... how the entire Orvani species is a reflection of the qualities found in their three races... the whites represent modesty, caution, and an aspect of primal fear, almost a throwback to their prehistoric days. The tans, on the other hand, represent their violent side... the side that makes war, has the feeling of total confidence, superiority, and arrogance, and is confrontational. The grays are the harmonious balance of the two, as you could see by the thoughts of the gray... the grays are the learners, thinkers, and philosophers. The tans believe might comes from strength, where the grays believe that true strength is not only knowledge itself, but the ability to open the mind, and acquire that knowledge, for that is where true learning and growth lies. When the whites look at the humans, they see a threat. When the tans look at humans, they see nothing more than bacteria to be wiped away. But when the grays see the humans, they see an enormous untapped potential... they see what we CAN become.

 

[BolianAuthor]

LEAD ORVANI SAUCER - MEDICAL WARD

Once again, the Orvani Commander looked upon the body of a dead Orvani... the white that had collapsed during the White House address.

The Commander looked to the Doctor, as he waved a stainless steel tool over the head of the dead white, just as one of the tans entered the room, walking over to the Commander, and pausing, as it too, looked on.

"Well, it's just like the others... this one simply ceased to be... there was no physical problems with the body, no virus or infection, and the cause was certainly not old age... in fact, this one was the youngest one yet... only 15 cycles old." the Doctor reported, putting the tool back on the table nearby.

"What about poisoning?" the tan offered, as both the Doctor and Commander looked to it.

"Poisoning... how?" the Commander asked.

"These humans... the atmosphere of their world... it's incredibly polluted... nothing like the absolute purity of our own atmosphere. The massive increase in toxic agents could have been too much to handle." it offered.

"It's not poisoning." the Doctor replied, almost flatly sarcastic.

"Indeed." the Commander added. "But no matter the cause... this did not look good. Now I must explain to the human President that the death is no threat to his own people, and hope he can understand our desire to keep this issue private, and not reveal it to the humans... the last thing we want on this world, is to be the source of a mass-panic." he stated, looking at the lifeless white on the examination table.

OVAL OFFICE - WHITE HOUSE

It was night now, and President Bensen was extremely tired, and itching to get to bed, as he began to sign the last of the documents on his desk, sighing heavily, as his pen scrawled his signature on every fresh sheet of paper before him.

He was suddenly interrupted by a sudden glow of blue light which filled the room, vanishing just as quickly, as he looked up, to see the gray Orvani Commander standing before him, on the other side of the desk.

"You could have called first... I'm going to get some sleep right after this." Bensen offered, as politely as he could, because he was so exhausted.

"Forgive me, Mister President, but I wanted to explain to you what has been going on, so you do not fear the situation." the Commander offered.

"What do you mean?" Bensen asked, setting his pen and papers aside, to devote his attention to the Orvani.

"The death of one of our own today... it was but one of many that has been plaguing our fleet and our people, since we left Orvan. You see... there is a reason we are here, after all... we are hoping that because your planet is so similar to Orvan, that it may hold an answer to what has been causing our people to die at younger and younger ages." the Commander stated.

President Bensen absorbed the Orvani's words, and his look instantly grew darker, as he became visibly angry. Finally, Bensen rose from his chair, by placing both hands on his desk to prop him up, as he faced the Commander, and mustering every single ounce of restraint and diplomacy in him, gave his reply...

"Are you telling me... that something... something that even YOU cannot identify, is killing your people... and whatever it is, you have brought it to MY planet?" he said, some of his anger showing through in his voice.

"It is not a disease." the Commander quickly interjected, as it moved a few steps closer.

"Wha--" Bensen began, half-laughing in sarcastic disbelief. "How the hell do you know that? You just said you don't know what it is!" he retorted.

