The Nexus Colony Read online

  Maislin broke Korbett’s train of thought. “…however, they have documentation…including other photographs, but not of the craft…that this actually happened.”

  Korbett looked up. “What about this twenty foot crocodile?”

  “According to the follow-up…let’s see,” Maislin flipped through the papers, “…they’ve got the poor bugger well-preserved. Seems the animal was damn near blast frozen when the blue beam deposited the thing on the deck. They’ve got it on ice. No pun intended.”

  “It had to have come from…where? The Nile River area most likely,” Vandergrif commented rhetorically.

  “No,” Darbury responded. “Not really. There are a variety of crocodiles that inhabit Malaysia and parts of the Indian Ocean. Around the Bay of Bengal, if my memory serves me correct. Northern Australia, too. They call them saltwater crocodiles. Very appropriate.”

  “Jesus…” Maislin replied, shaking his head in disbelief. “The summary report says that over a ton of tropical fish and sea snakes were dumped on the deck from the net.”

  “Did they analyze the water they brought in from the haul?” Koslovsky asked.

  “Why?” Korbett asked.

  “The water…” she replied. “Was the water tropical or was it Antarctic water?”

  Maislin flipped through the report. “Doesn’t say.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Darbury broke in. “I think we can assume the logistical probability of the alien agenda. I’m sure we’ll find that the chemical content of the water matches that of tropical waters. I think we need to concentrate on explaining why.”

  There was a moment of silence.

  “Willard is right,” Korbett said. “They’ve obviously put on this elaborate display for some reason, but why? To get our attention?”

  “More appropriately, putting on,” Koslovsky said. “Don’t think for a moment these are all the reports we’re going to receive.”

  “Is there any commonality to the sighting reports?” Vandergrif asked.

  Maislin studied the summary report.

  “Let’s plug it into Vallee’s chart,” Darbury said, jumping up quickly and walking over to the large grease board hanging on the wall. Picking up a grease marker, Darbury drew the familiar chart on the board.

  The chart that Willard Darbury drew was commonly known throughout the UFO research community. The original version, which actually wasn’t a chart but rather a classification system, was developed by the late Dr. J. Allen Hynek back in the early 1970’s. It had gained widespread acceptance for its simplicity. It was Hynek’s famous system for classifying close encounters, designated CE I through CE IV. Dr. Jacques Vallee later fine-tuned the system by expanding the categories to include Anomalies (AN), Fly-Bys (FB), and Maneuvers (MB), while retaining CE as a separate category. Each of the four basic categories has five “degrees”, or levels, of complication. The finished product was a usable chart to categorize UFO events.

  “We’ve got what?…twelve event reports here since January 31?” Darbury inquired.

  “Yes,” Maislin replied. “Actually, thirteen if you want to count the one from January 31 as two events.”

  “Let’s count it as one. Same craft,” Darbury said.

  “Twelve, then.”

  “Would the number ‘twelve’ have any significance?” Vandergrif offered. “There are twelve artifacts.”

  “No,” Darbury quickly responded. “Like Rula said, they’re putting on a show, but I think the number of reports we’ve got at the moment is purely coincidental.”

  “That’s true,” Korbett replied. “There could be a hundred more sightings across the continent that we haven’t even heard about yet.”

  “Or haven’t even occurred yet,” Maislin added.

  “Right. And so far we’ve no reports beyond February seventh,” Koslovsky pointed out.

  “That only leaves yesterday, not counting today,” Korbett said.

  “Maybe yesterday’s didn’t make the headlines yet,” Vandergrif replied.

  “Maybe not.”

  “January 31…MA1,” Darbury said, and everyone concurred as he marked a chit in the appropriate box. This Maneuver category of level one complication meant the object remained at a far distance and executed abrupt changes in trajectory, like right-angle turns or rapid acceleration or deceleration. He continued, “February 1…MA1. February 3…MA1. Let’s see…both events on February 4 are also MA1.”

  The group went through each event and concluded that each one was in the MA1 category. “Almost as if they’re toying with the classification system,” Maislin commented aside.

  “However,” Darbury continued, “the Penguin Princess incident changes the pattern. “We jump right into the CE box. Level two, if you have to categorize somewhere.” As opposed to the Fly-By and Maneuver categories, which were sightings from a distance, the Close Encounter category was one of proximity, within five hundred feet being the designated line of demarcation. Level two was an encounter associated with physical effects. The craft that had hovered over the Penguin Princess was certainly a viable close encounter with an unknown object under the control of some entity. The physical effects were incontrovertible. Or so it seemed at the moment.

  They all nodded agreement. Darbury resumed his seat at the table. “Now, what does it all mean?” he commented aside, leaning back in his chair and cupping his hands behind his head.

  There was a minute of silence as the group digested the situation. Finally, Korbett leaned forward on his elbows, placing folded hands up to his mustache. He said, “Now…can we equate these events to the artifacts?”

  “It would seem so obvious…” Koslovsky’s thoughts trailed off as she said what all of the others were also thinking. It could be construed as obvious—it should be construed as obvious—but the group dealt in facts. That was their mission, their job. Their conclusions could not be drawn on presumptions or speculation. And at the moment, a UFO flap did not constitute enough substantive evidence to conclude that the discovery of these artifacts had attracted attention from extraterrestrial entities. And they all knew it. But how to prove that it did?

