S.O.S.

  by Robert C. Waggoner

  Copyright 2012 Robert C. Waggoner

  Smashwords Edition

  S.O.S

  Robert C. Waggoner

  2013

  "Excuse me sir, I think you need to see this and hear it too," said a NASA tech to Mr. Wainright.

  "What is it Rodney," asked Wainright.

  "I'm hearing a faint signal of our old Morse Code of S.O.S. coming from outer space."

  "Are you positive about this Rod?"

  "Yes, each night I set my receiver on a low band to see if anyone is out there. I record and then fast forward in the morning while I drink coffee."

  "Let me listen," Wainright said, as they walked to Rodney's computer station. Wainright put on the head phones and listened. His gaze went from the computer screen to the heavens; if the roof hadn't been in the way.

  He took off the head phones and said, "Make a copy of this Rod pronto like please." Rodney watched his boss taking long strides to his office. He smiled thinking that maybe he might be verbally rewarded for his insightfulness. Then, with a smiling face turning grim, realized that his discovery would go unnoticed and unrecognized. Such is the life of an underling, he thought as he went back to his normal duties.

  Meanwhile, Wainright was on the phone to his boss and then on up the line to eventually a source where the buck stopped, as Truman said: ''The buck stops here." By the end of the day schedules were upset, daily jobs set aside, phone calls made around the world and finally the word hit the big man in the White House.

  Back at the source, Rodney was listening to the three dots, three dashes, and three dots over and over again. What he needed to do, he thought, is try to measure if the message got stronger as the hours went by. All astronomers and other scientists, both amateur and professional were tuned in. Telescopes were now focused on the direction the signal was coming from. By the end of the Day 1 all was in place to wonder if aliens were coming and were they friendly or not; or was it a ploy like a Trojan horse. So much speculation was spewed forth that only the restaurants around the world were happy for the added business. And this included Wainright and a government contractor having a bite to eat downtown Houston.

  Wainright and the contractor were discussing how they might profit from this discovery. A few ideas were kicked around but nothing really surfaced to excite either of them. After lunch they agreed to sleep on it and have lunch again in a few days time.

  Meanwhile Rodney had a new tape installed as he made ready to go home. His excitement had waned knowing it would be months before any sign of where the signal was coming from would be known.

  On the way home he stopped and picked up a box of greasy chicken to make his wife and kids happy. While he waited in the drive up line, something was nagging at him about UFO and people disappearing many years ago. He couldn't remember when but it seemed like before he was born, there were instances of people disappearing never be seen again. The movie "Encounters" came to mind. He'd watched that movie with interest and still had a picture of captive humans walking off the space ship. Could this be similar, he thought as he paid the iron tooth, pimply face boy at the window and drove off.

  For conversation he told his wife hoping to get some praise from her. She did listen and told him it was on the news this afternoon. She was a little surprised to learn it was him that discovered the radio signal. He was beaming with pride as she told him that news.

  That night they watched the late night news. No update was given just a rehash of earlier today's discovery. Surprising there wasn't even any crackpots voicing a doomsday kind of thing. He went to bed feeling a little left out.

  On Day 2 Rodney went to work earlier than usual. He was anxious to see how much distance had transpired since yesterday. The parking lot offered him many choices that early in the morning.

  Once inside he hurried to his cubicle. What few colleagues that were around were silently watching him. Thirty minutes later he'd discovered that indeed the signal was stronger and that meant closer. After he did the math, he had to check it three times to make sure he didn't make an error. At its present rate of travel it would reach our solar system in six months. It was a staggering thought that an object was moving that fast in space. Then he reasoned that a UFO, sending a SOS would not necessarily resemble anything earth had knowledge of.

  Besides Rodney was not a physicist but just a flunky technician filling a cubicle at NASA. He'd read some science fiction novels where they folded space and arrived across the universe in a few seconds. However, as he sipped his luke warm coffee, this was real life and nonfiction.

  Wainright walked up and said, "Rod, what's the latest on our object?"

  "It's coming straight at us sir. Also it's traveling at a phenomenal rate of speed. My estimate is it will be here in about six months. However, I'm sure there're others who can better pin point that forecast."