"We know it is not a disease, because there were no physical problems with any of the Orvani that have died... there was absolutely nothing wrong with any of them. But for some reason, members of my species have begun to die off at younger and younger ages, and at a more rapid rate. They simply cease to be, and die, and we cannot figure out the cause. Our science has been through every known disease, from every known world, so we are now turning to the biology of other Orvanoid species, to see if something in their biochemistry can help us find a solution to this problem." the Commander stated.

"You should have told me." Bensen began. "You should not have kept this information from me... I have a right to know... the safety of the people of this nation are my responsibility, and it is not for you to assume what information is essential to the safety of the people of this planet." he stated, firmly.

"We simply did not wish to create a global panic. Additionally, we did not want your population to fear that we might be here to experiment on them. We just want to learn about you, so that hopefully, something on this world can help my people." the Commander returned.

For a very long moment of awkward and tense silence, the two people faced each other. Finally, Bensen broke the silence.

"I am going to order that effective immediately, and until further notice, NO Orvani is to set foot on Earth soil, except for members of your diplomatic delegation... your people are to remain on their saucers. I am also ordering you to include our human scientists and doctors in all your research. Is this clear, Sir?" Bensen stated, in a tone that clearly conveyed his seriousness and anger.

"This is your world... we will obey all your rules." the Commander replied, politely. "I will call for you tomorrow... I apologize, both for our deception, and for my bearing the news." he added, just as a wash of blue light enveloped him, as he vanished from the room.

President Bensen just looked at the spot where the Commander had stood, as his teeth clenched under his skin, and finally, in a wave of anger, he swiped the papers and a pen holder clear off his desk, with a loud grunt of anger, as he braced himself on his desk with both arms, as he looked down, trying to regain his composure.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I hope the Orvani really WILL follow the rules...I'm worried about those tans going around the Commander and Bensen's agreement, because obviously Bensen is at a major, MAJOR disadvantage. Only sheer force of personality can help him.

As to the real cause of the deaths, I have a couple of different theories. I wonder if one or both of them will be correct...

 

[BolianAuthor]

HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK CITY

The water taxi sailed along, on its way back to Manhattan's South Street Seaport, as the Captain looked out the windows, toward the Manhattan skyline, as a trio of Orvani saucers held position over lower Manhattan, hovering perfectly still, and totally silent.

Suddenly, the Captain began to notice something... the water in front of the boat was changing... the water was changing color from the Hudson's usual dirty and murky green, to a crystal-clear azure blue. His eyes followed the changing water all the way out to open sea... as far as the eye could see, the condition of the water was changing.

PLANET EARTH

From orbit, the entire color of Earth's oceans seemed to change, somehow now appearing a bit brighter and "cleaner", as if someone had simply wiped away countless years of dust.

OVAL OFFICE - WHITE HOUSE

President Bensen and his Secret Service Agents stood in front of the TV in the room, transfixed on the news reports pouring in from all over the globe, of oceans and bodies of water all over the planet somehow changing... looking cleaner and clearer.

Just then, a wash of blue light appeared, and Bensen and his men turned to see the lone Orvani spokesperson. Finally, Bensen shot him a somewhat playful look, as he asked the Orvani a question.

"Is all this stuff your doing?" he asked, smiling somewhat.

"It is." the gray Orvani began. "I felt bad about what happened last night, so I wanted to do something nice for your people." it stated.

"And just what is it that you're doing?" Bensen replied.

"We've purified your planet's water. Every single body of water on your world has been restored to it's natural state, completely free of any pollutants." the Orvani answered.

For a long moment, Bensen and the Agents just looked at the lone Orvani standing before them, not really knowing how to react to what they had just been told, as Bensen just kept smiling, as he now stood straight, to face the gray before him.

"I don't know what to say, except to offer my deepest and most sincere thanks, as well as those of the people of this world." Bensen offered, as the Orvani nodded its approval.

"Think nothing of it, Mister President." the gray replied. "May we have the room?" it asked.

Bensen silently nodded, still awestruck by what the Orvani had just done for his world, and by how casually the Orvani had seemingly dismissed the significance of it, as the two Agents quietly and obediently left the room, closing the door behind them.