  “Well,” Korbett continued, “where do we go from here?”

  “How far away did these events occur?” Vandergrif asked.

  “From where? The glacier?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s see…” Maislin again flipped through the reports.

  Darbury jumped up again and went to the wall map of the Antarctic continent. Fumbling through the table drawer, he retrieved a handful of push-pins. He stuck a big red one into the Mulock Glacier. Next, he stuck blue ones into the approximate sites of the sightings. “What were the last known headings?” he asked Maislin.

  Maislin sorted through the data, called them out. Using his finger as a pointer, Darbury illustrated his point. The last known headings reported in all the events were all in the general direction of the Mulock Glacier.

  “Very interesting,” Darbury commented as he backed away from the wall chart.

  “Here’s another thought, William,” Koslovsky said. “When we jump to the close encounter category, the event occurs with the people…the organization, as you will…who are associated with the retrieval of the artifacts.” She was implying the National Science Foundation and its personnel.

  “But what do we have so far to substantiate a connection?” Korbett asked the group. There was a moment of contemplation.

  “Nothing.”

  “Exactly,” Korbett replied.

  “You know,” Koslovsky said, “mass sightings of this nature all seem to have one thing in common. As we’ve shown in the chart, there is no concrete evidence from any of the events.”

  “I think a twenty foot tropical crocodile bears enough testament to this event,” Vandergrif answered. “That certainly qualifies the event as extraordinary.”

  “Not really,” Darbury replied. “What Rula means is, the croc…all the creatures…they’re after-effects from our world. They’re
nothing more than earthly props, so to speak. You could even argue against connecting them directly to the UFO. They’re nothing more than residuals of what we are construing as an extraordinary occurrence. Not necessarily extraterrestrial.”

  Vandergrif and Maislin disagreed. “They witnessed a UFO. It doesn’t get any more substantive than that.”

  Darbury responded, “We’re talking about physical effects, not visual. You take one of those fish and hand it to someone who has no knowledge of the event, and that person could not equate the two. It’s a residual effect, not proof of UFO’s.”

  “There’s the tropical location indigenous to…” Maislin continued to argue, but Korbett cut them off.

  “In any event…,” Korbett said, not about to referee an inconsequential discussion that was brewing between the two.

  “In any event,” Koslovsky interjected, “it does seem quite evident that the people on the ship were being manipulated by being brought out onto the deck to witness the occurrence. It’s not uncommon for this to happen. We all know that. Think about it. Nobody had the presence of mind to photograph the object. Why? Because the entities, once again, showed that they are in control of every situation.”

  “She’s absolutely right,” Darbury replied. “For whatever the reason, again they didn’t want a major encounter photographed. They only wanted it to be documented from memory, and we all know how fickle the human memory is. And to make their presence even more tantalizing, they’re playing with our minds by defying human logic, that being our accepted scientific knowledge that tropical fish and saltwater crocodiles do not live, and cannot live, in Antarctic waters. But I still conclude that we actually have no physical effects.”

  Again, the group was silent as they contemplated the extraordinary events.

  Korbett got up from the table and poured himself another cup of coffee. Emmy would have a fit if she knew how much he was consuming since this project began. “Willard?” Korbett said, then paused to contemplate his thoughts. By the tone of his voice everyone could tell he had something else new on his mind.

  Darbury sat fully attentive while they all waited.

  “Willard, did you compile a database report solely for the Antarctic continent?” Korbett asked.

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Let’s get one and compare it to what we’ve got here.”

  “Right,” Darbury responded, annoyed with himself that he hadn’t already compiled the report. Darbury went to the computer while the others got up to have another cup of fresh coffee.

  Korbett and the department quite simply utilized the massive database developed by MUFON. The MUFON Case Management System contained over twelve thousand high-quality UFO cases that have been documented from reliable sources from all over the world. The reports go back as far as before the time of Christ, but probably ninety-nine percent were from the past fifty years. Darbury also had his own personal supplemental database using additional government files that the general public, including MUFON, didn’t have access to. Both databases had a search mechanism to retrieve records and compile ad hoc reports—tailor made to whatever you wanted to know. Darbury wanted to know how many sightings were on record for the region of Antarctica since the beginning of recorded history.

  Darbury waited for the reports to print out. In a minute, he held the papers in his hand and went back over to the table where everyone was again sitting down.

  “What have we got?” Korbett asked.

  Darbury was shaking his head. “Eight reported cases.”

  “That’s all?” Vandergrif commented, as surprised as everyone else.

  “That’s it,” Darbury replied, studying the information. “Actually, I am much surprised myself. The eight reports range from 1950 through 1972. Nothing before and nothing after that until a few days ago. Amazing.”

  “What are the specifics?” Korbett asked.