  "Have you heard any other message other than the SOS?"

  "I've not listened to it all yet sir. Give me a couple hours and I'll let you know." Wainright walked off looking like he was in deep thought. Rod thought, why speculate when whatever you think is probably not what reality is.

  In the White House a meeting was taking place about this very subject. After all the experts had reported, the president said, "So what we really know is an UFO is sending an emergency signal from outer space. At the present rate of speed it'll be here in our solar system in six months. What else do we know?"

  Silence around the room as the president looked at all the so called experts. He said, "I'll see you all in six months. We still have our regular business to tend to; so I suggest we go do it."

  Day 93 Rodney was on the job once again early. During the last three months additional Morse code had come through repeating the word: 'human kind'. But what that meant was not clear. Did it mean that beware human kind? Or we are human kind? Speculation once again was on the platter for late night talk show hosts.

  Day 120 a new message arrived saying, 'SOS human kind aboard…' and that was all. For Rodney this message didn't mean any harm was coming or an invasion. A specie that was interstellar and traveling at that rate of speed, wouldn't need to send a message warning of their arrival.

  Day 180 at the White House having an extraterrestrial meeting. The president with his opening statement said, "Ladies and Gentlemen we are now at the six month mark and our object is or has entered our solar system. Let's go around the room and give me facts and not speculation."

  The chief NASA man said, "We have received this message sir, 'SOS human kind aboard inbound to home' and that is the message in its entirety."

  A scientist said, "At its rate of speed, allowing for slow down entering our atmosphere, we can expect the ship to arrive here in about a week."

  The Chief of Military Staff said, "We are prepared for a possible attack. We can't take any chances. My orders come from the Commander and Chief and him only."

  A senior physiologist said, "My colleagues and I have thoroughly discussed this phenomena and we came to the conclusion this encounter is totally peaceful. We've taken each word that was sent and discussed it with a group of professional linguists and sociologists. We didn't find any ambiguity or a threat in any words given us. Therefore, we should welcome this ship with open arms."

  A small smattering of applause went around the room. The president frowned and said, "Let's see what develops. We'll need a reception committee either with the military or civilians. I'll leave the committee formation up to the senior politicians.

  The news that night reiterated what the meeting was about at the White House. Of course it was taken apart, dissected, microscope magnification applied and indeed senior politicians were available for a photo op at the beckon call of any news service.

  D-day July 4, 2019. The alien space ship was in orbit around earth. A steady stream of dialogue was occurring between the ship and earth. To summarize the situation it would seem the ship contained abducted humans from long ago. The aliens were an alliance of different races sent out to see what human kind was all about. It was determined human kind on earth were not a threat and they were returning them home. The ship after landing would allow the passengers to disembark and then the ship would return back to its home planet'

  D-day + 1. The space ship lands at NASA Huston, Texas. The military was still on red alert; but the politicians were having a field day. Having a picture with a returnee from space would insure votes for a life time.

  The ship opens up like the movie ''Encounters of a Third Kind" where humans of every age, color or race walked down to stand on their planet earth. The final total was over two hundred. The male female ration was 1:1 or close to it.

  D-day +2. All were subject to medical physicals and of course mental evaluation. All outwardly appeared healthy and sound of mind.

  D-day+3. A medical meeting was held. The Chief of the Medical Staff said, "We find all are healthy both physically and mentally. We've X-rayed all and indeed all are of human kind. One anomaly that is still unclear is that all the females of reproductive age are pregnant. I'm afraid this will take some time to sort out."

  Rodney was home watching the events on TV. His mind was whirling and stuck on the fact the females were all pregnant. The why was first and foremost on his mind. As a matter of fact, he was not the only one who thought this fact was suspect.

  D-day+25. In a housing facility where men and women returning for space stayed together a meeting was occurring in the cafeteria between two men and two women. One man said, "Looks like we are back home free to come and go."

  The other man said, "They've not a clue. They X-rayed all of bodies but not our heads. We should be so lucky."

  One woman said, "In just a few hundred years we will be in the majority not minority."

  The last woman said, "You realize don't you, that half of our women will have twins or more."

 

 

  Waggoner, Robert C., SoS

  Thanks for reading the books on GrayCity.Net