"I wanted to tell you the truth... the real reason we are here." the gray began, as Bensen nodded, waiting. "You see, we did not just come here to recharge our batteries, as it were... we knew of your world, and were sent here." it stated.

"Your people have been to Earth before?" Bensen asked.

"No... at least, none of us have ever set foot physically on your planet. But our ships have passed through your system before... long enough to take detailed scans of your planet, and know that your species is roughly Orvanoid, and that Earth shares many things in common with Orvan. As a result of the affliction which is killing our people, multiple task forces have been deployed from Orvan, to other worlds with Orvanoid species... or what you would call humanoid species, to see if something in their biochemistry can help provide an answer to why our own species is dying off at younger and younger ages. Our fleet was the task force assigned to Earth." the Orvani explained.

"So you already knew about us." Bensen said.

"Only of your existence... we did not know anything of your languages or cultures... like I said, we never had any physical contact with your world, nor did we monitor any of your transmissions... we simply took scans of your world from orbit... scans that showed us that your species is similar enough to ours to perhaps be of some help. From there, the decision was made on Orvan to send a fleet to your world, to establish contact, and initiate study. I do sincerely apologize to you... we should have been honest from the beginning, but we truly only wanted to avoid fear and panic amongst your people. No deception was intended." it offered.

"Very well." Bensen began, moving back to his desk to sit down. "But I want your word that nothing more will be kept from us." he stated, looking to the gray, as he sat down.

"You have my word, Sir, thank you." the Orvani said, as it prepared to be transported back aboard its ship. "Oh, Mister President... you may wish to do some stargazing tonight... something tells me that your skies will be very clear tonight." it added, making what could only be described as a small smile for the first time, as the wash of blue light enveloped it, vanishing the Orvani from sight, leaving Bensen to gaze at the spot where it had just stood.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

What an amazing gift, to be able to start from scratch with new seas and skies! Hopefully having undone all of the damage (which people often forget goes back to the late 18th century) will give them time to be able to come up with new solutions that won't create as much pollution. Already, at least in Western countries, the fact that they'll be starting again with technologies that are already less burdensome on the environment will help. Places like China will still be a worry.

Now I think the only thing we have to know is, how is it that people knew of the appearance of the "greys" without their ever having done experiments on people? Was it telepathic contact, or something else?

I have a hard time thinking the Commander would've been involve in any of that...you do make him seem to have real feelings and real remorse here, rather than the kind of heartless being the "greys" are often portrayed as.

 

[BolianAuthor]

^

Yeah, it is a pretty amazing gift... literally within a few minutes, the entire planet's water and atmosphere is totally free of any form of pollutants. By our standards, nothing short of something that God himself can do, yet to the Orvani, all they did was make use of what they regard as an old recycling technology, to perform a cleanup.

The human knowledge of the Orvani (the grays) will be explained, but you are right... the Commander is a good heart, as are all the Orvani in this fleet... even the tans... for they dislike us so much that they would never intentionally want anything to do with us, lol. To the tans, we are not "worthy" to be contacted by them, lol. But the title of this story is "Shades of Gray", so we will see that as in our own culture, the Orvani have many varying facets... good, bad, honest, and dishonest.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I see...I had thought that the tans DID want to do something violent, but were only being held in by the greys and whites.

Out of curiosity...do you think any of the whites would be capable of dealing with a human who was gentle with them? (A child might be a good candidate, actually.)

I'm guessing the Orvani have some bad apples, though. With their neuronics, I wonder if such a person could "infect" others?

 

[BolianAuthor]

Out of curiosity...do you think any of the whites would be capable of dealing with a human who was gentle with them? (A child might be a good candidate, actually.)

Very interesting that you brought that up! Yeah, I do think the whites would do well around children, as they hold the most childlike element of the Orvani's nature...

