THE HAUNTING PAST MYSTERY OF THE BLACK MASS

THE HAUNTING PAST: MYSTERY OF THE BLACK MASS When Tami and I opened the case file, while Ghost Ship 2 cruised, towards America's West Coast, it would seem that this was the kind, of "standard" haunting, which Tami and I had come to specialize in. If the file were correct, a property had been abandoned, for years (no number specified), until a preservation group decided to renovate the property. The groups rationale: Since local children were using the property, for initiations, and Halloween pranks (and a few children had been hurt, in the process), the preservation group had decided to renovate the abandoned house, mostly since not even chain-link fences seemed successful, at keeping the young off of the property. While the property was NOT as "ancient" as the thirteen colonies, it was atleast a century old. Maybe more. As to the properties original use, that was debatable. Some stories said the place was used, by the Northern Army, during the Civil War. Others said it was a guest house, for people, visiting the property owner. What the records, and the file, showed, was that the property was closed down, for years. (Again, no reason given.) More recently, between Halloween accidents, and the fact that the property seemed to be driving local property values down, due to age, and lack of maintenance, the decision had been made, to "deal" with the property. The problem was that the property DID have historical significance. The record showed that "events had occurred", on the property, over its years, of habitation (Or, COULD it have been AFTER the place was closed down?). Events not easily defined. All that local tax records showed was when the property went on the tax roll, and the construction price. $100,000.00 ( in late 1800's dollars). Tami found the section, which interested her. The section, concerning WHOM the living thought MIGHT be haunting the property. The "list" ran the "gambit", from "deceased soldiers", who had, supposedly, perished on the property, to former owners. Those who had cared for nothing except for making profit. Those, who tended the land, and did their best to make the land "fruitful, and abundant". There was a tale, about a sailor who, after a few drinks, enjoyed duelling. There was a tale, of a detective, whom neighbors saw enter the land, but never leave. There were tales, of maids, whom owners executed, allegedly, for the womens becoming pregnant, with the owners child. Tales, of owners having sex, and even producing children, by their own daughters. Tami would scratch her head as she said "This looks like a cross between the corporate lodge, and that Castle." When I would say "I HOPE it is not like the castle case. Remember how LONG it took, for you to process ALL of those spirits". Tami would say "Dont remind me". We, both, remembered that case. Especially the part, where the current owner produced a bill-of-sale, telling an outraged spirit "This castle is MINE! I bought it, fair and square. If you, and the other, resident, "spooks" do NOT vacate, and I mean NOW!, then I will have the courts evict you". Both before, and after, this case, Tami and I had been asked "Would it be possible to evict the ghosts?" Neither Tami, myself, or even Mr. Brown, had any clue to whether it was even POSSIBLE to EVICT a spirit. Now, we were going into a case, where historic renovation was attempting to make an "eye-sore", safe, for entry. One, positive, note, about the file, was that the black mass was not harming, or killing, anyone. It just seemed to be trying to scare people. (Or, was it trying to communicate?) It seems that seven, work, crews had abandoned the job-site, after workers saw the black mass. None reported being attacked, but all felt "un-easy", at the site. As for "descriptions", of the black mass, some "witnesses" claimed that the mass had a "triangle", or "bump", shaped, hat (Like the classic "spy-versus-spy" comics), while others claimed it was just a black mass, moving about, seemingly on a breath of air. About the only thing, which ALL of the "witnesses" agreed upon was that the thing was so BLACK that nothing could be seen, through it. And another, annoying, thing. This mass did not just show up, in one place. Not even one corner, of a room. No, it was reported, all over the property. Tami and I were going to get our exercise, for sure, on this one. As for the property, itself. It was standard, for the 1800's. Ornate decorations, molding, and panelling, which would make modern wood-workers "drool", with envy. From the file photo's, the place must have been beautiful, at one point. It was easy to imagine that the crumbling posts, steps, hand-rails, and other decorations, had, at one time, been the most beautiful, in the area. Thankfully, the place was only two stories tall (Not including the high-pitched roof line). I could not tell much, about the foundation, though, since the pictures did not show much, below the majestic wood-work. Even Tami agreed that this case would involve foot-work, since there seemed to be no attempts at "communications", as yet. Only the sighting of the black mass. While Tami's search, of the internet, turned up most of the basic information, including the builder, construction firm, purchaser, and the rest of the usual, technical, stuff, the problem was that the records contained no mention, or detail, of those who might have DIED, on the property. This was the information, which Tami sought. Basically, the "Who's Who", of WHO might have died, on the property. Our pilots, though, had much better news, when we reached the site. Just as both the pilots, and myself, had hoped, when the construction crews had departed the job-site, the crews had left behind an area, of trampled ground, more than large enough to set G.S.2 down on. (Just like Delcons village). Departing the plane, Tami and I met with the guide, from the local, preservation, group. This time, though, Tami and I would notice that the guide seemed to be in no hurry, to show us about both the property, then the house. The woman was, even, good enough to review what we knew, about the homes restoration, saying "Yes, this place has been around, long enough, that our children think of it as the "ultimate playground". The city has posted several notices, but the young just ignore the warnings. I cannot even count the number, of times, the police have visited this place, just to run the kids off. This is why we have decided to renovate." When Tami would ask "Why not just demolish the place?" The guide would say "We considered that, but only until we had five, seperate, inspectors, look the place over. Would you believe it? This place contains more asbestos, and carcinagens, than ten tobacco plants, lined up. If we demolished, we would, first, have to have all of the dangerous materials removed, by licensed contractors. The COST! When the town realized that demolition would cost four times as much as restoration..." Tami would say "Restoration costs much less". The guide would add "As an added bonus, we keep a part, of local history, alive. Sort of a two-for-one deal, you might say". The guide seemed completely at ease, as the three of us strolled the Victorian-style home. No, this was one of the calmest guides Tami and I, ever, had. When Tami would mention this fact, to the guide, the woman would say "I was born, and raised, in this area. I have known about this house, since my childhood. I have, yet, to see either a ghost, demon, or black mass." When Tami would ask "So, you dont believe in the stories?" The guide would correct Tami, saying "They make great ghost stories. Great fun for camp-outs, and sleep overs." While Tami and the guide began sharing their experiences, including Tami answering the womans questions, about our unusual plane, I would be doing my usual activity. Checking the grounds, for any signs, of things like headstones, grave indentations, or even religious markers. What would impress me, most, however, was the skill, which the stone masons had used, in setting the stone foundation, for the house. The foundation was a "work of art", in itself. What I just dont understand is the reason why, although I felt like I was being watched, I felt no foreboding. It was more like idle curiousity. When Tami would ask me inside the house, then we would travel, to the upstairs bedrooms, and Tami would ask me "WHAT do you FEEL?" I would admit that I did not feel anything like dread, or fear. It was more like "Home is where the heart is" (For lack of a better explanation) In atleast two, of the smaller bedrooms (Where Tami said she felt "un-easy"), I would mention "Thats odd, since I feel right at home. Like this is my own bedroom." In another bedroom, Tami would carress herself, as she said "I can FEEL it. This was the GIRL's bedroom. Totally feminine." I guess that she was right because I felt just as un-comfortable, in this room, as Tami felt, in the boys room. In the master bedroom, though, I THINK that our imaginations got carried away, because Tami and I, both, imagined seeing the shadow, of a couple, having passionate, sexual, intercourse, on a phantom bed. When Tami and I returned, to the main floor, we watched as the guide, named Mary, strolled into the house, like it was her own home,carrying some "gift supplies" which, Mary said "These are a present, from the town. Should make your stay more comfortable." Then Mary would add "If you find you need heat, dont bother with that old boiler, in the basement. It has frustrated twenty, of the finest repairmen, in the county. My suggestion. If you need to keep warm. Long Johns." Once Mary seemed to have un-loaded all she was supposed to bring, to the house, **I** was surprised when the first thing Mary did was check the place, like she was making sure that we had everything, then Mary would hand Tami her card, saying "If there is anything else you might need, feel free to call upon me." After Tami thanked Mary, and Mary strolled away, as though from an old friends house, "Tami would ask me "Remember Lanse Au Meadows?" I would ask "You dont think?" Tami would say "Only one way to be certain." With that, we headed over to G.S.2. Shortly after Tami entered Mary's, full, name, into a search, though, I would hear my partner say "Grrr". When I would ask "Good, or bad". Tami would say "I just ran Mary's information, and VIola!". On the screen was all the information, which Mary had shared, with Tami, including Mary's picture, which was totally identical, to the woman we had been talking with. The credentials matched, to the last letter. Mary was as much flesh-and-blood as we were. This is when Tami would suggest "Time to get to work". While our retired, air force, pilots, checked the perimeter security, I laid the usual gadgets, on the property, even as Tami did our "base-lines", for the interior. I just dont know why, but the house seemed such a comfort. Like it was part of us? While our pilots monitored security, and I surveyed the land, Tami would grab a bag-ful, of flash-drives, and set out, to interview the community. What Tami would find would shock her. Not only did the whole community KNOW about the house, but most people spoke of the house like it was a next door neighbor. As for the black mass? Some said yes, while others asked "What black mass?" In her daily report, to the Brown Agency, Tami would mention that this was the very FIRST location, which she and I had visited, where no one FEARED the location. (Some, of the local boys offered to show Tami their favorite spot, on the property. Tami, however, was not so "old", that she had forgotten what the "real" invitation was). Two days into our investigation, and Mr. Brown sent us a message: "Dispatching assistance. Researcher, who has done extensive work, on your location. Should prove most effective, in aiding your investigation." Tami would ask "Since WHEN does the boss NOT include the researchers information? No credentials?" I had to wonder, as well. Especially since I, too, knew our boss, and the man did not withhold information. When the new researcher arrived, the next day, even I could see Tami's, internal, conflict, as Lysia would say "Thanks for having me back". I have to give Tami credit, though, in the fact that she remained polite, as we travelled to the plane. Upon arrival, at G.S.2, Lysia made no hesitation, in taking her bags directly to my cabin, before setting us down, and asking "How much have you learned, so far?" When Tami gave the short summary, Lysia would say "Just about where I started, as well." Lysia would, then expand upon our research, with stories, about un-married couples being "plagued", by un-seen forces. (Especially while trying to court). Then, there was the story, of the time when the basement door jammed shut, and it was not until a repairman opened a basement window, only to smell the strong odor, of leaking gas, escape, through the opening. Lysia would say "The story goes that, even when the man tried, from inside the basement, the door would not open, until AFTER the man found the source, of the leak, closed the leak, then turned back, to see the door, to the kitchen, open, as easily as a puff of wind." When Tami would suggest "A protective spirit?" Lysia would say "Dont bet against it". When Tami would ask Lysia "How do you know so much, about this case?" Lysia would admit "After the "case", of your friends, at the light house, and the exposure, of the fact that a clone facility was, illegally, selling genetic material, it would seem that my research skills were noticed. I was requested to check on another location, but it took me less than half an hour to find out how the culprits had rigged another, old, house, to scare people away. Cheap, Halloween, tricks. After that, and somewhere between your trip, to China, and its follow up, in Germany, I was assigned to investigate this location." When Tami would ask "What conclusions have you drawn, to date?" Lysia would suggest "It would seem that almost, if not ALL, of the activity, in THIS house, is linked to activities, regarding passion". When Tami would ask "You dont mean...?" And Lysia would correct Tami, saying "No, I DONT mean that it is all connected to sex. Some, probably. I mean PASSION. Like the passion, to pursue a goal, or achieve an award. Something SPECIAL. Something a person must WORK to achieve. Individual recognition." When Tami would state "We have been here, for two days, and nothing. What would you suggest we try, next?" Lysia would say "First, lets make sure we are, all, on the same page. I am here, not because I, still, FEEL, for this man (me). I am here, to do research, and aid your search, for a solution, to this haunting. THAT is my focus. Anything else is just (with a look at me) what happens." When Tami would mention "But, NOT on the plane, right?" Lysia, and I, as one, would say "Definitely not", then look at one another, and laugh. For my personal journal, I just wish this case were along another sea shore. It had been so easy, with the sea in the background... As Lysia joined Tami, with the interview, and conversation, process, I did my best to find out more, about the geography, of the area. About the best, of what I found, were several, abandoned, and crumbling, foundations. I figured that the buildings were either from homes, or businesses, since I found horribly out-of-date heating systems. That, and plenty of lead pipes. I, also, found atleast two very wide ditches, or gorges. While one had a "trickle" of water, at its base, I doubted that this could have caused such a vast ditch. The other was filled with weeds, tree roots, and a few flowers. When I found an elderly, local, man, named Harvey, Harvey would, first, tell me he KNEW I was an outsider. He even knew that I was with that "plane", which sat near the house. When Harvey asked "Where did you get that thing? Aliens?" I told him "No, sir. United States Air Force Stealth Reject." When Harvey would ask "You mean that the government IS building U.F.O.'s, after all?" I would correct Harvey, saying "It was supposed to be a stealth bomber. You know. A plane which radar cannot see." Harvey would suggest "You mean, like them "foo-fighters" that we seen, during the war". I would suggest "Similar idea." Then I would re-direct Harveys attention to the gullies, asking "Any idea what made them?" Harvey would say "Son, any idea? Why, I was AROUND, when them storms caused the land-slides, which made these things." When I asked "What happened to all of the soil?" Harvey would say "Some of it washed down, on the highway, over yonder. Blocked the road, for a couple of days, until some tractors come along, and dug the road out." When I asked "And, the rest?" Harvey would say "Went down the sewers. Clogged up some pipes. City had to bring in shovels, wheel-barrows, and used an old fashioned hoist, to clear the sewers. Boy, you should have SEEN what them fellers looked like, at the end of the day. The fire department drenched the fellers down, with hoses, before the workers went home." When I would mention "You remember this, very well. About how long ago was this?" Harvey would give a soft laugh as he would say "Sixty years, more or less. I gots me a good memory, dont you think?" I would suggest "Better than most people I know". When I would follow up with "Who should I speak with, about that old house?" Harvey would look about, then whisper "Dont bother with them, that holds the deed. They haven't wanted a thing to do, with that house, for "ages"." When I would ask "WHO?" Harvey would tell me a story. When I returned to G.S.2, however, Tami was, already, working on the very SAME information. She was, however, rubbing her belly. When I asked "Where is Lysia?", Tami would say "Last I saw her, she was headed for your bunk." When I went to my bunk, and saw Lysia passed out, I asked, and Tami said "Dont worry. She will be fine, in the morning." When I asked "What happened?" in a soft voice, Tami would reply "Lysia may be good, at research, but she has a LOT to learn, about interviews. Eespecially when to say "WHEN"." In short summary, while Tami was accepting cake, cookies, and tea, while declining alcohol, Lysia decided that "a FEW drinks couldn't hurt". While Tami promised that Lysia was NOT drunk, when the alcohol was added to the sugar, in the cookies, and cake, (several doses of each), Tami had decided that the two had enough research material, for one day. Tami suggested that the women head back to the plane. Once Lysia visited the on-board toilet, then asked Tami "Where may I rest, for a moment", Tami had, casually, montioned, toward our bunks, and Lysia headed directly for my bunk. When I asked Tami "Do you think she will be hung over, when she awakens?" Tami would say "More like sick to her stomach, from all that sugar". (I KNEW where this would leave ME sleeping, that night). While Tami and I reviewed the material, which we had collected, we were just not certain of where it all lead. The one thing, which Tami was certain of was that the stories, of fathers raping daughters, were just as FALSE, as the reports, of daughters, being dis-owned, for becoming pregnant. The whole community denied this, as pure "fairy tale". In fact, even according to official records, the community had not even suffered a single rape. Barn burnings? Yes. Public Discipline? Yes. Murder? Perhaps. Home Invasion? A couple of times. Drunk and Dis-Orderly? YES. There was, even, a story, about a teenage boy, who had been ORDERED to marry another boys "sweetheart", or face a "necktie party". Reason? The girl hadn't wanted her REAL boyfriend blamed, for her pregnancy. She had no problem with accusing the other boy. The story went that the girl was more than willing to blame the innocent boy, when all she thought would happen was a public whipping. To her horror, when the town council judged that, for the "crime", of despoiling an innocent girl, the penalty was that the girl was ordered to marry the boy, the girl had tried to re-cant her testimony, but only until informed that "Bearing False Witness" was an even worse crime. She had "Made her bed. Now she had to LAY in it". After an exceptionally quick marriage, the girl was not even past her honeymoon, when she was "caught", with her REAL man. In order to save her "reputation", the girl had grabbed some poison berries, than told her boyfriend "I hope this works." Within the hour, the girl, suffering extreme abdominal pains, was rushed to the local healer, who gave the girl a generic potion. By morning, the girl was well, and some people thought it suspicious (but said nothing) that the girl was so happy NOT to be pregnant anylonger. When the couple went before the council, again, the council ruled that it was "Gods will", that the child had not come to term. As to the question, of who was happier, when the "marriage" was dissolved, that is debatable. After all, the girl went back to her boyfriend, after ORDERING her "husband" NEVER to tell a soul, that she had DENIED him a wedding night. And this was just one, of many stories, which had "floated about", being re-told, generation-after-generation. By the time Lysia awakened, and returned to the toilet, Tami and I had lost all track of time, having spent our time cross-referencing information. After Lysia cleaned up, and joined us, at the computers, saying "Even being pregnant CANT feel THIS bad." Tami would suggest "Dont bet on that." Tami would, then, smile, as Lysia would suggest "I almost wish I were pregnant. Atleast then I would be justified, in how I feel". When Lysia thought of food, as in breakfast, she RAN for the toilet, again. This time, though, Tami brought Lysia some stomach medication. Military surplus, yes, but, as our pilots could vouch, from YEARS of experience, the liquid could calm anything short of a nuclear detonation. Sure enough, within half an hour, of taking the liquid, Lysia was ready to join us, for breakfast. While Lysia was, audibly, thanking, Tami, for pointing out the on-board choices, for breakfast, Lysia was passing me a note, under the table. When I excused myself, took the note outside, and away from the planes camera's, I opened Lysia's note, Which was quite simple: "I need you. My body yearns for you. I NEED my man. Let me know, SOON!" As I returned to the plane, the ladies informed me that something had happened, down at the boatyard. I did notice how Lysia asked Tami "Should I, as a "junior" member, of the team, stay behind, and process the data?" Tami would surprise me when she said "Dont be ridiculous. Mr. Brown said you are a member, of our team. Take my partner, find out whats going on, and report in". When Lysia and I followed Tami's directions, we found that what SHOULD have been a short, ten minute, drive, turned into a two hour drive, even as Lysia called Tami, only to verify that traffic was, almost, at a stand-still. Lysia would inform Tami "We may not be there, for some time." After that, the ladies dis-connected. By the time my "pass" got us through the barricades, I had to remind Lysia to be quiet, about her urges, even as she realized that she was touching herself. (Believe me, I WANTED to be the one, touching her, however, THIS was business). We could, both, understand what the commotion was about, when we reached the scene, and found what resembled the after effect of a LARGE ship, having crashed into the dock. Even on-location detectives said "This makes no sense. Our harbor is NOT deep enough, for such vessels." By the shape, of the indentations, on both the pier flooring, and the "shape", crunched into the side, of a pier-side shack, the ship, which wrecked, here, MUST have been over 100 feet tall. When Lysia and I back-tracked, to the beach, we found more police, here. All standing over a DEEP, V-cut, in the beach. We listened as the police compiled notes, while asking "HOW could a ship, no less than 100 feet tall, even enter our harbor, let alone do this damage?" When I asked "Just curious. How deep is the harbor?" An officer would say "At LOW ride, maybe ten feet deep. At HIGH tide, forty-five, to fifty, feet." When Lysia would ask "No one SAW the collission?" The answer, not surprisingly, was "Negative". When Lysia would ask "How is that possible, with such a large ship?" The police would say "Heavy fog, last night. All craft were at moors, by sun-down. By sun-set, you could not seen two feet in front of you." While Lysia KNEW that the drive back would take HOURS, at the rate traffic was moving, Lysia was the one to call Tami, and transmit our information back to the plane. Lysia and I, then, strolled the beach, along with others, all wondering HOW a ship, atleast 100 feet tall, could enter a fifty foot deep harbor, without bottoming out. HOW did it get in, ram the pier, then get out, all without being seen, or heard. While I would have preferred a more conventional lunch, Lysia talked me into something I did not expect. To her, atleast, the lunch had the desired effect. It must have been near dinner time, by the time Lysia awoke me, with a kiss. I figured that this was true since, when I looked about the area, I noticed that the on-lookers, from the pier, were gone. Lysia just smiled at me as she said "It was good." When I asked "How long was I out." Lysia said "Dont worry. She hasn't called, to check up, yet." Back at my rig, I called Tami, for an update. When she asked "How's it going, at the pier?" I would say "More questions, than answers." Tami would say "I will just bet. After all, how often does a 100 foot tall ship slip into a fifty foot deep harbor?" When I would ask "Any sugestions?" Tami would ask "What would you like, for dinner?" I would say "I meant, have you contacted regional ship yards, to find out about this ship, yet?" Tami would say "Working on it. Will you be back, soon?" I told her "By the looks of traffic, we should be back, within twenty minutes. Leave the landing lights on, okay?" When I joined Lysia, inside the rig, we took a good, long, moment, just to share a kiss. After that, it was back to the plane (and, no doubt, Tami's wrath). Strange thing is, when Lysia and I returned to the plane, all Tami would say was "You are a grown man. What you do, with your time, is YOUR business." (Lysia just wished she could wipe her smile off her own face.) That evening, Lysia had me drive her to the local hotel, where she had a room on reserve. While we had bunk space, on G.S.2, Lysia would say that it would be better if she did not stay on-board. She would be back, come morning. For the record, I really did not plan on staying, with Lysia, all night. We just began talking, about how the ship had managed its feat and, soon, we were discussing the house, and the black shadow. Lysia's main request, that night, was that, IF she did encounter the shadow, she hoped that I was close by, for her to run into my arms. The last question I had, that night, was "How was a ship, crashing into a pier, connected to a black mass, which was "scaring workers out of a house?" WAS there a connection, at all? Could these be seperate hauntings? All I knew was that I was in for a "world of trouble" when Tami found out WITH WHOM I had spent my night. How could I explain that it had not been "planned"? Lysia and I just started talking, about the case and, the next thing I knew, it was morning. When Lysia and I reported to G.S.2, Tami would report "That ship, that crashed into the dock?" When Lysia and I would ask "Yes? What about it?" Tami would say "No ships, that size, reported in the area. Not even at anchor." When I would ask Tami "Then WHAT crashed into the dock, and gouged the beach bottom?" Tami would say "The $10,000 questions". What "feaked" me was when Lysia voiced my thought, suggesting "What did locals do? Go out, in the fog, sabtotage the dock, AND dig the indentation. ALL on a fog bound night?" Tami would say "So far, its the only thing that makes sense." I was about to ask, when Lysia voiced my question "What does ANY of this have to do, with our "haunted house?" Tami would say "So far, I cannot find ANY connections. Would you care to join me, at the computers?" Over the next week, when NOT working on available "leads", the three of us would learn, more, about the project, by aiding the latest group, of restoration workers. A group which, it seems, had reviewed our "ghost problem". According to the teams foreman, the idea was "As long as the ghost dont bother US, we wont bother it/them." Tami, and Lysia, would aid in coordinating supplies, while I performed any "odd job" which needed doing. I would have PREFERRED to say that Lysia and I kept our "secret" well-hidden, however, in this type of community, NOTHING remains private, for very long. Just as everyone, in town, knew who had arrived, in the mysterious craft (G.S.2), so it was common knowledge of the evenings, when I spent the night, with Lysia. To locals, it did not seem to matter, that Lysia and I were following up, on leads, and developing the case-file. All that people CHOSE to see was a white man, spending his evenings with a black girl. Ofcourse, to hear Lysia talk, it was, mostly, "Who cares what people think. We KNOW what we are doing." Based upon the information, which Lysia would e-mail Tami, once I passed out, each time, Tami was certain that we were, in fact, persuing the case. It would seem that the one "edge", which Tami had, on Lysia, was in regards to the ship, in the fog. Tami would conclude that the fog was not natural, at all. Just as I knew she would, my partner double-checked the available weather forecasts, for the area. While a fog HAD rolled in, on each night, and been documented, by patrols, there just was no weather-related reason, for the fog. While Lysia would suggest a situation, similar to the "classic" movie "The Fog", Tami would mention "I have found no evidence, to support such a conclusion. There are no official records, of any such craft." Tami and I found it odd, as in strange, that Lysia was called away, to work on another project, right after she began work, on written ledgers, regarding maritime incidents. Personally, I had my doubts, about this angle, especially since the damage, caused to the pier, was, obviously, made, by a steel-hulled vessel. Aside from the ironclads, of the civil war, vessels were, still, being constructed, of wood, until World War One. Still, even Tami thought it odd that, just as Lysia was researching maritime records, that she was called away. And, granted, OUR main objective, was the house, and the black mass. Tami just found herself wishing that Lysia had remained, until THIS project was finished. While working with the restoration, ourselves, both Tami, and I, THOUGHT we saw a black mass, a few times, per viewer. Most of the time, however, "it" was gone, by the time we had a chance to react. When Tami had contacted the Brown Agency, about Lysia's "transfer", all the agency would report was "Word has reached this office..." Tami would inform me "I believe that it is the agency's point of view that, when ON DUTY, agents shall be focused on ASSIGNED duties, and NOT on "personal pleasures"." I would have argued that Lysia was making a REAL contribution, to the case, but Tami cautioned, against this. "If you try to defend her, our critics will, only, see an enamoured man, trying to aid his lady love. Best to let it rest". One day, during lunch period, Tami had a prolonged conversation, with a man, who seemed to know much of local history. He, also, seemed to know about some un-recorded shipping accidents. It was not, however, until a worker approached Tami, asking "Who are you talking to?" that Tami looked at the man, only to find the space nothing but air. Thankfully, Tami had her recorder on. Later, at Ghost Ship Two, when Tami played back the recording, sure enough the mans voice was on the recorder. Tami, also, found something in the background, of the recording. While Tami knew that other workers were on the job, while she took her break, the sounds did not seem so much the sounds of tools. Unless Tami was mistaken, the sounds were more like children, playing. She knew what I would say, about this. "Ofcourse, there will be sounds, of children, playing. After all, old homes had provided shelter, for MANY a young family." When the Brown Agency sent a "Request for Information", asking "Why has the investigation slowed down?" Tami would reply "Because Lysia was re-assigned. SHE was the primary investigator, and a real bonus, in my research work. Now that I am working, ALONE, research takes longer." When the Brown Agency would ask "WHERE is that "partner" of yours?" Tami would respond "He is WORKING, just as I am. Will report daily progress, in regular report." For the next three weeks, Tami and I ignored the stories, of "fog-ships", and focused on our black mass. That is, until one evening, when we were invited to a seafood restaurant, for dinner. The sky was clear. The stars were bright. The night was warm. The seafood was delicious. Then, as if either out-of-nowhere, or from some horror movie, a thick fog rolled in, and, in a matter of minutes, not only did the waters, of the bay, vanish, into the "soup", but so did the end of the pier. In fact, as the fog rolled in, thick, water-front businesses sounded classic, ships, bells. This, as personnel rushed to close up shop. Our restaurant had asked Tami and I to return, inside the business, but Tami and I wanted to know WHY people were afraid, of some moisture. We had to be careful, in FEELING our way, along the pier, as visibility was down to inches. No way did we want to "take a swim", in this "pea-soup". I really dont know how far along the dock we were, when something, like a search light beam, shown through the fog. Nothing menacing, probably just searching for any stranded craft, which had not made anchor, before the fog appearred. Then, out of the fog, came the outline of some sort of freighter. Definitely more modern, by the shapes, of the bridge. This was NO wind-powered ship. It was, definitely, either steam, or diesel. It was as the shape grew more defined that we realized the ship was headed for the pier. As it closed, it grew larger and larger. While Tami and I were ready, and willing, to use ANY of the items, in Mr. Backs "bag of tricks", to identify the vessel, all that we could see, through the fog, was a dark hull, topped with a light paint. (Only a few million, such, craft, in the world). Tami and I watched the ship tear into the pier, and groan, as its hull gouged the bottom of the bay. This was an ocean-going ship, not an in-land vessel. As the ships hull tore into the pier, and the beach, Tami and I heard a male voice call "All back, full!". This would be followed, moments later, by "Report all damage", and "What did we hit?" Maybe five minutes later, the fog retreated, and a whistle was heard, from on-land. Tami would ask me "An ALL-CLEAR signal?" As Tami and I continued our investigation, of the black mass, Lysia would contact us, via e-mail. It would seem that her "punishment", for our personal activities, was to be assigned, to several cases, which a first grader could figure out. Since Lysia was growing bored, with her assignment, she kept in touch, with us, via the internet, sharing any information, which she had discovered. While Tami and I had been pondering HOW a fog, on a local waterway, could be connected to our subject property, Lysia had continued her own investigation. An investigation which lead to the conclusion, that the two hautings were UN-related. Not surprisingly, when the Brown Agency learned that the three of us, remained in close contact, Mr. Brown, and I reached a compromise. The terms were clear. The MISSION was to take priority. That, and I was NOT to impregnate Lysia. (My own time was my own, but nothing was to "happen", aboard G.S.2) I found signing the agreement to be the easiest thing I had, ever, done. After all, the stated goals had been our goals, all along. When Lysia