  Darbury went up to the grease board again and jotted down the basic information next to the matrix, translating the attributes from the file records. The result was as follows:

  1950/02/22 - Chilean Pratt Naval Station; three saucers maneuvering, several recent sightings

  1956/01/08 - Robertson Island; observed over two days by four Chilean scientists; two cigar shaped objects making vertical maneuvers, radiation detected, photographed, tremendous speed

  1961/03/16 - Admiralty Bay, Ross Sea; observed by meteorologist on icebreaker vessel, UFO/fireball flying below clouds

  1964/04/20 - U. S. McMurdo Naval Air Station; observed by six Coast Guard personnel; nine UFO’s observed, tracked on radar, electro-magnetic effects present causing engines to stop, objects fly in silence

  1965/06/02 - British Bravo Base; silent UFO flies rapidly by

  1965/06/18 - Chilean Antarctic Station; nineteen observers; saucer maneuvers, hovers, changes colors

  1965/07/03 - Deception Island; military personnel from United Kingdom, Argentina, and Chile all observe saucer at high speed; electro-magnetic effects, photographs

  1972/05/.. - Chilean Antarctic Region; two UFO’s observed by Army/Air Force personnel; 3200 KHz radio band weakened

  Darbury placed green push-pins on the map for each location, then stepped back to digest it along with everybody else. “No commonality.”

  “Doesn’t appear to be, does there?” Koslovsky said.

  “There’s no apparent connection at all between these eight events,” Vandergrif commented.

  “They’re random,” Maislin replied. “Totally, completely random.”

  “And a twenty five year gap between those events and our events to boot,” Vandergrif added. “For all intent and purpose, there has been no recorded activity over a whole generation.”

  Korbett paced back and forth across the room, deep in thought. A few moments passed. “Why is there no recorded activity?” he asked, the tone in his voice rhetorical. “Number one, there’s no recorded activity simply because there are no people…or more accurately few people…there to see events of this nature. Any nature. There are only a handful of humans out in the field about six months in the year.”

  They all nodded agreement.

  “Number two,” Korbett continued, “statistically speaking, we figure what? Only about ten percent of all sightings are ever reported to where they can be catalogued in a database. That cuts down the potential number of sightings considerably.”

  “Agreed,” Koslovsky said. “Go on, William.”

  “Number three. The greater preponderance of people who are present in the region are scientific types who are conducting specific scientific research projects. And we all know the scientific types. Most of them wouldn’t believe it was a UFO if the thing landed right on their heads anyway.”

  Darbury laughed his annoying cynical laugh.

  “The same could be said for the military,” Maislin added. “They seldom report them anyway.”

  “They always report them,” Darbury corrected him. “They just don’t make the local headlines.”

  “I stand corrected, Willard,” Maislin replied, annoyed.

  “Number four,” Korbett said, ignoring them and momentarily pausing to regroup his thought. “As simple as it sounds, I don’t think anybody ever looks up. Like the guys who are out in the ice fields. They’re probably looking down all the time. That place is so dangerous, they’re probably always looking down. Nobody ever looks up, do you agree?”

  Surprisingly, all heads nodded simultaneously, even Darbury.

  “Radar,” Vandergrif said. “What about radar? These things are always being picked up on radar.”

  “Not so, Anton,” Koslovsky responded. “The one report…which one was it, Eli…?”

  “Ahh…the February 4 sighting. The Japanese fishing vessel. The report indicates that the ship’s radar did not register the presence of an aircraft even though it was right in front of their noses.”

  “Not so strange,” Darbury said. “Stealth technology is already almost honed to perfection by us humans.”r />
  “That’s true, Anton,” Korbett replied. “Even the new F-22’s radar cross section permits 99.9% of the incoming radar energy to be deflected away. It’s always amazed me that we’ve ever been able to track UFO’s at all. There’s no doubt they’re letting us.”

  Vandergrif sighed. “What’s all this going to prove anyway, even if we are able to substantiate concrete evidence that there has been recent and past UFO activity in Antarctica? No different than anywhere else.”

  Korbett was silent for a moment. “I guess nothing new. Only that we’re not alone even when we think they’re letting us alone.”

  “Now, William,” Koslovsky said. “If they are monitoring our activities even in the remotest region of our planet, then they must be just as interested in watching us preserve ourselves as they are watching us destroy ourselves.”

  “Maybe, maybe not,” Korbett responded. He paused for a moment. “Maybe we’ve stumbled onto something they didn’t want us to find.”

  “No,” Maislin replied. “They would have been watching us out there long before this.”

  “Maybe they have been,” Darbury said. “And like the General said, maybe we just haven’t been taking notice because our statistics are skewed. No reports for a generation does not mean there has been no activity.”

  “What makes you think they have to make themselves known to watch us?” Vandergrif asked.

  “Then why in the hell,” Maislin snipped, “did they all of a sudden start appearing all over the skies of Antarctica?”

  “They wanted to get our attention,” Korbett said, reinforcing his prior notion.

  “They sure got it,” Maislin replied.

  “Maybe in their own way this is how they’re trying to tell us they’re watching us closely,” Koslovsky said.

  “No kidding,” Darbury replied, and this time even Rula cast him an annoyed glance. Darbury backed off, continued and said, “But that doesn’t convey a whole lot of message. The real question is, do they want us out there on this God-forsaken ice field or not?”