The whites are almost a throwback to the prehistoric Orvani we saw in the opening of the story... they have managed to retain that eternal sense of childlike wonder and curiosity of the universe around them, where the grays represent the next phase of that, which is not only the wonder, but the pursuit of knowledge and learning... the grays are seekers and teachers. The tans represent the utter arrogance that comes with the knowledge that they have elevated themselves above nature's plan for their species... their species now stands at the doorstep of being all-knowing, and all-powerful, and the tans know it, and as a result, have become incredibly narcissistic, and arrogant, and think of anything non-Orvani as simply "below them", and not worth any attention or merit.

There will actually be an upcoming scene that shows this aspect of the whites. Incidentally, you may think that because of the vast difference in the nature of the whites and tans, that the tans would have no need of the whites, or vice-versa, but such is not the case, as you will see... the Orvani all need and depend on each other, regardless of their individual traits.

 

[BolianAuthor]

BEIJING - PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

The shaky footage of the handheld cellphone showcased a typical Beijing day, as the sun struggled to break through the thick and heavy smoggy haze that loomed over the city, just as the layers of smog instantly began to literally vanish, like the Red Sea parting, revealing a brilliant and pristine blue sky, punctuated by a handful of fluffy pure white clouds, as the citizenry all paused, looking upon the sight, and exclaiming in Chinese, pointing to the sky in bewilderment, as a woman's voice overlapped the scene, in English...

"That was the scene in Beijing earlier today, as it was all over the planet, as within a period of no more than five minutes, the Orvani visitors performed what was thought only a god could do... they completely restored Earth's oceans and atmosphere to their original natural state, totally removing all pollutants, and effectively restoring the global ecosystem to its natural state." the female reporter stated, as the camera now revealed her sitting behind the news desk and facing the camera. "No word from the Orvani on just how they were able to accomplish what is being called all over the Earth as a miracle, and so far, none of the Earth's science has been able to venture any guesses." she added.

WHITE HOUSE LAWN

The cool night air filled the lungs of the Orvani Commander, as he stood outside the White House. The sounds of dozens upon dozens of crickets filled the air, as the Commander extended his arms outward, looking up and closing his eyes, as if basking in the sounds around him.

After a moment, the President appeared in the distance behind him, and began to walk to him. Sensing the man, the Commander turned to face the President, as the two men met.

"Commander." the President opened, as the Commander now turned to again face away from Bensen.

"Can you hear it, Mister President? Can you hear the chorus?" the Commander asked.

There was silence for a long moment, as the President paused, hearing nothing but the sounds of crickets.

"All I hear are crickets." Bensen offered.

The Commander again closed his eyes, and moved his head about, as if he were "feeling" the music.

"Glory! Glory! Glory!, they sing!" the Commander began. "They sing not to you, nor to me. Theirs is a song for the universe. They sing to the stars." he added. "It is so relaxing... so peaceful... so clear."

Another long moment of silence passed, before Bensen replied.

"You... understand them?" he asked, as the Commander again turned to face him.

"You said you hear the crickets." the Commander began. "But have you ever LISTENED to them?" he added.

"I suppose not." Bensen replied.

The Commander wore a look of resignation, as he faced the President.

"That is all it takes." he began. "To simply listen. You have no idea, Mister President... your planet... it's absolutely overflowing with intelligent life. You are by no means anywhere near the only intelligent species here... merely the most dominant. This entire planet is a vast chorus of voices... a delicious blend of millions upon millions of languages and intelligences." he added.

"But why worry about a bunch of crickets? After all, your species is so advanced, you can travel between galaxies... why bother listening to some mere insects?" Bensen asked.