returned, to G.S.2, she said she found it funny that her version, of the agreement stated that she was NOT to become pregnant, ON-BOARD the plane. Out of respect, for Tami's feelings, Lysia and I had NEVER. Especially NOT on-board. No, if we did, it was away from the plane. Soon, the women were working the computers, like the worlds greatest hackers, and, sometimes, coming up with some whacky ideas. As Tami and I, KNEW, from EXPERIENCE, sometimes, the best solutions came from the whackiest idea's. While the women re-traced every inch, of the homes past, ruling out everything which could be explained, one way, or the other, and Tami, eventually, declared "That place is so "squeeky clean", it makes my mothers home seem "dirty", by comparison." This is when Lysia would ask "I wonder if we are looking in the wrong place?" When Tami would ask "Where would you suggest we look?" Lysia would say "We have gone over everyone, and every-THING, about THIS house, since it was built, until the present." When Tami agreed, Lysia suggested "What about what was here, BEFORE this house?" Tami lit up as she said "You are suggesting a protective haunting?" Lysia would say "I am suggesting that either some spirit, from the past, is not happy, with either the current home, or the restoration team, or that the spirit is not happy, that this home was built, on THEIR land." Tami knew what this meant. BACK to the church archives. Yes, the records, stored in the basement, of convents. A "filing system", which preceeded any government system, by millenia. Tami just wondered if Mother Superior (the living woman), had kept her promise, and placed the volumes in chronological order. When Tami had suggested this idea, it seems that, prior to OUR using the archives, that volumes were brought to the "crypt", then just placed where there was room. When Tami had suggested listing the volumes, by century, Mother Superior would go another step, and suggest labelling, by location. When the ladies approached the convent, Tami needed no introduction. The sisters knew her as well as they knew the pope. Lysia was allowed entry, under Tami's supervision. When Mother Superior welcomed Tami back, the nun would say "I think you will be impressed with our progress." When the women entered the records vault, Tami was stunned, speechless, when she saw that, not only were the volumes "coded", not just by century, but by geographical location, as well. Sure the crypt would, never, win a "five-star" rating, for good housekeeping, but the sisters had done an excellent job, of placing history in order. As Mother Superior would note, to Tami "You were correct, child. The sisters, and the church, spent so much time, just trying to locate information, that this is why even an hours worth of research, sometimes, took days, just to find the notes." Mother Superior would say "Now, with your suggestion, we can find what we need, in minutes, instead of days." For the church, this was GREAT news. For Tami, and Lysia, however, it only provided a starting point. The women, also, had to remember that, in history volumes, what was recorded was not, always, facts. Sometimes, it was "Gods own Truth" (or, Artistic License, as Tami called it). The GOOD news, for my ladies, was that the church had place all five, of the volumes, on the homes general area, on the SAME shelf. This meant that, instead of hours, spent just serching for the materials, the ladies could spend their time actually researching the materials. This, however, prompted another problem. One which, on seperate dates, and in various, locations, had slowed research to a crawl. Since none, of the three of us, spoke, or read, any language, other than English, we were required to ask the sisters for translations. This time was no different. When Mother Superior viewed the pages, in question, she would tell the ladies "My French is not so good. Let me find a sister, to aid you." Tami and Lysia, had been expecting this, since all three of us expected that the house was built by immigrants, in the days when the only "true" Americans were the indian tribes. While a single visit was all, to the convent, was all that was required, this time, to acquire the needed information, the real problem was with the property, itself. Some man, with a long, dark, beard, continually materialized, on the site, barking, at Tami, Lysia, and any, other, females, working on the site "This is MANS work! Women got no place working with these tools." When Tami would ask the man "WHY? Dont you think that women are capable?" The man would, only, say "There are just some jobs only men should do. You females should stick to what you are better at. Raising babies, and keeping your man happy". Now, while most, modern, women, wouild have been offended by the mans suggestions, Tami and Lysia went the exact opposite way. They asked questions, and "pumped" the man, for as much information, as they could. (Before he vanished). In Tami's, daily, report, she would state "Atleast one spirit, on the property, has been indentified. His name is Dirk, and he was employed, doing construction work, in the mid-1800's. It seems that Dirk has the "typical" mind-set, of an 1800's era male. Namely, women are only good for keeping house, and raising children. Dirk HAS offered to abandon the property, on the condition that only MEN be employed to do this work. Dirk considers women "just too danty", for such work." When Mr. Brown would ask "Doesn't he understand that such views are sexist, and even illegal?" Tami would remind the boss "Sir, you must remember that this man lived decades before the 19th amendment was passed. He does not understand sexism, or even racism." When Mr. Brown would ask "Suggestions?" Tami would suggest "Once we have identified the rest of those, at the site, I reccommend a conference. Negotiate a deal, and send them, ALL, on their way". It was just a few days later, when Tami would ask the project supervisor to thank a woman, named Alice, for taking such care of the workers. Alice seemed to know exactly when, and what, workers needed. Food, drink or massage. Alice was ready to be of service. When the supervisor would say "Sorry, ma'am, no one, on this site, by that name." When Tami checked the internet files, on the area, she found out why no one knew Alice. The woman had been a devoted wife, and home-maker, 160 years ago. Then, there were the two men, in the coveralls. The men who, when some supplies fell on the workers, the men had come forth, and the crew thought that the men were site supervisors, the way they took control, moved the materials, and recued the workers, with only minor injuries. Dont ask me how, but, once the workers were rescued, and were being tended, when the crew turned, to thank the men, for the excellent job, we found that the men had "vanished", just as quickly as they had appearred. Later, still, a supervisor had a fifteen minute argument, with a man, who insisted that an area was dangerous, and that something was not, properly, supported. The supervisor had the man escorted, from the property, by security. Just as the security men were escorting the visitor, to the property line, there was a thunderous crash and, in the time it took the guards, to look back, at the project, see the damage, then look back, at their charge, they found only empty air before them. When the supervisor insisted that they had no knowledge, that the area was un-safe, several workers came forward to remind the supervisor that the man HAD tried to warn him. When the guards returned to the scene, asking if anyone had seen the man, they were to escort, from the property, no one admitted to seeing the man, since the guards led him away. On yet another occassion, a woman came to provide the most wonderful, home-baked, cookies, any of us had, ever, tasted. Talk about style, as well. The decoration, of the cookies, was masterful. It was not until the woman left us three plates, of cookies, then departed, and a supervisor asked what we were doing with the snacks, the supervisor shook their head, when workers mentioned the lovely woman. Back, at G.S.2, a simple name, check, revealled that what the site-controller had told us, in private, after the cookies "incident", was correct. The woman, who had provided the cookies, was the wife of the second, to last, owner, of the house. While she was a true "artiste", with her baking skills, she had put aside her ambitions, and taken a womans "proper" roll, for her day. Even in the early 1900's, women, simply, did NOT have careers. Only homes, and families. When Tami tried to conceive of how restrictive life was, for women, just a century ago, I had to remind my partner that life was little better, for men. Atleast until 1910, or 1920, employers could, actually, DICTATE how men spent off-duty hours. While married men could have an after-work drink, and card, and board, games, single men were required to be sober, polite, and to practice "proper courting procedures", during off-duty hours. Some employers even regulated workers bedtime, and what religion workers either could, or were required, to belong. And, above all else, courting couples were chaperoned, regardless of age. Pre-marital sex was considered as much a blasphemy, in that time period, as a modern couple would be considered, if they had sex, in church, on sunday, on the altar. When Tami would ask "How could people live, and work, under such conditions?" I would suggest "Generations of conditioning. Just becomes habit." When a most polite, young, woman, with a beautiful, southern, accent, came to the site, asking for a gentleman, it was easy to inform her "Sorry, dear lady, but there is NO Victor on this project." Tami was, no-sooner, speculating "She must be one of the roving characters, trying her act out, on us" when, just a moment later, another worker would ask "Did you see that?!" When Tami turned, asking "See what?" The worker would say "That pretty woman just "vanished, into thin air"." In Tami's, daily, report, to Mr. Brown, she would report "This property has MORE than a haunted past. It is more like a "ghost motel". The worst part is, we dont seem to be able to tell the living, from the dead, until we search personnel files. This is, definitely, NO residual haunting. These people KNOW humans are present, and some, of the spirits, are downright helpful. That, and courteous. I just wish we could find out WHY they are present." When Mr. Brown would suggest "So, you dont think that they are "protective?". Tami would report "There HAS to be more to this. I can feel that there is a story, here. I just need to find out how to communicate, with the spirits." While the black mass seemed to be "keeping its distance" from the crew, Tami and I asked a favor, of the crew. A favor, normally NOT part of a restoration crews job. Tami handed out some digital recorders, asking each worker to carry one, on their person. When the workers asked "What for?" Tami would say "This way, if someone, especially someone you do not know, tries to converse, with you, about history. You wont have to take notes. You, simply, turn on the recorder, and record the conversation." When a worker would ask "What good will that do? We are just here to fix up the place. The ghosts are your concern". A co-worker would say "Dont you get it? We turn in the recorders, and they figure out who the spooks are." Tami would add "Once we know who they are, we can send them where they belong, and you can finish your work." While Tami's plan DID work, there were a few "minor" complications. One of these was when workers deecided to have sex, on the job-site. One of them must have forgotten to set aside their recorder, since, at the start of the passion, their actions switched the unit on. Thanks to G.S.2's computers, though, once we heard the sounds, of passion, Tami programmed the machine, to block out designated voices, and leave only the other sounds. The couple must have, really, been "going at it", since the computer picked up a "For shame", and an "In broad daylight". Thanks to the computers voice-profiler, it would be only half an hour, before the computer listed "Voices Unknown". While Tami was pondering this, Lysia reminded us "I told you. Acts, of PASSION, bring the spirits forth, with more potency." then she added "I would bet that, if he (me) and I were to step into the house, remove our clothes, and just snuggle, we would receive a reaction." When Tami asked "Why not step inside the house, and just kiss?" Lysia would say "Remember, this house reacts to acts of PASSION. I doubt a simple kiss, or even a whispered "I love you", would bring the spirits forth". While I understood that Lysia had a point, based upon real research, I, also, knew that Tami was thinking as a professional would think. Start small, and build. When I explained this, to Lysia, I laughed, when Lysia asked "What makes your partner more of an "expert", than me?" I would support Tami, by saying "Maybe one hundred cases, of handling spirits, including communication, and negotiating between the living and the dead". When Lysia would ask "You have handled a hundred locations?" Tami would correct her, saying "Maybe fifity locations, but about one hundred souls". This is when I would add "We will begin with Tami's plan. Start slow, and work up." When Lysia would ask "What happens if "slow" does not work, and the spirits get annoyed, and leave?" I would suggest "Then, we move on". In preparation, for the evenings activities, after the crew left the job site, I would have preferred to wear my coveralls, but Tami had me change into shorts, and a tank top. Like she said "The idea is to DRAW OUT the spirits." When Lysia came forth, in a G-string bikini, Tami would say "WAY over the top. We need to tone it down." Still, Lysia reminded Tami that the spirits, in this house, react to passion. Tami, however, would have Lysia change into shorts, and a halter. When Lysia would say "Not very sexy". Tami would remind Lysia "We are trying to draw the spirits out, not infuriate them". As Lysia and I prepared to enter the house, I would ask Tami, over the comms "Which room would you suggest that we start in?" Tami would consult the floor plans, then say "Why not try the Sitting Room." When I would agree, then ask "Which room is it?", Tami would say "Just ahead, on your left." Inside the Sitting Room, when Lysia found a couch, and went to get comfortable, Tami would suggest "The Love-Seat would be a better choice". Tami and I, both, suppressed a chuckle, as Lysia said "Party-pooper". Lysia was correct, about one thing. A simple embrace, a kiss, even soft words, barely, elicited a response, from this house. When Lysia would suggest that I carress her breast, while french-kissing her "Tami would say "Worth a try. Nothing to lose". It was not until my actions brought forth moans, of both joy, and passion, from Lysia, that the house reacted. Boy! Did it react. Furniture, books, lamps. The whole place seemed to "come alive". This is when I would call, to Tami "Round One, in action. Ready for Round Two". A few minutes after I THINK I heard Tami say "Roger that", that my partner entered the house. Once Tami entered, the house seemed to quiet down, for a moment. This is when Tami suggested that Lysia and I return to our actions. Maybe that would bring the spirits out to "play". When Lysia said "No way!", in a frightened voice, I realized that Lysia was much better, at research, than at actual interraction. This is when I asked my partner "Are you game?" Tami would say "We were sent here, to do a job. Mr. Brown expects results". When I joined Tami, in the hallway, I did not know it but Lysia watched, in annoyance, as Tami and I engaged in a DEEP kiss, and tender carress. Well, if we thought that my kissing Lysia would spark a response, we were in for "You aint seen nothin yet", when Tami and I shared a tender moment. The more fuss the spirits made, the deeper that we took the moment. Tami and I did not subside our actions, until a proper, female, voice would ask "Do you mind. This happens to be a family home." When Tami and I ceased our french-kiss, and Tami asked the woman "Are you ready to speak to us, now?" When the woman, dressed in a full, Victorian, dress, would say "Really". and Tami took that as a "No", we resumed kissing, atleast until the lady would say "Let us take this into the parlor. That is the only decent course of action, to be taken". When Tami broke, from our kiss, she had a smile, on her face, which put Lysia's smile to shame. In order to "provoke" more, of the spirits, into coming forth, in the parlor, Tami made a point of snuggling up, to me. (She also made a point of activating BOTH of our recorders.) Lysia was proven correct, about one thing. This house was NOT the first, built on this location. A minister would come forth, saying "I remember the days, when a chapel sat on these grounds. And not just any chapel. A chapel, which was ornamented in gold, and silver. Those were the days. You know that the crew, who built the chapel, constructed the building to amplify my voice." When Tami asked "May I inquire what became of the chapel?" The minister would say "We were divested, from the holy church, after an "inspector" saw the gold, and silver, and said we were withholding, from the church. We weren't. I swear. All of the metal was donated." When Tami would ask "What did the inspector do?" The minister would say "He called upon the loyal daughters, and sons, of Christ, to rip the gold and silver out of the building, and send it to the holy church. Once the church was stripped, he gave the command "In the name of the Lord, our God, I command those, present, to burn this sacriledge, to the ground". When Tami would whisper "Oh, my God. You were not inside the church, were you?" The ministers silence "spoke" volumes. As did his comment of "This was all I had. May God forgive me." After the minister came an interracial couple, who told us "My