The Proof is Out There

Haru is an avid science fiction fan who has a firm belief in the existence of aliens. He fell in love with space travel and all its components when he was young a boy living in Japan. His first movie was “Prince of Space.” After that, he couldn’t get enough. When his family moved to the States, Haru hit the SyFy jackpot. Of course, there was Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, but his all-time favorite was Space: 1999. It is a show about a colony of people living on the moon which is suddenly thrown out of it's orbit and is foece wander through space.

When Haru graduated from high school, he went to college to study astronomy. He loves exploring the stars and planets andsearching the galaxies for extraterrestrial life. Family and friends endure his excitement when he talks about his passion. Still, others will argue that there is only life on our planet and that all those TV shows about spaceship sightings and close encounters are fake. Haru’s fortitude is unshakable, and he’ll always conclude, “The proof is out there. We only need to put the pieces together.” 

Matt, Haru’s childhood friend, will sometimes question him. “Haru, how can you keep believing that there is life beyond our own? You’ve been studying space for a long time now and, in all that vastness, you have yet to find a single planet that can sustain life like ours.” Haru smiles , “Why do millions of people buy a lottery ticket when chances of winning are three million to one? They reason someone has to win.  That is all it takes for them to spend two bucks on a dream and a chance to win. And, do you know what? They are right! Someone always does. I feel the odds are the same for me. There are trillions and trillions of stars and galaxies to explore and study. And out of all those, is it feasible to think we are the only one that supports life? I say no.”

On another occasion, Matt and Haru left the movie theater after watching “Guardians of the Galaxies.” On the way home Matt asked, “You know what I don’t understand, Haru? How can these villains simply point their finger at someone and make them fly across the room? Or raise up huge boulders and hurl them through the air. What would you call this kind of power? Magic?” Haru chuckles. “It's called telekinesis. It’s the ability to menially enforce your will on inanimate objects or unsuspecting persons. The type shown in movies would be a somewhat refined and advanced form far above what man can actually perform.” Matt’s jaw drops. “Do you mean there are people who possess this ability?” Haru opens the door to the ice cream parlor. “Let’s get a soda, and I’ll explain some more.”

 Sitting inside a booth with their drinks, Haru continues. “As I was about to say, there are videos from the “cold war” era that show ordinary people using only their minds to make pencils roll across tables or to shake a glass of water without physically touching it. Today, a company called Neurlink is implanting small electrical devices in people with quadriplegia to help them interface with computers or mobile devices using nothing more than their minds. Now, imagine if you live on a planet where this is a normal part of your evolution. What tremendous power you would have. You could move mountains as they say.”

This is the sum of Haru’s life. To see an extraterrestrial with his own eyes. He’ll endure all the joshing and teasing until the day comes when he can say. “There! I told you so.”

...

During his spring break at the college where he teaches, Haru visits his grandparents in Franklin, Tennessee. They moved there because the cost of living was lower, and they liked the climate. Besides, Franklin isn’t far from Nashville, and they love country music. On his last vacation day, Haru takes a nice hike in the Bowie Nature Park near his grandparent’s home. It has seven hundred acres of forest with lakes and seventeen trails for hiking. It is somewhat late in the afternoon when Haru arrives. The visitor parking lot has two other cars parked in it. Haru locks his car and brings up the compass on his cell phone. Smiling to himself, he thinks he is glad he came. It looks peaceful and quiet.

 Haru is a strong hiker and has traveled perhaps seven to eight miles when he notices the sun beginning to set. About half way back, it is entirely dark, and Haru has to use the flashlight on his cell phone to see the path. The heavy canopy of the forest seems to prohibit the setting sunlight from penetrating the woods. The light from the cell doesn’t shine very far, so he must walk cautiously to avoid stumbling. He has traveled an hour and is still far from reaching the parking lot. 

Something catches Haru’s eye, and he stops abruptly. In the forest, on the other side of a hill, are lights flashing in what seem to be in a rotating fashion. Haru’s heartbeat quickens. In every movie or science fiction book he has seen or read, this usually means a spaceship has crashed or landed. And seeing as how Haru didn’t hear a crash, he must assume one has landed. “Oh, God! What should I do?” A bead of sweat forms along Haru’s hairline and his lips go dry. He folds in his bottom lip and starts nervously biting it. Haru’s knees begin to lock in place. He shouts, “NO! I’ve waited my entire life for this! I’m not going to chicken out now. I must see if I can get a picture, even if it kills me!”