"--We listened." the Commander started, cutting him off. "Your own species has not even set foot on any planet beyond your own star system, yet we bothered to communicate with you... took the time to listen to you, and learn how to understand you. How does that make your species any greater than the crickets?" he asked. "To listen is to understand. To understand is to gain knowledge. Knowledge is power... the ultimate and supreme power. Without knowledge, nothing can be. Not language, not the building of homes, weapons of military power, or even starcraft that can skip across the universe, like a stone across a pond. How ironic... that the dominant species on this planet would call itself intelligent, yet has absolutely NO idea of the nature of intelligence. You have not even begun to grasp the most basic fundamentals of the definition and scope of intelligence." he added. "Just because these crickets of yours cannot build a city, or a vehicle, does not make them unworthy of being fully understood. Every life form has an intelligence.... a story... a legacy. Even a cricket has something it can teach you, Mister President. If you are silent, even the rocks shall cry out to you." the Commander finished, looking to Bensen, as the President just looked back, not sure what to add.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[BolianAuthor]

OVAL OFFICE - WHITE HOUSE

The large wooden doors to the President's office opened, allowing Bensen in, as he turned to close the door behind him, juggling that task with holding a mug of coffee and a small stack of documents in folders under his arm. As he turned to face his desk, he almost dropped his coffee, startled by the sight that greeted him...

Sitting in his chair, was a man... a single man. But there was something instantly unsettling about the man, somehow... his appearance... this man was dressed just like a Secret Service agent, but even though he was inside, he was wearing a pair of pitch-black shades. And even though he was seated, the man was obviously very tall... almost a full seven feet tall, by Bensen's estimate. And the man's pigment... his skin was an albino-white color, as was his hair. And his face seemed to be very long and narrow.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in here? Do you have clearance?" Bensen asked.

The albino man just stared back at Bensen, silently.

"Fuck this... I'll just call for the guards..." Bensen began, as the albino spoke up...

"They won't hear you... there is nothing for us outside of this room." the man stated, with total calm.

"Who the hell are you... why are you here, in my office?" Bensen asked.

The albino just stared at Bensen, finally placing both his legs and feet up on the President's desk, as if he owned it.

"Depending on what you think of what I say, I am either a friend, or a foe." the albino began. "As for why I am here... I'd like to talk to you about your new friends from above." he added.

"The Orvani?" the President asked, setting his coffee and papers down on the couch.

"I assume one of their representatives has already told you the real reason why they are here, on this world." the man offered.

"They're looking for an answer to something that's been killing them." Bensen dryly offered, nodding.

"I see." the man began, nodding. "Well, you should know, Mister President, that there is more to this story... much, much, more. This particular group of Orvani stands on the precipice of a major revelation... one which ironically, involves your own world in more ways than you can imagine." the albino added.

"Why do you keep saying "our world"... who the hell are you?" Bensen prodded.

In response, the albino took his feet off the desk, and stood up straight, facing Bensen... this man was indeed about seven feet tall, and incredibly slender.

"I am trying to tell you that we can help... but you may not like the face of the truth." the man started, looking right at Bensen with his jet-black shades. "I suggest you ask the Orvani just how they do all the things they can do... how they got to this point." he offered.

"What are you talking about?" the President asked, firmly, as if demanding.

"There is a reason the Orvani are as advanced as they are." the albino began, as he now looked upward slightly, as if pondering a deep thought, before looking back to Bensen. "Yes, it is most interesting, indeed, that the Orvani are here... what's that saying you have? Oh, yes... "if you travel far enough, you will eventually find yourself". Both appropriate and ironic, in this situation." he stated, breaking the slightest of sly smiles, which really unnerved the President. "In any case, Mister President... we will be in touch. But now, I'm afraid I must leave for the time being." he said, walking around the desk, and pausing right in front of President Bensen. "But a quick favor, before I leave?" he asked.

Bensen just looked at his face, trying in vain to see the eyes behind the dark glasses.

"I fear that my eyesight is failing me, and I cannot see details as I once did... would you be so kind, as to look at the clock, and tell me what time it is?" the albino asked, pointing the the clock on the wall.

Bensen looked at the clock, and almost instantly, began to notice that the second hand of the clock was getting slower and slower, until it appeared to totally freeze in place, totally still and unmoving.