husbands, ivory, family, disowned him, completely, once they found he was making a life, with an ebony woman." Her husband would say "We wanted to make our own lives. We even moved away, from the village, to avoid racial tension. All we wanted was to be happy". When Tami asked "What happened?" The husband would say "I guess that we did not move far enough, away. A group came by, one night, while we slept, and burned the house down. By the time the fire was dying down, I dont know how, but I saw one of the fire-setters making the sign of the cross, then say "Let God's justice be done". Then, our hostess would say "The woman, who served you those cookies" When Tami would ask "What about her?" Our hostess would say "She was condemned since, on a single occassion, when her husband was away, for a few years, on a land-purchasing trip, she accepted another mans company. While she did her best, over the remainder of her life, to attone for the sin, the community never forgave her". When Tami would question "If her husband was away, for years, what did people expect the woman to do? Become a nun?" Our hostess would say "You do not understand our ways, anymore than we understand yours. In our world, couples took the words "Forsaking all others, keep thee only unto thy mate" most seriously." When Tami would ask "Just how LONG was the husband away? A year? Two years?" Our hostess would say "More like ten years." When Tami got excited, asking "Ten YEARS? What did people expect, of the woman?" Our hostess would say "He DID write. Atleast once per month. Oh, and dont worry. The wife did not bear a child, by her lover. She may not have been faithful, but she was proper." When the phantom crew-men, who aided with on-site accidents, appearred, as well as the man, who had argued, with the site-supervisor, Tami would learn that, in life, the men had done their best, to look after the wife, even after she took another man, as a lover. The men did her home repairs, and accepted meals, in return for their labor. When Tami asked our hostess "What happened to you, and your family?" A tall, broad-shouldered, solid, man appearred, at the womans side, and she told us "This is my husband. We had many, happy, years, in this house. Raised our children, and cared for our grand-children. So many happy, and joyous years. We love this place." Her husband would say "A-Men!" When Tami would ask "Do you not wish others to share in your joy, and happiness?" When the hostess would ask "Whatever do you mean?" Tami would suggest "If you let the crews finish restoring your home, then others might visit, and share in your joy". While the husband seemed un-certain, the wife would say "Please, pardon my impertinence, but I hope you are not refering to those im-polite brutes, which have been coming around, in recent years." When Tami would ask "That bad?" The woman would say "Such language, and from children, yet. Where have proper manners gone?" When Tami would suggest "A new world?", the wife would say "I prefer the old one. Maybe life was strict, but people had good manners. Children were behaved. Everyonne knew their place". The husband was nodding, in full agreement, with his wife. When Tami would ask "If you had a message, or a deal, with the local community, what would you like your neighbors to know?" The husband would say "We want our home RESPECTED. The only permission, for what you call "trash-talk", shall be for injuries. The times when I, myself, used im-polite language. If those children, from town, want to visit our property, they must learn RESPECT. This is NOT a brothel. We raised our family, right." When Tami would ask "Are you aware of any additional souls, which reside on this property?" The wife would say "Only travellers. People seeking a place, to rest, for a day, or two. Most of the spirits, within these walls, are what you call "transient". They move on." When Tami would ask "The black mass?" The husband would admit "My fault, I fear. I only wanted it to drive away those shameful children. I set it loose, when profanity exceeds what my beloved wife can stand." When Tami would ask "And, the workers?" The husband would say "Same thing. "trash talk". I was just hoping to draw someone, like you. Someone with whom my wife and I could make our complaints known. We do not mind the living, as long as they dont mess up the place. We just dont want our family to have to listen to such filthy language." The husband would, then, ask Tami "Miss, is that really too much to ask?" Tami had no answer. Shoot, neither did I. When Tami took the family's offer before the towns-people, it seems that the isssue "ripped" the town into different sections. One section, primarily comprised of the elderly, whom, from conversations, Tami knew were more in favor of the old days, and proper use of language. Then there was the other group. These were the people who insisted that they had the right to say, or do, anything, that they wanted to. I wont include their actual language, here, but I will say that the general concept was "We earned the right to talk however we want, and to do whatever we want. The law says so. No spooks gonna make us "bow down". When the construction contractors agreed that it might be a refreshing change, to hear regular words, used on the job-site, and less vulgarity, a few workers would announce their resignation, saying "Nobody gonna tell me HOW to talk". Tami would spend the next week, moderating the discussion, between the two sides. What she would report, to the Brown Agency, was "It will seem odd, however, I am noticing more people coming to support the family's side. Maybe I am just imagining it, but, those who insist they have "rights" are falling into the minority." (It should, also, be noted that, once Tami began her communications, with the spirits, from this house, Lysia packed her bags, and took a flight out. Lysia expressed her doubts, that the spooks would abide by any agreement.) And why should they? After all, mortal law was useless, against them. This is why Tami ended up moderating the agreement, even as a spirit came to me, saying "That is some woman you have, there." When I thanked the spirit, the spirit would ask "When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?" I would tell the spirit "I am not her type. She would be much happier with Conan the Barbarian". The spirit cheated me out, of a response, as they no-sooner asked "Are you sure?", then they dissolved. This is when I remembered how often the spirit world enjoyed tampering in human affairs. When the negotiations came to a point, where some, of the protesters would converse, with Tami, asking "What should I do. We fought, so long, and hard, for freedom of speech. Now, we are being told to give away that freedom". When Tami would ask "What is it that you are giving away?" the protesters would say "I guess, the ability to act as we want to?" When Tami would ask each protester "You mean that you WANT to talk like trash?" Each protester would seem lost, in thought, even as Tami would point out "You know, WE are having a discussion, and we dont need trash talk, to do this, do we". By the end of the month, Tami would be relieved to see that most of the protesters would be discussing things, with their "rivals". Less than a handful, of protesters, remained adamant that they had "rights". To cap the deal, some relatives, of the protesters, would appear, asking protesters "If you want to live your life, your way, why not move to a place, where there are people, like you?" When the protesters remained firm, saying "We have as much right, here, as anyone". The relatives would correct them, saying "You have the right to live your life. You are not required to live here". For reasons, which few people could understand, the last, of the protesters not only packed up, to move out, but what no one could understand was WHY did they burn their residences down? As for the home renovation, the contractors signed the same agreement, that workers signed. Everyone, involved, with the project, agreed. The use of foul/vulgar language would be limited to stressful moments. When Tami and I saw the spirits, of the home-owners, smiling, as work proceeded, and Tami saw the wifes bright smile, it was only then that she realized that she had snuggled up, to me. Tami, discreetly, moved a short distance away. (Was that dis-approval I saw, in the ghost wifes face, when Tami parted from me?) When it seemed that the black mass was no-longer being seen, Tami would file our report, with the Brown Agency. When Mr. Brown asked "Where did the last, of the protesters go?" Tami would say "It seems they did not want anyone to know. They left no forwarding address". The WAY Mr. Brown would say "Good work! Both of you." Tami and I knew what was coming. Even before Mr. Brown would say "I am forwarding a file to you. Our team, in a village, somewhere near Fallujah, are requesting a review. Something is happening, and they want your take, on the matter". When Tami would say "But, sir, Americans are about as "welcome", in the Middle East, as the K.K.K. would be welcome, at an NAACP meeting. They have hated us since Washington D.C. invaded their nation, in 2001." When Mr. Brown would ask "Would it help if I were to tell you that American Invasion Command is willing to guarantee your safety, should a case develop?" I would "intrude", responding "Sir, if you give us a direct order, then we must obey. Personally, I would rather wait until the invasion is over, and locals fury, at America, has died down." When Mr. Brown would ask "And WHEN would that be? Remember that Washington has declared that the invasions wont end until the last, of the anti-American resistence, has been CRUSHED into the ground. Who knows how many CENTURIES that may take". Tami and I agreed to just review the file. After all, WHO wants to live "forever"?

DEPARTURE FROM EARTH

The truth, regarding mans history, on Earth, would, only, be revealled, once the Earths resources were depleted, and man began preparations, to move among the stars. All in the hope of finding a new world, to call "home". Even as factories, the world over, went into full production, of survey, and colony, ships, designed to transport Earths people, to the stars, an un-expected, and un-believable, event, would occur. Even as supplies were transported, to Earth orbit, where workers were building the deep space craft, an alien spacecraft, whose very design was so far beyond mans understanding, that man could, barely, grasp the ships existance, the alien ship would land, at the European Space Agenies astronaut training center. Mankind would be in, for a terrible shock, when, on this day, as the alien ship was landing, its surface all gleeming, and shiny, Jet-propelled, ultra-light, aircraft, would come forth, from parts of the alien craft. The general public stood, in awe, of the small craft, and their pilots, dressed in shiny, white, uniforms. By the way, in which the ultra-lights wings fluttered, in the breeze, some people would suggest/speculate that this MIGHT be the source, of winged angel mythology. Once the ultra-lights had scanned a section, of ground, for the ship to land, even the media were left speechless, by the alien, which came forth, from the alien spacecraft. When a government official would step forward, asking "May I know your name?" The alien would say "You have many names, for me. Your race refers to me as everything from Alpha and Omega, to Allah, the Lord, and so on." When the alien was invited into a conference room, it must have known it was being studied since it informed the atttending scientists "You will find no listing, for my species, in your primitive databases." When the government official would ask "And, why is that?" The alien would say "Because my race prefers it that way. Your race, currently, refers to yourself as human, yet you remain primitive, to say the least". When a scientist would ask "What planet are you from?" The alien would say "A planet, which even your fastest ships will not reach, for millions of years." When the official would try another route, asking "Why have you come to visit us?" The alien would say "I have been dispatched, to inform your species of this notice, from the galaxy. As long as your race remains where we have planted you, no harm will come to your species". When a scientist would suggest "But, this planet is dying". The alien would say "The fault, for this, is NOT ours, nor is it of concern, to us. Our concern is that your species remain contained, to this part, of the galaxy". When another scientist would suggest "Why would you want to contain our race? There is nothing out there" The alien would laugh as it said "Then, neither I, my ship, nor my escorts, exist. Is that what you are suggesting, human?". The scientist had no answer for this. When the official would ask the alien "What is out there, for us to contaminate?" The alien would say "Truly intelligent life. Races, and societies, which have ABANDONED war, and its blood-shed. Races which seek only Peace, and Enlightenment". When another scientist would ask "If these races are out there, WHY do they not make contact, with us?" The alien would say "We have been monitoring this world, for longer than you can imagine. While we have dispatched teams, from time to time, to collect samples, we have done our very best to AVOID your savage race". When another person would insist "Now, wait a minute. You have no right to come here, and call us savages. WHERE is your proof, of our savagery?" The alien would "emit" dozens, of blobs, of light, each of which would form into a "t.v. screen", showing everything, from the blood-shed, in the Russian Republics, to America's own, never-ending, invasions, of the Middle East. This, as well as the violent, shooting spree's, inside Amerrica's own cities. When the government official would ask the alien "What is the purpose, of your caution? What I mean is WHY is man to remain within THIS solar system?" The alien would say "To make a very long story short, this planet, like Mars, was "seeded" with life, just as Venus, once was. I have brought you a copy, of your planets history. Not your official, Christian, history. Not Islamic history, nor Jewish history. And, yes, we have made certain that the text is in a form which your "super-computers" can handle." When the government official would ask "And what would you suggest that we do, with this information?" The alien would say "Share it with ALL of your species. This way, your people will understand the reason why you must be detained, in THIS solar system". The next, few, years would be the roughest, in Earth's history. Even as scientists gathered, to review the data, a frightening picture would begin to emerge. When the aliens primary, research, teams were dispatched, to survey this solar system, Venus, Mars, and Earth, were just developing atmospheres. When the aliens brought life, to Venus, it was easy to establish a colony. Fertile lands were abundant, for farming, and oceans held "limitless", clean, water for drinking. The race, which settled Venus, was brought from another, dying, planet. The hope, of the alien races, was that the transplanted race had learned, from its mistakes. Mistakes which left a planet suffocating, under a blanket of super-corrosive, sulfuric, acid. The surviving population had retreated beneath protective domes, until a solution could be found. When the race had been relocated, to Venus, however, despite a written agreement, to avoid the home worlds fate, it was only three generations before the colonists began "travelling the same road", which had left another planet, dead. While it would take many generations (As well as several warnings, from the alien race), eventually, the race turned Venus from an agricutural wonder land, into a place, polluted enough that NO race could survive. (The current Venus). Since the descendants, of the original colonists, had ignored the many warnings, over the centuries, when the aliens DID make contact, with the population wanting transport, to yet another planet, the alien race had said, in effect "You made your bed. NOW, lay in it". As Venus lay, dying, the aliens, fully, mapped the process, of destruction, of the atmosphere. When, out of desperation, the Venusian surface forces attempted to attack the aliens ships, in order to force the aliens, to allow recolonization, the alien ships simply turned the planetary defenses back, upon the outpost. As for the later, colonization, of Mars, the aliens gave the Martians a much better grade. Since the "Martians" had, already, developed space travel, on their home-world, their tech was just short of what humans would refer to as "Warp Drive", or even Hyper Drive. In regards to this race, all the aliens were required to do was "lead the way", to Mars. To the aliens pride, Mars developed an amazingly advanced, and peaceful, society. While the Martians would, eventually, develop warp drive, and send out their own, scouting missions, the alien race was just preparing to invite the Martians into the interstellar alliance, of space-faring species, when an event, which no one could have forseen, befell the Martians. In an almost impossible event, a star, in a nearby solar system, had exploded, and with such fury, that three, of its five planets, were hurtled out of orbit, and sent on a direct, collision, course, with Mars. In a matter of mere hours, Mars planetary conditions would change, as the debris, from the explosion, would shower the Martian surface, even as the survivors hurried underground, for safety. This, atleast until rescue ships could arrive. The record, however, indicated that there were, only, enough ships available, to transport 5% of the population. Besides, by the time the Martian fleet arrived, and was preparing to mount the rescue mission, all, surface, life signs were extinguished. When a scientist would ask "WHY didn't the aliens aid the evacuation?" The best guesses