Crouching down with his iPhone flashlight pointed to the ground, Haru moves slowly through the thick underbrush. He winces at every loud crack of a twig. Soon Haru has reached the hill’s edge, revealing an open meadow below. He observes a small knot of people standing motionless in front of their tents. They’re shielding their eyes as they brace themselves from a strong wind that seems only to be taking place where they stand. Haru presses the icon for the camera and starts making a video. He pans to the opposite side of the meadow to what appears to be a section of a flying saucer protruding from the woods. The craft has a shiny metal skin with three layers of rotating lights. Its lower section is encased in some sort of smoke or fog. As Haru watches, a section of the saucer protrudes forward and becomes a ramp leading down to the ground. The opening emits a bright white light that causes Haru to wince and the group of people in the meadow to turn away. To the horror of Haru and the campers, a troop of beings no larger than children come charging toward them. Haru wants to scream but bites his knuckle instead. Noticing how badly his hand is shaking, he rests it on a small branch to help steady the phone.

Down in the meadow, the woman in the party throws her arms around her two children in an attempt to run, but a shimmering green light is emitted from the top of the craft, freezing everyone in place. Haru moans when he sees a massive humanoid exit the ship and take long strides toward his captives. This alien is wearing a space suit and helmet, and Haru estimates him to be seven feet tall. As he reaches the meadow, the smaller aliens rush up to him. There is a great deal of chattering. Haru is afraid his phone won't pick up the communication between the aliens and he must decide if he should move closer.

“OH, God! Oh, God! What if they see me? What if I’m caught?” Haru looks for the best path, that will still keep him ouy of sight. He decides to make his way to the left side of the saucer because to the deep shadows that are there.  Haru’s heart is pounding so hard that his temples ache. He slowly crawls on his stomach hopingto lessen the noise. When he arrives at his new location, he is terrified as to how close he is. Even though his mouth is dry, he swallows hard and keeps taping.

The conversation has apparently ended as the smaller aliens are lined up on each side of the larger one, whom Haru considers the leader.

The leader points his finger at a man and releases him from the force field. Gasping for air, the poor fellow falls to his knees.

 A metallic voice booms from the leader, “Tu es Medicus LaMont?”

 Coughing, LaMont raises his right hand. “I don’t understand you.”

 The leader speaks again, “Are you Doctor LaMont?”

LaMonts eyes grow wide. “Why, yes.  But how could you know that?”   The leader then releases the rest of LaMont’s family and indicates that the grays should bring them on board the ship. LaMont cries out, “Wait! Where are you taking my wife and children?”

The leader holds up his hand to still the doctor. “ Have no fear, for we mean you and your family no harm. We have come to obtain your help. On my planet, we are experiencing an epidemic of unknown cause. Our scientists can not find a cure. We’ve searched the galaxies for help and discovered that you have stopped two pandemics in the last two decades before they could decimate your Earth. We will take you to our planet and, whether or not you can stop this disease, we will return you here. Doctor LaMont, you are the head of Disease Control and are very knowledgeable. We desperately need your help. We are losing hundreds of thousands of citizens a day.”

“And what if I should refuse?”

The visor of the leader’s helmet rises, and LaMont looks upon the near human face, full of sorrow. “I am sorry, Doctor LaMont, but you cannot refuse. I would prefer that you come with us voluntarily but, if not, I shall bring you by force.”

“So, my family are hostages then.”

“We prefer guests. As I have stated, no matter the outcome, you will be returned here unharmed. We have mastered time and space, so the time you are gone will seem to be but minutes here on Earth. Also, our planet has a metal that earthlings consider valuable: gold. You will be compensated with a generous amount of this as well. Shall we go, Doctor?”

Haru had been so engrossed by this event that he doesn't hear the rustling in the nearby shrubbery. Suddenly he becomes aware of someone or something nearby. He shuts off his phone and, as quietly as possible, slithers of his hiding place. Feeling far enough removed, Haru leaps up and starts running pell-mell through the woods. He is ecstatic despite the branch and the briars whipping him and tearing at his clothes. “PROOF! Undeniable proof!” Haru can’t stop laughing.

...

Upon hearing the crashing sound of something running through the woods, the director shouts, ”CUT!”