The next thing Bensen knew, he was shaking his head, as if to wake from a daydream, and turned to face the albino, only to find him gone. There was absolutely no trace of him anywhere... even his desk chair was in the same position he had left it in the night before.

- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Ahhh, a Man in Black! Very disturbing encounter, I have to say. I think Bensen had better ask the Commander for a full-disclosure course in interstellar politics, seeing as the Orvani have by default brought Earth into them...

 

[BolianAuthor]

PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE - WASHINGTON, D.C.

The lone Orvani Commander walked along the sidewalk, en route to the White House, as passing humans either paused or turned to regard the sight of him, as he walked along.

As the Commander proceeded down the street, a lone man dressed in black began to draw nearer, finally pausing in front of the Commander, blocking the Orvani's path.

The Commander looked up to face this tall man before him... almost a full seven feet tall, with albino skin and hair, and wearing dark shades that totally obscured his eyes. But unlike with President Bensen, the sight of this tall man did not seem to phase the Orvani at all... in fact, the Commander broke a very small smile at the sight of the man.

"Well, well, well..." the Commander began. "So your kind are here too." he stated.

"I have information for you." the tall man stated.

"And just why should I believe or trust you?" the Commander asked.

"Because I know why you are here... and also where the answer to your problem lies. The trouble is, that you may not like what you find out, if you pursue things on your own. I am willing to help you, by putting the proper pieces in place." the albino offered, reaching into his breast pocket, and producing a thumb-sized teardrop-shaped crystal, and handing out for the Commander to take. "Starting with this one." he added.

The Commander regarded both man and crystal reluctantly, until finally reaching out, and taking the small crystal, examining it.

"This is old technology." the Commander said, looking up to the albino.

"And that is a part of what makes it relevant to this larger puzzle." the albino began. "Take it to one of your ships... have them access the information on it... I think you will find it most worth the effort." he added.

"And if I do not?" the Commander asked.

At that, the albino looked upwards, taking in a big deep breath, before letting out a slight sigh, as it again looked down to the Commander.

"It is a very beautiful day now, Commander... but make no mistake... nothing can or will stop the storm that is coming." the albino stated.

"Where is your ship?" the Commander asked.

"Closer than you think, Commander." the man said, smiling, as he now gave a farewell nod to the Orvani. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Sir... I must be going... lunch time, you know." he added, as he turned to start walking away.

"You're a long way from home!" the Commander called out after him, as the albino paused, turning to face the Commander again. "A fleet can be here from Orvan before you know it." he added.

"Read the information." the albino asserted, gently, but with a deadly firm and serous overtone, as he now again turned, and walked away from the Commander, leaving the Orvani to look after him.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[BolianAuthor]

CENTRAL PARK - NEW YORK CITY

The sounds of people talking, walking, and the laughter of children playing filled the air, as a trio of small white Orvani mulled about on the vast grassy area in front of Angel Fountain, as numerous human toddlers ran around, giggling and playing, as the three Orvani looked on, with curiosity.

Gradually, a few of the small human children cautiously walked up to the three small Orvani... both groups of being being about the same height.

Unsure of how to react, the whites stood their ground, as the group of human toddlers walked right up to them, pausing in front of them. The two groups regarded each other for a long silent moment, until one of the humans, a small girl, extended her hand, as if to persuade the Orvani to come and play with her.

The first white began to extend its own hand, but paused, stopping short of touching the little girl's, seeing the difference in their hands... the human child had five fingers, and its own hand only had three... it did not want to cause any fear to the child. The white withdrew its hand, looking the human girl right in the eyes, with its own large black eyes.

"It's okay... I'm not scared of you." the human girl offered.

The white just continued to look at her, as her friends held their ground, silent.

It was then that the white noticed another two figures approaching, from the trees nearby... human males... the parents... and the first of the men was extremely large and robust... with a powerful musculature, which was shown off by the tank top he was wearing... the man was what humans would call a body-builder.