were either "The aliens were not informed, in time", or "The aliens just observed, as they did, with Venus." Now, Earth was the final "project", in this solar system. Over time, scientific, and support, crews, would be assigned to the wild, and wooly, planet. IF this alien record were correct, neither Atlantis, nor any, of the other, previous, high cultures, were "native" to Earth. Most consisted of just visiting teams, of researchers. It would seem that legends, like Atlantis, were born of stories, told by descendants of the original, research teams. Descendants of those who, after the Earth was surveyed, and recorded, decided to remain on the planet, under a long range plan, to learn if EARTH could be developed, peacefully. Over time, the research teams had "gone native", leaving behind their space-faring past, and settling in, to build villages, and farms. Over the passage of millenia, various races would visit Earth, for the collection of samples. When security patrols were sent forth, to secure the landing zones, for the visiting scientists, the "natives" would be in "awe" of the machines, which their ancestors had abandoned, to make a new life, on this planet. Over the passage, of time, and fire-side camp tales, the security teams uniforms would, eventually, transform, into the legends of beings, wearing white robes. The security personnels jet-packs would, in time, become referred to as "wings". Base ships, and escort craft, would, over time, evolve into "clouds of light". The aliens, who had "seeded" this world, would sit back, observe, and report on the planet, as various civilizations rose and fell. Civilizations, such as Atlantis, would visit Earth, stay, for a few centuries, then move on. The aliens documented the rise, and fall, of societies, whose names modern humans could not even pronounce. Of those, which humans could pronounce, such as Egypt, and Rome, were listed among the civilizations. Even according to the alien records, England was the oldest, standing, nation, even while the Roman-Catholics retained the title of the oldest, official, religion. Pagans, Wiccans, and others, came and went. Each creating their own religions. What had amazed the aliens, time and again, was how technology, so often blamed, for societies downfalls, was destroyed, over and over, yet, with each civilization, the tech was re-invented, as "brand new" and "new and improved". Civilization after civilization. It was the same story. The record seemed to indicate that the aliens DID, at some point, have hope, for Earths future. First, in the founding, of the United States, then in the Soviet Union. The aliens HAD HOPED, that atleast one, of these nations, would restore Earth, to her former beauty. Now, with planetary resources being depleted, at an alarming rate, however, the aliens were, now, leaving Earth with a dire warning. "Due to our passion, for killing one another, man would NOT be allowed to leave this solar system. Your passion, for spilling blood would be contained "By any means necessary"." Mankind was to be forbidden from bringing our brutal, and barbaric, ways, out into the peaceful regions of the galaxy. If the aliens would find it necessary, the races were prepared to blockaid our solar system. (This included a caution that, out-bound, colony, ships, would be disabled.) In order to determine if the alien data were fact, or fiction, the U.S. government, in agreement with European nations, would decide to send more than the originally proposed, un-manned, probe, to Mars. Still, with planetary resources being used up, at "alarming" rates, the general public maintained cautious support, for the proposed Mars, mission. The general publics main concern was over the question of what the governments would do, IF the mission DID find ruins, on Mars. Would the governments be honest, with Earths people? When a survey team would be dispatched, to Mars, using the newly-perfected, light speed, engine, it would take the craft less than a week, to reach the Red Planet. Once on location, the crew would use another technological wonder. A newly-perfected design, for hovercraft. This, the team would use, to sweep across the Martian surface, following NOT the paths, of the robots, sent previously, but, instead, following the alien "records". In order to search some of the locations, which appearred to be nothing more than lumps, of red soil, even to orbiting satellites, the hovercraft would use its engine, exhaust, vents, to blow away layers of soil. In some places, however, the team found little more than what appearred to be pottery. It would not be until the team would reach the site, referred to, on Earth, as Cydonia, that even Earth would take notice. Even to the astronauts, Cydonia appearred more as a city, or, atleast, a university, more than just a clump of red soil. Studying the aliens records, the team would find long-buried entrances, some of which retained very faint power indications. When one scientist would ask "HOW? After millions of years?" When the team found an entrance panel, and entered the Martian complex, the humans soon wished they hadn't come inside. While the Martians had not used human English, the scientists could see the very latest generation, of computer equipment, all around them. When a data burst was sent to Earth, for de-coding, the answer the team expected was about what they received, in reply. While one scientist had suggested "booting up" Life Support, first, another scientist argued that Engineering should be the first priorty. When the Life Support scientist would insist that oxygen tanks do NOT contain un-limited air supplies, the Engineering scientist would insist "If these beings had life support, the system needed energy, to operate". When the female, team, commander, would order the men to "Shut up!", then wiped off what appearred to be the engineering station, the commander was surprised to find a finger-print analyzer in operation. She placed her gloved hand on the panel. In a feat, which left the team speechless, a blue glow surrounded the glove, which appearred to become transparent. When Life Scienes scanned the commanders suit, the computer screen verified that "Pressure was normal". As the blue glow surrounded the commanders hand, a wall panel lit up, with the commanders palm print, then presented a message (In Martian, ofcourse). When the commander asked her team "WHAT does it say?" The team linguist would say "I THINK it says "start up", or "re-boot"." When the commander would say "You THINK it says?" The linguist would say "Alien language. Best guess is all I can do". After the commander would order "Everyone, keep helmets in place, and prepare to RUN, like Hell, if this is wrong". She, then, touched the computer screen with one hand. Without any sound, at all, the place seemed to "come to life". When a breeze seemed to flow, the commander would ask her team "Did you feel that?" The Life Science team member would say "I dont know how, but this place has an oxygen atmosphere". As the team looked about, for a rational explanation, their members dusted off panels, finding monitors, such as one, which stated that Life Support was operating at 25% of normal. When an astronaut would ask "After millions of years? HOW is this system operating, at all?" The team commander would, only, say "For the people to build this place, I doubt very much is impossible". The commander then ask her team "Find me the Communications Station". When a scientist would respond "You must be joking". The commander would inform the cynic "You outside. Find the transceiver". When the cynic asked "And, WHAT would that look like?" The commander would say "Try looking for something similar to what we would use". To the cynics annoyance, they would find the radio equipment, BEFORE those, inside the complex, found the communications equipment. As with any of the worlds best astronauts, being a fan, of science fiction, the commander just could not pass up a chance, when she saw that she could re-aim, what she THOUGHT was the transceiver targetting array, at Earth (After logging its original position, in detail, ofcourse). The commander, like almost all fans, of science fiction, wondered what it would be like to mutter some of the most famous words, in the history, of science fiction. She just doubted that anyone would be listening, on the Martian frequencies. Still, she had wondered what it would be like, to stand on an alien world, and say the words. What shocked the commander was when, maybe an hour after the Engineer went off, to find the power source, for this place, she noticed that dusty light covers began to glow. When the commander went to a panel, and dusted off centuries, of accumulated dirt, she found that the panel panel still retained the ability to emit 100 watts of light. Switching off her helmet lights, she found that other panels were glowing, as well. She, then, proceeded to each panel, dusting each off, until the room was as brightly illuminated as any work-space, on Earth. When the commander tried calling the Engineer, to congratulate him, on his work, it would seem that the man was too deep, inside the planet, for her signal to reach. When the woman pressed what she THOUGHT was an intercom switch, calling "Kirk to Enterprise, your signal is breaking up. Repeat, your signal is breaking up". The woman was left speehless, when a voice, which she recognized, but not from Mars, responded "Enterprise, Spock here. Signal is loud and clear. When did you return to your ship? You were not due to report in, for hours". The team commander would report "We are NOT on-board the ship. We have discovered some sort of complex, within Cydonia. More precisely, what appears to be a control room". When the authority would ask "HOW did you rig the relay, from the ship?" The commander would say "We found the communications station. I thought it was an intercom. I was trying to thank my engineer, for booting up the power." The authority would suggest "Next time, be more cautious. This is not a game, and we have no idea who may be listening". The commander thought "No kidding. We are millions of miles from Earth, on a deserted planet, looking for evidence, of habitation. Despite all of this, I seem to be speaking to Mission Control, like I am just across the street." Right about the time that the crews primary, oxygen, tanks were giving the "switch over" warning, a panel, in a nearby console, slid aside, and what appearred to be a scuba tank refill station, slid out, from the wall. When the commander asked "Are they serious?" The Life Science member, of the team, would suggest "What harm could it be, in trying it?" When the commander reminded them "Be Careful. Rremember, you only have two, reserve, tanks". The Life Science member would say "Dont worry. IF I smell anything, I will switch, to Earth air, at once". With the commanders permission, the engineer removed the Life Science members empty, oxygen, tank, then the Life Science member placed the empty tank on the refill rack. The team was just surprised at how similar this device was, to Earths own devices. Once the tank was attached, to the station, an indicator came to life, showing the status of the refill. The only problem was that, while the crew could read the "fill" marker, none had any idea of what the Martian symbols meant. When the refilled tank automatically dis-engaged, from the station, and the Life Science member hooked the tank to an extension fitting, switching his air supply, the man began to gasp, grab his face plate, and fall to the floor. Even as the commander was saying "Switch him over, to Earth air, right NOW!", the Life Science member would laugh as he said "Sorry, commander. After your "Kirk to Enterprise" call, I just couldn't resist". In the background, the team heard a voice, from earth, saying "Of all the specialists, available, the world over, we ended up with the Three Stooges". When the team commander would ask Life Sciences "Whats the air REALLY like?", even as the commander, and the engineer aided Life Science, in standing up. Life Science would take a deep breath, and report "If I didn't know better, I would say that this air came from a forest, or national park. Clean, crisp, and woodsy". By this time, the Life Support station seemed to be blinking that the atmosphere was at just under 50%, and, presumably, rising. When Life Science would ask the team commander "Permission to search for Life Support main control? Maybe see what I can do?" The commander would say "Remember. NO more shenanigans. We are in enough trouble, with Earth, as it is". The engineer then tested the control surfaces, until he was certain that he had found the Communications stations on-off button. Just to be sure, though, the engineer made a comment which, back on Earth, would have cost him thirty days in jail. Once the team was certain that they were "alone", they made the best effort at locating, and identifying, as many areas as humans could recognize. When the engineer felt certain that he had found the "medical bay", the commander cautioned "Remember Abu-Ghraib, and Guantanimo Bay, Cuba? This COULD be a torture chamber, for all we know". The cafeteria, however, was easy to identify, especially by the LONG tables. That, and the "vending machines". Too bad everything was listed in Martian. No way for the team to tell what they might be ordering. While investigating the complex, the team noticed that the lights seemed to follow the teams movements. Lights, just ahead, seemed to activate, automatically, at the teams approach, while lights, behind the team, seemed to switch off. Soon, the team noticed that monitors, both inside their suits, and on wall panels, seemed to report that Life Support had, finally, reached full power. When the commander asked "HOW?" Life Science would radio "I have found the equipment, and cleared it off. Man, though. I thought we had some advanced systems, on Earth. Compared to these people, though..." By the time the team had consumed the last, of the rations, from the hovercraft, then reported back, to the ship, the report, to Earth, had been concise: "Found everything the alien records said we would find. All fairly close to the command center, as well. No idea how LARGE this place is. I estimate that we have explored, maybe, 10%, before hovercraft food supply exhausted. Returning to Earth". Two weeks later, the de-briefing seemed to take three times as long as the entire expedition had. This, thanks to some un-indentified interrogators, who badgered the team, to re-confirm details, dozens of times over. When the commander, finally, asked an interrogator "What is it you WANT to hear? What do you WANT me to say?" When the interrogator would ask "Weapons?" The commander would say "Never saw an armory, IF there is one". When the interrogator pressed "WEAPONS!" The commander would say "We never saw any". When the interrogator would growl "WEAPONS!!", The commander would state "We never saw any". The commander would state "Report whatever you want". When the commander stood, to leave, the interrogator would block her way, saying "You are not going anywhere until you tell me what kinds of weapons you found, on that planet. We need to know how to defend this nation, against attacks." When the commander would ask "How is a dead planet going to attack Earth?" The interrogator would say "Maybe not so dead, as your reports indicated." The commander would say "May I remind you that we found the systems set, on "Automatic". When the interrogator would ask "Then, tell me WHO set the machines, on Automatic. And WHEN." The commander would say "How should I know WHO, or WHEN". When the un-identified interrogator said "you know, I THINK you are a traitor. You dont care if America survives the next attack, or not." The commander would say "Think what you want. We are done, here." Finally, as if dissolving, into thin air, the interrogators "vanished", and the flight crew returned to N.A.S.A., while reporting to the E.S.A., as well. The team could, only report "What we found verifies the contents, of the alien records. Personally, I would LOVE to return to Mars. This time, with more supplies". When asked "Do you think that the aliens WOULD PREVENT man, from leaving the solar system?" The commander would, only, say "The aliens haven't lied, so far. I dont see any reason for them to deceive us, about that". When the commander was asked "How would you recommend that we proceed". The commander would say "Send us back to Mars. This time, with THREE ships." When N.A.S.A. would ask "How will three crews aid the effort?" The commander would say "You dont understand. I dont mean three crews. I mean three SHIPS". When the officials looked upon the commander, in a questioning way, the commander would "spell it out". "I mean, send MY crew back to Mars, BUT, in command of two, additional, drone, supply, ships. This way, we can extend our surface time to six, even eight, months. This SHOULD give the crew plenty of exploration time." When a politician would come forth, with the obvious question "Do you have any idea how much money this would cost tax-payers?" The commanders only response was "What is the alternative?" When the politician would say "We send up enough of our nuclear missiles, to deter the alien fleet. That is, IF an alien fleet is waiting..." An E.S.A. spokesman would say "You are speaking of provoking interplanetary war? A war, which we are, simply, not equipped, to fight." The politician would say "Atleast the aliens would understand that WE mean BUSINESS". A scientist would suggest "And, with their alien technologies, what would happen if they turned our own missiles right back on us?" The politician would say "Atleast we would go down, FIGHTING". Around the room, people, of intellect, rubbed and scratched, heads, at such a suicidal idea. After the meeting, the intelligent people would agree that the commander was correct. We needed to return to Mars, and