Instantly, from deep within the white's mind, it's "inner voice" produced a loud and clipped "chirp"... a sound that was instantly heard by the mind of every Orvani on the planet, and that had an unmistakable meaning... fear.

Instantly, the mental call for help drew the attention of two tans that were standing not too far away, and they turned to face the Orvani who had broadcast the call for help, and instantly responded, with their minds...

"We are here."

As if by instinct, the two tans both accessed their own minds, isolating the parts of their brains that contained their sense of total confidence, and control, and brought that aspect of consciousness to the forefront of their minds, and instantly broadcasting that confidence to the white, just as the large human males paused before it.

The tans were watching the human men like hawks, attuned to every single movement the humans made... if the humans so much as began to think about harming a fellow Orvani...

The largest of the two human males knelt down to face the white on its own level, as now other humans in the background all over the park were stopping to watch what was going on.

The white was terrified, but was being supported by the strength of the two tans nearby, as it stood its ground, as the human man now spoke to it...

"Hello." the man said, with a deep, yet gentle voice. "I see you've met my little girl, Melissa." he added, smiling. "She likes you... why don't you come over and join us over by the trees? We're having a picnic, and we'd be honored if you would be our guests... I'm not sure if we have anything that you'd like to eat, but we'd love to hear you tell us about your people." he offered, along with a sincere smile that could only come from a true family man.

For a moment, the white just looked at the man, unsure of what to do.

"You don't have to stay, if you don't like it... or us." the man added, still offering a genuine smile of sincerity, as he extended his hand in greeting, for the Orvani to shake.

"Yeah, come with us!" one of the little boys added.

Finally, the white felt comfortable enough to respond, and decided to trust the smiling human man, and extended its own hand, as for the very first time, a civilian human and Orvani shook hands, as numerous people in the park began to clap and cheer, as the human man kept smiling, as he looked to the Orvani, slowly getting up as they still held hands.

"I think you'll like this... the wife's made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but if you don't like that, maybe a hot dog?" he said, as he led the children and the Orvani down to the tree where his family was waiting.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Awwwww...how cute. The whites' consideration for the child's potential to be afraid was really sweet, as was the way they eventually reached out to each other.

Now, are the whites just shy, or do they not have language on their own?

 

[BolianAuthor]

Now, are the whites just shy, or do they not have language on their own?

Thanks! That's a very good question, lol... personally, when I think of the whites, I think of them as very shy, and I see them being extremely close-knit within even the Orvani society, meaning that they generally only communicate directly with their own kind. Yes, they communicate with the entire species, through the neuronic link, but in terms of "personal" conversation and socialization, they keep to their own community.

The whites are not mental simpletons... they don't literally have the minds of children. They are just as mentally advanced as any Orvani, but the whites are the group that has managed to cling to the emotional or natural qualities of their species. The whites are the scientists of Orvan... the doctors. The whites invented neuronics. But they have chosen not to utilize the advancements as the grays and tans have, where the neuronics in most cases help to define the nature of what the grays and tans are... accentuating their natures.

So, yeah, the whites share the Orvani language, but when they feel a strong emotion like fear, they respond in a primal and emotional way... pure instinct.

 

[BolianAuthor]

CIA HEADQUARTERS - LANGLEY, VIRGINIA

The lone Orvani saucer held position in total silence above the Headquarters building, as various agents coming and going from the building took pause to look up at the alien craft, as they spoke of it, and pointed to it.

INTERROGATION ROOM

From behind the double-paned glass that separated the actual interrogation chamber from the observation area, the CIA brass and various agents looked on, as the man who had been responsible for the attack on Air Force One sat across from the person interrogating him... a single Orvani.

The humans had requested an Orvani interrogator for two reasons. Firstly, it had been the Orvani who delivered the man into their custody, and they wanted the Orvani to use their powers to cull as much information as possible from the man, in the event that he did not cooperate. Secondly, it was a security measure... by having an Orvani conduct the interrogation, the CIA was getting firsthand knowledge of just how far the Orvani's hold over the mind of a human could or would go... it gave them a chance to gain intelligence on the abilities of the Orvani. What they didn't know... what they couldn't know, was the significance of the potential threat before them... for it wasn't the human behind the attack... it was the Orvani that had been sent down to interrogate him.