learn, for ourselves, the fate of the planets inhabitants. Cydonia had proved that intelligent life HAD existed, on Mars, at one point. The commanders request was NOT un-reasonable. While world leaders debated on HOW to handle a "Return to Mars" project, the commander, and her team, would be learning how to operate the very latest design, in human-built spacecraft. A new engine, which would make the trip last only three days. A design, right out of science fiction. The crew was being trained, on this new design, even as, in Washington D.C., radicals were insisting that America just could NOT AFFORD to return to Mars. America's main priority HAD to remain "Cutting taxes, on the rich". While this squabbling went on, the owner, of a software design firm, was working to make his place, in history. This, by financing the fleet, which would lead the way to Mars. The software firm had committed itself, and its future, to the idea that, any tech, found on Mars, would become the property of the software firm. What concerned the commander, and her crew, was the fact that the financier could only see the potential dollar signs. The software designer just could not understand that it was LIFE, and CIVILIZATION, which man was returning to Mars, for. On the day, when the European Space Agency approved the ships, for launch, the commanders main concern was that the ship, carrying the team members, was only 20% of the size, of the supply ships. When the ships went into "launch mode", every science, and science fiction, venue, on the planet, was on hand. This, even as the saucer-shaped space-craft departed Earth. While N.A.S.A. had the team commander sign a written statement, which stated "The flight commander promises that no "Star Trek" references will be made, by said flight commander, either during flight, or upon arrival, on Mars. Penalty will be six months suspension, without pay, upon return to earth." Since the flight commander had no such intentions, the contract was easy to sign. (Command simply forgot to tell the rest of the crew, as well.) While the three ships would reach Mars, in record time, the commander was required to bring each ship in, manually. Reason: For some reason, the computer programmers had programmed the ships to land at an Earth-style airfield. When the on-board computers could find no such airports, the ships had gone into "search mode", and began flying away from Cydonia. That is, until the commander used "manual override" to return the ships to Cydonia, then parked the ships just beyond the complex. Since the communications officer knew nothing of the commanders contract, when the team entered the Martian base, a short time later, to prepare to move in, the communications officer would go on-line, sending the message "Landing Party to Enterprise. Lieutenant Ogambo speaking. How do you read, Enterprise?" When N.A.S.A. would reply "EARTH command to PRIVATE Ogambo. One more, Star Trek reference, and you will be looking for another job. Understood?" While the flight commander was negotiating the communications officers rank, with Earth, the remainder, of the crew had split up, to survey the complex. One group was assigned to remove the portable greenhouse, which had been packed, for transit, while the other team ventured, further, into the "bowels" of Cydonia. The flight commander had to cut short her negotiations, when she received a report from the supply ship. By the sound, of the team member, the situation was not good. When the team member had said "Christ Almighty, can you believe this?" When the flight commander would ask "What is it? What did Earth forget?" The team member would say "Commander, you are not going to believe this" When the flight commander would suggest "Try me". The team member would say "According to both the manifest, and the looks, of the packaging, someone packed the greenhouse behind two weeks worth of supplies. We are going to have to EAT our way through, to the greenhouse". The commander would no-sooner be saying "Terrific", when the second team called in. "Good news, commander". When the commander would say "I sure could use some, about now. Lay it on me". The second team would report "It seems that the Martians left us a Martian-style greenhouse, all ready to use". When the commander would ask "How do you know this?" The team member would say "Except for the red soil, this place looks just like one of our deluxe-style greenhouses, on Earth". When the commander joined her team, as did the team, returning, from the supply ship, the crew saw that all they had to do was shovel away who-knows-how-much Martian soil away, to expose the foundations of the largest greenhouse any of the team members had, ever, seen. Sure, it would take a couple of days, to find, and start up the equipment, but it would seem that, from someplace, far below the surface, pumps began drawing water into what the team recognized as hydroponics. Once the greenhouse was planeted, the commander had wanted to pursue the next "item", on the "to do" list. The weapons locker (IF there was one). The question, which everyone had, was "What type, of weapons, would these people have? Would we even recognize weapons, when we saw them?" Since no one had any answers, th commander would instruct the teams "Fan out, and report anything which looks familiar. And I mean like weapons-style familiar". The teams would split off, saying "Roger that". In reports, to Earth, the commander would report "We have found what we THINK are the medical bays. COULD be torture chambers. Could be either, or both." The teams also found more cafeteria's, atleast one of which was multi-linguistic. The problem was that "Hamburgers, french fries, steaks", and so on, did not seem to be on the menu. One team did, eventually, find a set of ramps, which the team reported seem to lead UP, inside a mountain range. The team would report that the walk was not difficult, due to the slope, of the ramps. When the team reached what they THOUGHT was a storage room, they opened a hatch, onto pure science fiction. IF the objects, in the room, were ships, then atleast that would explain the wide panel, in the far wall. When the team reported to the commander that, upon closing in on a "ship", that lights, similar to landing lights, activated. When the commander would join the team, even she didnt have understanding, of what the free-standing objects were. When mission control relayed a "Prepare to Evacuate" signal, and the commander inquired, Earth would reply "Two reasons. First, unknown power eminations, near your location. Second, massive meteor, shower headed your way. Recommend mission be aborted, return to orbit, and take shelter behind planet, until storm passes". While the commander would say "Roger that", she had no intention, of departing. Not unless there was real, and imminent, danger. Later that same day, one of the teams not only located some alien "clothing", located inside what appearred to be lockers, but the team also located the source, of the energy emminations. When the commander had joined the team, asking "Are you thinking what I am thinking?" The engineer would respond "If you are thinking "generator", as in "power plant", I am with you, totally." When still-private Ogambo would would join the group, inquiring "HOW can it remain operational, after so many centuries?" The commander would respond, by inquiring "HOW can this PLACE exist?" Two days later, when the meteor shower arrived, the commander was relieved that she had made the decision, to land her ships near Cydonia. While her team viewed an awe-inspiring sight, in the Martian sky, the commander would walk into the communications area, after hearing that an incoming message was being received. When the commander activated the link, and was inquired "Whats going on, up there? Are you under attack?" The commander would respond "What makes you think that?" Earth would reply "Radio telescopes are reading massive energy, at your position". The commander would suggest "No doubt, you are sensing the shield, which the Martians left behind, to protect Cydonia". Right as Mission Control was saying something about "evacuate", a team member would arrive, at communications, informing the commander "You must SEE this". The commander would dismiss Mission Control, to join the team member in witnesssing what the "latest" Martian wonder had been. When the two stepped outside, of Mission Control, yet under the complexes newly activated energy-based dome, the commander was left speechless, by the presense, of the towers, which had appearred, as if out of nowhere. For just an instant, the commander had wondered if the towers might be "intruder alarms", while the turrets seemed to be pointing down. This thought, however, was dismissed, as the towers turrets raised, and pointed at the sky. The team watched, in awe, as the turrets, un-like the blasters, of science fiction, performed a different function. Even as smaller debris was colliding, with the energy shield, then sliding off of the surface, harmlessly falling to the ground, the team watched as the turrets, on the towers, targetted the larger chunks, than perfomed more like tractor beams. The energy beams locked into the largest, and most massive, objects, then, simply altered the course, of the debris. When a team member would inquire "I wonder WHERE the debris was re-directed?" The commander would rush back inside the control room, only to hear Mission Control saying "Calm down! The altered flight paths are beyond our orbit". When the commander would respond "Thank God", Mission Control would reply "Nice to have you back with us. Now, what is your status?". The commander would reply "The Martians were incredible. They not only left us electronic shields, and generators, but repulsor beams, as well. I just cant understand..." Mission Control would conclude "How the Martians could not save their planet? That may be one of the questions, which we have an answer for, here." When the commander thought back, over the review, of the ancient records, she remembered one section, which stated that, when a star, in a nearby solar system had, un-expectedly, exploded, the FORCE, of the explosion, had hurtled atleast three planets OUT of their home system, and set the spheres on a collission course, with Mars, at in-calculable speeds. This is when the commander realized the Martians "Achielles Heel". The Martians may have had contingency plans, for most events, which might occur, by virtue of nature. There was just no WAY that the Martians could have planned, or designed for, their planet becoming a "target, in a shooting gallery". While Mission Control was, already, working on designs, for re-settling Mars, the mission commander was made aware, by her crew, of yet another, surprise find. The Martian version of a space telescope. When the mission commander was allowed to peer, through the lens, of the telescope, sure enough, there, just beyond the edge, of the solar system, was an "armada", of alien ships. After her shift, and seeing this revelation, the mission commander would have the strangest dream, which she had, in several years. The commander dreamed of the classic Star Trek episode: Obsession. The episode where the Enterprise had "fought" a "gasious" creature. When she dreamed of the programs ending, she found it odd that the scene was not set in the way, which she remembered, from classic television. Somehow, the final battle had taken place, not on some, distant, un-named, planet. The battle had taken place, on Venus. In her dream, the commander had watched, as the anti-matter explosive, once detonated, had ripped away Venus's toxic atmosphere, leaving the planets surface exposed to the cold, hard, vacuum, of space. But what a "STUPID" idea that was. Blasting Venus's atmosphere? Then do what? Build new cities? On that grey surface? No, the whole idea was just a dream. A stupid dream. This served the commander right, for being a life-long, Star Trek, fan. While Mars MIGHT be ripe, for "terra-forming", Venus was beyond out-of-the-question. (Or, so the commander hoped). Still, the commander did wonder how the aliens would react, when Earths first colony ships tried to sail. WOULD the aliens shoot the ships to pieces? Or, would the aliens escort the ships back to Earth? Perhaps, the aliens might send those, on-board the ships, to some intergalactic, concentration, camp? When earths first colony ship attempted to cruise past the edge, of the solar system, a VERY LOUD message, was heard, through every receiver, on Earth: "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!" Since the ship, in question, had much older engines, and no "sub-space" radio, like Mars, apparently, possessed, the ship had taken three weeks, to reach the edge of the solar system, and it would be atleast that long, for Earth to find out that the ship was missing. Once the ship vanished, every eye, on Earth, and on Mars, waited to see what the aliens next action would be. All that anyone, on Earth, or Mars, knew, was that, as the Earth ship had cruised for the edge of the system, an alien ship had targeted the Earth ship, then emitted a colored ray, which enclosed the Earth ship. After that, the Earth ship had just vanished. When both Earth, and Mars, used their highest gain antenna's, to search for the ships wreckage, no instrument found any signs, of ANY debris. When all witnesses were questioned, all parties agreed that no one had, even wittnessed an explosion. All anyone saw was the Earth ship, vanishing, within the energy beam. When someone, at Mission Control, would suggest that the Earth ships crew, and passengers, had been an alien "lunch", an intelligent person would say "Dont be ridiculous. Any space-faring race would have its own food supply" When the original voice would say "Just thinking", The intelligent voice would say "Way too much science fiction". When N.A.S.A., and the E.S.A., transmitted repeated requests, for information, on the ships fate, it seems that the aliens simply ignored these requests. When another ship was being prepared, lousy computer hackers made certain the ships construction did not remain a secret. The hackers even made public the knowledge that the ship would be armed with a dozen, nuclear, missiles. While Washington D.C. tried to say that the missiles were "for defense only", even the aliens did not "buy this". In Earth orbit, the keel, of the ship, connected to the missiles, was destroyed, along with the missiles, themselves. After this, Europe decided to construct another, even larger, ship, just to see how the aliens would challenge a larger ship. For reasons the mission commander just failed to understand, when volunteers were being recruited, for a mission, to Mars, no one was willing to make the trip. (The commander wondered if the reason had anything to do with movie channels re-airing "Red Planet" movies. Movies about monsters, super-weapons, dictators, and so on). In the mean time, the list, of those, willing to sign on, to LEAVE the solar system, was incredibly long (as was the waiting list). When the commander received a message, regarding plans, for Venus, the message included two videos. One video showed a projection of what MIGHT happen, if a blast were directed, towards the sun. In this video, once the atmsphere was blown away, the planet would be set, on a deadly collission, course, with Earth. In the second video, with the blast aimed AWAY FROM the sun, the shock waves would rip both Mars, and Earth, apart. No matter which way the plan was viewed, it was a stupid idea. While Earth was planning not just the launch, of the colony ship, but was preparing to detonate an explosive, on the Venusian surface, an explosive which even the commander had, never, heard of, It would seem that the commander was able to report, to Earth, that Earth seeds, planted in the Martian hydroponics, did NOT create the monsters, of science fiction. While Martian soil did make food taste "different", all readings indicated that the food was edible. In fact, equally edible to the seeds which were planted, within the Earth greenhouse. (Once the crew ATE its way through the supplies, to the greenhouse.) The teams commander would be disappointed, to be proven correct, when her team found the library/records section. According to the visual records, the repulsor towers had done an excellent job, in deflecting the smaller debris. (The Martians just never planned to have whole PLANETS hurtled at them.) The records showed that, when the debris was hurtled, at Mars, the damage, which was caused, was beyond the immediate ability, of the systems, to perform instant repairs. Life support had been damaged to the point where those Martians, which did not run, for space-ships, were left to die. Out of vengeance? NO. Desperation? Yes. If the records were accurate, the systems did not finish self repairs, for one thousand years. The damage was that extensive. By the time the systems had repaired the complex, the Martians were either gone, or long dead. As a result, the computers placed all equipment into "standby" mode. This, until some one came along, to re-inhabit the planet. When the Life Sciences scientist would ask "You dont think that this whole place WAS built, as a "test of intelligence", do you?" The team commander would ask "Why not? Maybe, they hoped to return, someday." When the engineer would ask "Return from where?" The team commander would say "Wherever they travelled to." When private Ogambo would ask "You dont suppose that our reactivating this base is like a beacon, for them?" When the commander would ask "A beacon, for what? That we have become intelligent?"" Ogambo would say "No, that our species is ready for harvesting" Practically as one, the other team members would say "Way too much science fiction" Okay, so, granted, some of the symbols, on the vending machines, COULD translate to "hearts", "chests", "legs", and "arms". The team commander would remind her crew "This language is. almost, as old as Earth, herself. How do we know what these terms mean, after so much time?" It would not be until dinner time, that the commander made the discovery, which had been gnawing at her, since the translation, of the vending machine material. When Ogambo (on punishment, for his cannibalism reference), decided that the crew should have fried chicken, for dinner, the man was no-sooner asking "Who wants legs, thighs, breasts? Let me know what you want to eat. I am not going back out, twice." When the commander would ask "Would you repeat that?" When Ogambo would say "Put in your orders..." and the commander would cut him off, saying "Before that. What were our choices?" Ogambo would say "Legs, breasts, wings, thighs. Its all chicken, but everyone has their favorites". The is when the commander would say "People, I think I have figured it out. Follow me". When her team followed the commander back to the cafeteria, and the commander asked "You said our choices, for dinner, are?" When Ogambo would say "Hearts", "legs", The commander would point at the labels, saying "Hearts/Breasts", "Legs", "Arms/wings"?" When the Life Science team member would say "You are making some dangerous assumptions, there, aren't you?" The commander would say "Only one way to find out". When the commander would press "Hearts", and "Legs", she half expected what would happen, next. The Life Science team member acted like he was being pulled into the machine, even as he said "Its eating me". When the commander would say "You better be right since, if you are not served up, on a plate, for dinner, you are on K.P., for the next week". The Life Science team member would straighten up, saying "Apologies, commander" As for what was served up, by the machine, it SMELLED fresh, and was similar to chicken. When the teams members, except, Life Science, would take a bite, with Life Science saying "I hope you aren't eating someone", the commander shot the man a deadly stare. Then he would add "I know. K.P., for the next week." It might seem "ironic", atleast to Italians, but the one food, which the Martian crew recognized, on-sight, was pizza. It seems that the Martians must have enjoyed pizza, as much as humans do, since the machines allowed customized selections, including "Deep Dish", filled crust, and a wide variety, of ingredients. When the commander looked right at Life Sciences, suggesting "I will wager that you are about to say that the "meat", on these pizza's, is human flesh". Life Sciences would say "Not if it means another week of K.P." Still, the entire crew noticed that Life Sciences would not consume any food, not transported, from earth. When the engineer would ask Life Sciences "Just curious, but WHAT are you ging to eat, once the rations are gone?" All that Life Sciences would say was "Dont worry. I would rather STARVE, than eat any of you." The engineer would report, to the commander, "That man should, never, have returned to Mars. He is dead certain that we are about to EAT one another". When the commander would ask the medical officer "What do you think? Psychosis? Dimentia?" The medical officer would suggest "Until further notice, I recommend restraint, and sedatives. It COULD just be a reaction, to an unknown environment" When the commander would ask "How soon before you are certain?" The medical officer would say "A week. Maybe less." Un-fortunately, the doctor was correct, in saying "Maybe less". Shortly after Life Sciences was sedated, and strapped down (For his OWN safety), the team watched as a respected, Earth, scientist, totally "flipped out", on the Red Planet. The man was totally certain that his team mates were preparing to slice him up, for dinner. In a last ditch move, to protect him from hurting himself, a freezer was brought, from a supply ship, and the man was muscled into the unit. Even the medical officer said it was not "optimal" but, in the crisis at hand, the team had to use what was available. After the medical officer gave the whole crew physicals, each member was locked away, individually, for a full psychiatric evaluation. In order to test each crew members version, of reality, each was shown scenes, from classic science fiction. Each scene was made to appear as a window, on the Martian landscape. While the rest of her crew laughed, at the "scenes", which they recognized, from old movies, the commander was annoyed at being shown things, which she knew were just Hollywood effects. She was a scientist. An astronaut. She had spent YEARS preparing for this. Her dream assignment. What she did not need was a voice, from Earth, asking "Do you feel threatened? Do you feel your team mates will consume you? Do you feel the urge to eat THEM?" Fortunately, the psychiatric evaluations showed nothing "abnormal". Of course, the same could be same, for the man, in the freezer, as well. When the crew asked the medical officer, and mission control, WHY the man had snapped, all anyone could say was "Some people are just not "equipped", mentally, for space travel." While this brought little comfort, to the team, with the time the team had been present, on Mars, the team realized that, IF Martian recon was coming, it would have arrived, by now. After all, the records showed that the Martians had Warp Drive. If the Martians did not want strangers inhabiting their planet, surely they would have sent an eviction notice. By the time Earth sent a replacement crew, as well as a moving crew, for the freezer, the commander, and her crew, were, well, at home, on the red planet. In fact, most did not even look forward to departing. Thankfully, the replacement crew seemed so absorbed, in learning if the "ships", in the "hangar", were armed, that they ignored the resident staff. While these people were focused on finding weapons, the research team focused not only on the transport, of the mentally-impaired crew-member, but they, also, kept a watch on the second, colony, ship, which cruised for the edge of the solar system. Since Europe was willing to "splurge", on communications gear, this ship had nearly perfected sub-space radio. As a result, when the alien energy beam surrounded the ship, the captain was able to send out a brief radio message, before the ship vanished. Even to Martian ears , the words sounded like "We SEE them. They are..." With that, the transmission cut out. This left the question of WHOM did they see, and WHERE? Still, this left the seeds, of a plan, in many minds, on BOTH planets. The plan was simple: build a hull, which APPEARRED to be inhabitable, yet fill the hull with the best research, and recording/transmitting equipment, on the planet. Launch it at the fleet, and see what happened. The only drawback, to the plan, was a provision which stated that, in order for the ship to be built, funding was required, for the delivery of about 1,000 nukes, to Venus. The commanders nightmare was in danger of coming true. The only positive thing, about the nukes delivery, was that the scientists were proven correct. Blast away Venus's thick cloud cover and all that was left was a barren, rocky, planet, which was far too hot to support human life. Mars would be consider the "Garden of Eden", by comparison. When the colony ship was launched, at the alien fleet, Earth DID find out what happened to our ships. In fact, the transmitters lasted long enough for the ships captains to report that "All is well. Passengers have de-barked onto a much older version, of Earth." Site-to-site communications seemed to last for about two hours, until the effects, of the beam, wore off. By the time this communication was underway, however, things were not going so well, on Mars. In fact, there were two, bone-jarring, crashes. It seems that the "weapons inspectors" had decided to try some of the ships controls. In one case, the inspector hit something like "Full Ahead, Hard Starboard". The ship lept, from its cradle, and raced into an impact, with a section of the hangars wall. The crew was shaken, but the ship, automatically, returned to its cradle. In another case, an inspector THOUGHT they were touching an "intercom" button. That is, until an energy blast took out a section, of wall. Thankfully, the Martians had planned, for such stupidity. As soon as the hole was blasted, in the wall, an energy field covered the opening, which, slowly, sealed itself. When the commander marched into the bay, telling the inspectors "If you want to "play", with toys, go back to Earth". When the inspector would say "Commander, I am under orders, just as you are. Our JOB is to find out what WEAPONS these beings have, and what damage they can do, to us". When the commander would say "For one thing, your "tense" is wrong". When the inspector would ask "Beg your pardon?" The commander would say "You should have said "What weapons they HAD. Past tense. I would say, maybe, 100,000 years past tense." When the inspector would insist "But, they can, STILL, attack us?" The commander would ask "WHO? We are the only ones on this planet. Now, unless YOU plan to attack Earth..." The inspector would skulk away, un-certain how to explain that a planet, dead, for up to half a milion years, could be a "threat", to "national security". As the research team would clear away damage, on the upper levels (closer to the surface), the team would find the lower levels in much better condition, just as the engineer had said. Inside of several "laboratories", team members found "ancient" computer terminals, whose counter-parts, on Earth, remained in the design phase. There just did not seem to be any operators manuals. It was not until the engineer would remind the commander "You know, any manuals, that we find, WONT be printed in English." The commander asked "Why is that?" before remembering that the crew was on an alien planet. A planet, whose inhabitants had their OWN language. Then she remembered her facts. "I have to remember that, on THIS planet, we, humans, are the ALIENS." She had grown so accustomed to calling Cydonia "home" that she forgot she was on another planet. Fortunately, after a year, on Mars, her crew was beginning to remember what certain letter groupings meant. Things like "Men's", and "Ladies", "cafeteria", "medical center", and the Martian version of "library". No matter how hard Earth PRESSURED the crews, to find the Martian "weapons", even after three months, of searching, the replacement crew came up "empty". In fact, in the inspectors reports, to earth, the inspector would have to say that they never even saw a weapons rack. If the Martians had weapons, the weapons were of a kind, which man could not conceive. While others would have said "Impossible!", The commander would argue that history said the Martians had Warp Drive. Something we had, yet, to even consider. Why shouldn't the Martian armory be far more advanced than our own? When the commander received word that radicals, on Earth, were preparing to launch a nuclear attack, on the Red Planet, "As a precaution, against potential attack", she, openly, objected. Command would inform her "When you return to Earth, your severence pay will be waiting for you". When the commander would ask Earth "HOW can a dead planet attack Earth?", all that Earth would reply is "There is the POTENTIAL. It MIGHT, POSSIBLY, be a POTENTIAL. We must ACT before they can attack us". When the commander would ask "WHO?" There was no answer, from Earth. While the crew was closing Cydonia back down, and placing all systems back on "standby" status, the engineer would be first to voice "Such a shame. All this knowledge, and advancement. All about to be blown sky high". The commander would shed a tear, as she realized how much, of Martian society man would, never, know about. By the time the three ships were up, in orbit, word had come, from Earth. A dozen, nuclear, missiles were aimed at the "heart" of Cydonia. It was not until the missiles were in view, and on approach, that the engineer would mention "Too bad Mars is dead, and un-able to defend herself." It was not until that moment that the commander remembered something. The defense turrets. If the turrets could defend the planet, from meteors, then why not, from other, in-bound, projectiles. To Earths dismay, and the crews delight, the turrets came on-line, targeted the "in-bound unknowns". When the missiles did not answer automated calls, the repulsors, somehow, sent the missiles on a "corrected" course, towards the solar systems largest, asteroid, belt. So, Mars was not so "dead", after all. It is just too bad that the missiles designers never thought about LONG duration flights. Each missile carried just enough fuel to reach around the earth. Result, some of the missiles "dropped out", and de-activated, LONG before reaching Mars. Those, which reached the Red Planet, used up the last, of their fuel, flying for the asteroid belt. Once the fuel was used up, the warheads deactivated. On Earth, there would, no-doubt, be "Hell to pay", but HOW was Washington D.C. to know that the missiles only carried enough fuel to travel around the world. After the failed attack, on Mars, Congress turned its attention back to the search, for just WHERE the aliens were sending our ships. Sure, radio communications verified that three ships had been sent, into Earth's past, but not the rest of the ships. When the forth ship radioed "I not only dont see the ships, but I dont see Earth, as well." Before radio communications died away, the ship sent a visual, of its location. While neither N.A.S.A., nor the Europeans, had any idea, what star patterns had been represented, in the message, when Mars was contacted, the commander would say "Well, it looks like it was a good thing we did not blow up Mars, after all". When N.A.S.A. would respond "Dont be funny, you are, still, on payroll". When the commander would ask "I am?" N.A.S.A. would respond "Just TRY to keep the place operating on a professional level, okay?" When the commander agreed to this, and Earth asked "What HAVE you got?" The commander would say "I KNOW where the ship was sent. You just wont believe it". When Earth would say "Try us", the commander would say "It is a solar system, maybe 50,000 light-years away." When Earth would ask "Based upon what?" the commander would say "Based upon the interstellar maps, which the Martians, apparently, left behind." When Earth would ask "Does it say WHERE the Martians went?" the commander was cautious about answering this question. All she would say was "Several possibles. Impossible to reach, within our lifetimes, though." When someone, on Earth, would say "Too bad we dont have Warp Drive", the authority would say "Thats enough of that. We need to focus on THIS planet". The commander seemed, visibly relieved that NO one was suggesting a serious attempt, to re-inhabit Mars. She just could not figure out why Earth was so focused, on Venus. Without its toxic atmosphere, Venus was nothing more than a "hot rock", in outer space. What Earth found suspicious was the fact that, when un-manned, transmission-booster, probes, were send, to the position, where the ships had "vanished", the aliens made no moves, against the probes. What, also, amazed Earth was how, once the probes were in position, the units began receiving faint trransmissions, from the "missing" ships. Most of it was just normal things, like fuel consumption, and how long to wait, before debarking passengers. When Earth tried transmitting, to the ships, they found that the connection was one way. On Mars, however, the crew was relieved to find that the aliens were sending humans to habitable planets. WHY? was anyones guess. The commander was just annoyed that command had ordered Cydonia NOT to be brought, to full power. Earth remained paranoid that the dead planet might attack. While the teams engineer did, eventually, find a database, full of "instruction manuals", it was as the engineer had cautioned. Since English was NOT the "native tongue", of the Red Planet, there were no manuals, presented in English. As a result, the commander would say "Until we hear otherwise, from Earth, I suggest we consider ourselves kindergartners, and this is our first day of school." While Earth was attempting to find a "pattern", to where the aliens were sending our ships, more people signed on, more ships were built, and more ships vanished, at the edge of the solar system. By the time ship number seventy-five was being launched, the Mars crew had become fairly well comprehending, of the Martian language. While complex, or "advanced", Martian, remained beyond human grasp, the crew WAS able to learn enough to know which systems were important, and which devices NOT to touch. The crew, also learned WHAT, if not HOW, the Martians had learned, about everything from defense, to space-flight. The crew, also, learned about the bases power source. It would seem that, so far, the base was only operating on recyclable, back up power. Once the crew used their hovercraft, to blow (millions?) of years, of dirt, off of the power panels, then polished up the crystaline surfaces, more than a few, of "Earths finest minds" were left speechless, that rovers had driven, within five FEET, of power panels, and never known the panels were there. As for the actual power conversion process, the team would report that it seemed similar to solar power. The best guess was that these, "ancient" panels were anywhere from 5,000, to 500,000 years/generations, AHEAD of Earths own technology. In some ways, one might say that Mars "came to life", as the power panels, within ten miles, of Cydonia, were brought up to power. The only thing, which Life Sciences replacement officer cursed was the fact that, when the complex was powered up, and the officer found a research lab, in operation, the officer cursed the fact that, while millions of bits, of information, seemed to "flow" about the lab, NOT one sentence was in English. If the officer wanted to "read" this information, it was time to go "back to kindergarten", and learn how to read. The officer was only furious, about this since, on Earth, they had a Ph.d, in science. They could go anywhere, in the world, and know what they were seeing. When the commander reminded the officer "Remember? We are NOT on Earth, anylonger. Here, WE are the aliens". When the officer would suggest "The least that could do was leave a set, of instructions, written in English." When the commander questioned "WHY should they leave directions, written in a language, which, in their time, probably, did not exist?" The officer had no answer. All the officer knew was that, even with the best college education, on Earth, the officer felt like a child, just entering school. The officer just hoped their own mother was just "telling stories", about the officers own childhood. If mother were correct, when the child had, first, entered school, understanding English had been as difficult, for the child, as learning to talk. In fact, if the mother were not exagerating, it would seem that the child had enough trouble, learning their A.B.C.'s, that the school was prepared to hold the child back, atleast a year, until the child learned to grasp English. Mother had claimed that the child threw "hellatious" temper-fits, over how hard English was, to master. (And this was with competent teachers available, all day long.) Now, the scientist was on an alien planet, trying to master a new language, with-OUT any support staff. Ofcourse, the entire crew was working on the same goal. While the team, on Mars, was begining to understand basic Martian, some "meat-head", on Earth, did something, so assinine that the crew hoped the fool would receive the death penalty, for their actions. The Death Penalty would be impossible, in this case, primarily because the fool had blown themselves up, when they "tripped" one of the most explosive, nuclear devices, on the planet. The resulting explosion levelled everything, for one hundred miles around (and far beyond the war-heads predicted yield). While the fifty milllion dead, were "just a drop, in the bucket", of Earths population, when Mars asked "Is that FOOL going to stand trial?" Earth would say "Maybe. Provided we can find enough, of them, to put together, to stand trial." When the commander would ask "You mean?", and Earth would say "Either they were amateurs, or they did not care, about survival." Even as Mars grieved the passing, of so many souls, the commander, of Cydonia, thought that one, other, event was one of the funniest, or most "poetic justice", of all. This was the fate which befell the interrogators, which Earth had dispatched, to find out the "truth", about Mars weapons capabilities. Ironically, this would be the very same "goon squad" which, while the Mars crew was back on Earth, had demanded not only to know what KINDS of weapons the Martians had, but, also, whether the Martians were planning an "imminent attack", on the Earth. With the director, of N.A.S.A. off, in Washington D.C., trying to rationalize the reason why a team had not only returned to, but remained ON, the Red Planet, if the planet were, truly, un-inhabited, N.A.S.A.'s Communications Director would transmit a message, to Mars, using classic "Star Trek" terms. This, the officer would use, to inform Mars that the interrogators were in transit. What baffled the Martian team commander was that, when Earth reported that the interrogators wer enroute, and she reported "We better get ready to receive". Earth had said "Take your tiime. The crew wont arrive, for six months." When the commander would ask "Why are they not using the new, space, drive?" Earth would respond "The crew suspects possible, terrorist, tampering, with the new engines. They INSISTED upon using the OLD engine design." To this, the Mars commander thought 'Fine. If they WANT to take six months, to arrive, let them'. Really! In point of fact, WHO could have predicted that, while the interrogators ship was coasting, towards Mars, that a comet would descend, from deep space, crash into an asteroid field, and send a fragment, the size of California, hurtling at the approaching ship? Everyone, on Mars, was relieved when, on impact, the explosion, of the ship, changed the fragments trajectory just enough to avoid the Earth. The tragic thing, about the explosion, was that, since the Martian "ancient" hardware, and software, were so far in advance, of Earths, the research team, on Mars, would know of the ships destruction, hours before Earth lost its data. The Martian team just hoped that this had been the best death, which the interrogators could have hoped for. After all, wouldn't Washington D.C. have considered the trip to have been "wasted money", just to send a crew, into space, for a six month cruise, followed by up to ANOTHER six months, searching for signs, of "hostile activity", only to have to spend six more months, just travelling back to Earth. And what would the interrogators have to report? "The planet is dead. No weapons found". At certain points, over the next year, Mars control was able to establish enough, of a communications link, with the "vanished" colony, ships, to understand that the ships would never return to Earth. This conclusion would be based upon celestial fixes, from the ships officers. These fixes proved, in many cases, that the ships had been "transported" across the universe. Un-fortunately, three ships had been dispatched to pre-Columbian Europe. The ships distress call had been brief, but informatve. The "natives" had branded the ships crew, and passengers, as "witches", and "demons", and the ships were branded "devils chariots". The final message, of "Stay away. These people are lunatics. They dont understand the difference between a shuttlecraft, and a winged demon". After that, all contact was lost, permanently. The group, which the Mars commander was most interested in, however, was the group which must have been sent into Earths future. This, based upon the captains report, of finding the remains, of Washington D.C., in ruin. The Mars researchers agreed, with the ships captain, that the ships MUST have been sent to an Earth, of the distant future. This determinattion was made after the captain reported that all which was found, of the White House, and Capital Hill, as well as other, outlying buildings, in the area, were weed-infested foundations. Just how FAR the ship had gone, into the future, was. clearly, debatable. This since even the visuals, on the Statue if Liberty, showed that the statue had lost her arms. Manhattan had, literally, "returned to its roots", as a prairie, and wilderness. The ships captain would promise Mars that, as soon as the ships located a records center, with concrete PROOF, of what had happened, the captain would report in. This left the Martian commander to ponder "Maybe, mans departure, from Earth, HAS allowed the planet to heal itself". The question was "HOW to PROVE it". Six months later, the colony ship would make a very sobering report, on mans future. Based upon surveying "ancient" (future) records, it would seem that colony ships were just not being constructed, fast enough. With news, that planetary resources were, nearly, exhausted, riots would break out. IF the history was "reliable", then the primary cause, for the rioting, was evangelicals. People, whose personal interpretations, of Scripture, indicated that the "ultimate judge", was, soon, returning to Earth, to collect his own. The evangelicals would spark primal fears, within the population. Fear, which lead to rioting, looting, and even wholesale murder. Citizens, who had secured boarding passes, to the colony ships, were brutally murdered, for the passes. Passes, which some Christians were willing to give a lifes savings for. The one story, which the ships commander cautioned Mars, about accepting, was the as-yet UN-verified story, of either a man, or a group, of people, working seperately, at re-selling boarding passes. IF there were any truth, to the stories, each of the people, would no-sooner, sell a boarding pass, to a desperate person, when the purchasers bbody would vanish, and the boarding pass went up, for sale, again. The story CLAIMED that the pass sellers would no-sooner accept payment, when the sellers would run the purchasers through, with swords, knives, etc. One seller, allegedly, "earned" $100 billion, on a single boarding pass, before authorities detained the man. Even on Mars, the validity, of such stories, was ranked right along with the Headless Horseman, of Sleepy Hollow, Sleeping Beauty, and other, fairy tales. As to what had become, of the White House, and Capital Hill, it was the "same, old, story". People, including evangelicals, hinted that government remained calm, in the crisis, since Washington D.C. had its own, private, fleet, of ships, standing by. It was "hinted" at that "evil pacts", had been made, between the government, and the aliens. It would seem that these rumors were the reason why first the White House, was "stormed", and burned to the ground, then came a bloody battle, for Capital Hill. All because someone was spreading rumors, that there were not only secret chambers, under the capital, but docking bays, containing ships, as well. In the ensuing batttles, un-counted persons lost their lives, all in the desperate search, for rumored ships bays. The most stupid act, of destruction, however, was the toppling of theWashington Memorial. While, by the time, of the riots, the monument had stood, for centuries, and even had guided tours, on a daily basis, the monument had been closed, over concern of vandalism, once the killing started. An un-specified person had started a rumor, stating that a ship had been erected, within the obelisk. When the panicked populace, spurred on, by the religious zealots, decided to prevent the "ship" from being used, by the government, to flee the planet, it was recorded that the monument was dragged out of its foundation, toppling, and killing more than 200 people, as the obelisk fell upon the rioters. This, even as the Vatican was calling for calm contemplation. The mobs, spurred on, by the zealots, ignored the law, by breaking into private homes, and murdering people, in their beds. And all of this, in a desperate attempt, by the mobs, to secure boarding passes. On Mars, when the team asked the commander "Do you REALLY think we would turn on one another, like wild animals?" The commandeer would call for calm, herself, as she reminded her crew "This report came from the future. Maybe even the DISTANT future". When Life Science would suggest "Maybe NOT so distant. Who knows? The riots may have begun, already". When the commander saw her crew considering this, the commander would say "One way to find out. I will put a stop to this, right NOW!". With that, the commander called up N.A.S.A.'s second shift, communications officer. When the Martian commander would ask Earth "What is your status, there?" When N.A.S.A. would report "Quiet, and boring. Whats up?" When Life Science would "but in", asking "What about the rioting?" N.A.S.A. would ask "What rioting?" When Life Science would say "Dont bull shit me. Has the White House been burned to the ground, yet?" N.A.S.A. would inquire "WHAT are you talking about?" The Martian commander would take the comm (After Life Science was dragged away), saying "We have information, here, which claims that, at SOME point, the White House will be looted, and burned to the ground". When N.A.S.A. would reply "Nothing like THAT going on. I am SURE of it". When the Martian commander would ask "So, the Washington Memorial/obelisk remains standing?" When N.A.S.A. would ask "Why shouldn't it be standing? Say, what are you people smoking, up there? You know that memorial hasn't moved, in centuries." The Martian commander would reply "We will send a full report, once we have evidence of the events. For now, Good Night. Mars signing off". When the commander joined her crew, in one of the "medical bays", she found her team strapping down the Life Science member, who was adamant "We have seen the footage! We KNOW that Washington is in ruins". The commander would slap Life Sciences, with all the strength she could muster, as she said "STUPID! Listen up". When Life Science persistsed "I SAW the footage, just like you did". The commander would shout, in Life Sciences face "STUPID! That ship was reporting from the DISTANT FUTURE. Justt how FAR distant, we do not know". It was only after Life Science was sedated, into sleep, that the rest of the team would ask the commander "Are you SURE we should transmit that information, to Earth? We mean, what if THIS is the information, which starts the riots". When the commander would say "N.A.S.A. needs to know". The engineer would suggest "What happens if the WRONG people intercept the transmission?" When the commander would ask "Suggestions?" The engineer would suggest "Add this to our FINAL report. This way, WE deliver the information, directly to headquarters. No chance of interception." The commander knew that the engineer was correct. After all, Earth remained hesitant, about Mars "potential". In the next radio transmission, the colony ships captain would express full agreement with the plan. He, too, did NOT want to be responsible, for global rioting. Atleast, not until ALL of the facts were verified. When the Marrtian commander would ask the colony ship captain "Any luck, with finding HARD data?" The captain would report "Only journals, so far. Just wish I knew what kind of paper they wrote on" With that, the link was terminated. While Earth refused to believe that the Martians had been capable, of building even the base, at Cydonia, the research team would spend years logging various finds. These finds included instruments, the kind of which, on Earth, remained in the design delvelopment phase. Here, on Mars, however, the same equipment was coated in centuries of dust. When the team found a "concert hall", the humans found out just how "eccentric" the Martians musical tastes had been. The question, which the team wondered about, most, was when the team found some sort of "recordings". Recordings of what the team THOUGHT were Martian families. The recordings MUST have been ancient since, at the time, of the recordings, Mars had been a living, beautiful, place. How LONG ago was this? Finally, over the passage of years, the colony ships captain would report "Passengers disembarked, years ago. Even my crew has gone "native". Still, no supporting evidence, for the riots. My conclusion: This is but one, POSSIBLE, future. SIgning off. Good Luck". The Martian commander would give thought to "I wonder how many, possible, futures await us? By the time the commander would decide to return to Earth, not only was her once-jet-black-hair now white, but she noticed that regular tasks were taking longer, for her to accomplish. As for her original crew, most had returned to Earth, years ago. Their families had sent photo's, of the team members, with their families. Due to age, and, increasingly, to infirmity, the commander would return to Earth, in cryogenic suspension. Sure, upon her return, to Earth, the commander received awards, and recognition, but her greatest pride was in knowing that her native country remained intact. (She would have to acclimatize to having other humans around, as well as city life). Still, she felt humbled, by all of the attention, including magazine covers, plaques, and so on. Before departing Mars, however, the commander had reminded the young replacement crews to respect what the Martians had left behind. So very much, of which, humans still, could not comprehend. One night, though, the former, Martian team, commander dreamed of viewing her own funeral service. Hearing the twenty-one gun salute, and the honors, given, made for quite a dream. She would be surprised to find that her joints no-longer ached, from Arthritis. As she stood there, watching the service, she realized that, for the first time, in awhile, she was standing erect. The commander also saw the man who had, at one time, been the "love of her life". The very man who, when he proposed marriage, the commander, who, at the time was only HOPING for space travel, had declined, telling the man "My future is calling. If I can only be the FIRST human, on the planet Mars!" Now, the man she remembered as young, strong, and proud, with an amazing mass, of thick hair, was, mostly, bald, wheelchair-bound, and his once flat, and firm, stomach, stuck out, like a real spare tire. While the commander had EARNED the title of "First human commander, to walk on Mars", the man she had, once, loved, had his children, and grand-children, all around him. The commander contemplated the question of "WHO had the better, or more significant, life?" When her own mother appearred, looking just as youthful, and beautiful, as her wedding day photos, approached the commander, asking "My angel. Are you ready?" The commander was about to ask "Ready for what?" When her mother touched her, and the commander, suddenly, felt "different". When her mother lead the commander to a nearby car, and the commander saw her reflection, in the window glass, she asked "HOW?" The commander saw herself, young, and vital (As she had been, when she entered the space program). When the commander asked her mother "If I am HERE, then WHO are they burying?" Her mother would issue the words, soft as a breeze "Your mortal body". When her mother would say "Time to go", the commander felt hesitation, for the first time, since public school. At that moment, when the commander would ask "What about the arch-angel, Gabriel? What if HE feels that my life has not been "pure" enough?" Her mother would suppress a laugh as she said "You mortals. You make Gabriel out to be such a monster. I happen to KNOW that he is really a nice person, as angels go". Her mother would smile, as the commander would make the "sign of the cross", before the women walked off, into