The Orvani had sent a tan.

So, inside the chamber, the two beings sat across from one another. The tans were masters of the neuronic technology that had so expanded the minds of their species... they knew how to use it to its absolute fullest potential, and knew how to wield it like a weapon, using it against the minds of an enemy. But the tans didn't use their minds as blunt instruments, no... they preferred to have fun... to really showcase the prowess behind what they could do. They didn't beat the mind of an opponent into submission. Instead, they performed meticulous mental surgery on it, getting the enemy's mind to act as its own weapon against the enemy.

The two had been sitting there for over three hours, in a staring contest, to see which would break first. It would not be the Orvani.

The Iranian man was very slowly beginning to look unsettled, because he had noticed that for the entire time they had been in this room, the Orvani had not blinked... not once. In fact, the tan Orvani had not visibly moved even a micron. It just sat there, across from him, totally silent and still, gazing right into his eyes, with its own totally black almond-shaped eyes. The tan's eyes locked themselves onto the human's eyes, and held them in place, not just probing, but drilling... forcefully drilling themselves into his own eyes, as if they were acting as some godlike hand, reaching into rip out his very soul.

The tan knew exactly what the man was thinking, the entire time they had been in the room together, though it had never visibly moved. The tan was still reading the man like an open book, as every second ticked by. Finally, the tan decided to have some fun, and end this in a way that would not only break the criminal, but show the CIA agents just how vulnerable they were, as well. So, the Orvani took action...

The Orvani blinked.

But it was not like a human blinking... it was more like what a shark does. For a moment, both of the Orvani's eyes suddenly turned a whitish-gray, almost appearing to "roll over" on themselves, before returning to their usual black forms.

And the result had the desired effect... the CIA people in the back room all gasped in shock, just as the Iranian man instantly lost control, and shouted out in hysterics, screaming at the top of his lungs uncontrollably, as he struggled in his chair, to free himself from his restraints... but there were no actual restraints.

The tan had put the idea of restraints in the human man's mind, and he thought they were there, and that they were real. He could feel them, as his hands fought to free themselves, as he fidgeted about, still screaming in pure terror.

The tan just sat there, absolutely still and silent, as now it allowed a very subtle "Mona Lisa smile" to appear on its face... it had enjoyed this little task.



OVAL OFFICE - THE WHITE HOUSE

In the President's office, President Bensen regarded the gray Orvani Commander, as the Commander paced in front of his desk.

"I just don't understand why... why they are here, on your world, and what they are doing here." the Commander began. "And how would they know about Orvani affairs?" he asked, looking to Bensen.

"Well, from what you tell me, it seems that the same person came to me, as well... last night." Bensen stated.

"What?" the Commander asked. "Why would the Umnuvaars have any interest in you?"

"He didn't." Bensen replied. "He told me that there was more to this than either of us understand, and that I should ask you about something... he said there was a reason that your people are so powerful, and that I should ask you about that." he stated.

That seemed to visibly irritate the Commander for the first time, and he shot the President what could only be called a sarcastic look of annoyance.

"That is not for you to know. We do not discuss our history with outsiders, and even if we did, you would never be able to comprehend or understand the means by which our species elevated itself." the Commander stated, as his expression gradually softened. Finally, he produced the small data crystal that the Umnuvaar, the man in black, had given him, and held it up for Bensen to see. "But... he did give me this, and said that I should take it to my ship... and have them examine the data on it." he added.

"Commander..." Bensen began.

"Yes, Mister President?" the gray replied.

"I think WE should examine the data on that crystal." Bensen added, as the gray just nodded in silent approval.



- TO BE CONTINUED -

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Uh-oh...have we got an Orvani civil war going on? This is definitely quite ominous...