The moist air in the barn was thick with the aroma of alfalfa from the loft. It provided the natural character to the surroundings of the early autumn night. With the dampness came a slight chill in the breeze that whistled through cracks in the walls. The rain had stopped, but it could start again without notice. Two horses in the back stalls stood quietly in the darkness.
A pair of spotlights mounted on overhead boards dimly lit the center area. A strange telephone booth sized and sarcophagus shaped object stood vertical in the clearing. It shined with a matte golden metallic luster with unusual hue. Two young government officials, a man and a woman were facing it. The uniformed male officer had just arrived.
"I have been expecting you. You are Major Drake Barber, aren't you?" Madge questioned.
"Yes, Doctor Hall. So what do you think this is?" Drake asked as he removed his Air Force raincoat and hung it on a rusty nail in the post. The gold oak leafs on the shoulders glistened in the dim lighting.
Madge studied him momentarily and wondered who is he really and more importantly, why was he really sent here? "I don't know what it is, she replied. But I will say this, it is big box that is certainly not from around here. What puzzle's me is not what, but why it is here? I wonder where it came from? I assume that is why you are here, to tell me."
Drake, ignoring her assumption, looked it over carefully as if inspecting it for flaws or damages and asked, "Yeah sure, how long has it been here?"
"About seven hours I guess. Very few have been let in here to see it, I was alerted to let you in by my Director. I was the first official here and the farmer was still scared stiff the last time I talked to him. It was his wife that originally called us. The thing was damaged by the farmer's pistol when he shot it," she said.
"Ha, ha, he chuckled. Is that what happened? I didn't know that." He gently leaned against it and pushed a little to see how much it would take to move it.
"Well, it scared the hell out of him. It just appeared there in front of him as he walked across the area. It happened so quickly that he couldnt stop. It was a fluke that he had his little 22-caliber pistol in his hand at the time because he had seen a rat earlier. He was startled, got off balance, and he fell right into it. Then the door began to close on him. The gun either went off or he shot it to get away," she said.
"Damn, that would scare the crap out of most anybody." He grimaced as he walked toward the barn door, opened it and spoke quietly to an awaiting associate. "Sergeant Moore! We need a covered truck, perhaps a deuce and a half, as soon as possible and get at least six men. Let's call them pallbearers. It is for a high security operation with an armed guard escort."
Madge looked stunned as she exclaimed, "What for? My people put two security guards outside and a security camera inside and outside of this building. Whatever it is, it can wait till morning."
Drake was quite official as he insisted, "I want it moved out of here tonight. Too risky here, I'll explain later. Now, is that your professional opinion, that 'it is not from around here?' " Drake asked curiously as he studied her face. "For some reason, I had expected a little more from someone with your credentials."
Madge just smiled patronizingly and replied. "How should I know what it is? Obviously, it is of alien origin. Just look at the markings and draw your own conclusions. The technology is unknown and it is a very advanced level. Perhaps the critters who made it are a billion years ahead of us. It tried to grab the guy. What more do you want? And besides, I am not sure that I want it moved."
"Don't get huffy now. We do not know that it is alien, yet. But, yes, I understand what you mean with the strange unreadable symbols and all. It certainly does give that appearance doesn't it? Was there any prior warning?" Drake asked.
"No warning. No light, no noticeable sound. Why are you so interested in moving this thing? Haven't you been briefed yet? I was clearly instructed to take charge of this project, and I am doing just that."
"It's just my job to ask silly questions," he said rather flatly then continued. "I understand that one of your degree's is in ancient languages. What about all these writings or symbols that are on it?"
"Unidentifiable. As far as I can tell, none of the symbols are of earthly origin. They have no frame of reference to any known language, old or new. They are not Egyptian Hieroglyphics if that is what you are wondering. No! This thing is right out of a sci-fi novel, she replied. Why am I answering all the questions here?" she said while waiting impatiently for an answer to her question.
"Have you performed any metallurgical tests on it yet?" he continued. "Crude ones yes, the alloys that make up the outer enclosure are unidentifiable. They actually change colors sometimes as the light changes. It is fairly light in weight and yet it seems metallic or perhaps ceramic. Chemical tests yield nothing even with some acid tests. Surface optical spectroscopy provides nothing identifiable. We haven't had time, nor do we have the equipment, to do X-ray surface spectroscopy or any other good tests. Not yet. It doesn't respond to a metal locator as ferrous or nonferrous conductive. I have fed all the information that I have accumulated into my lab's computer. All it can say so far is that it is of unknown materials and origin."
"Yes, I know, I read all of your computer data entry already. Don't worry, I used a secure radio military-net link. How many people have seen this thing, and where is the farmer?" he continued. Drake thought silently, she is quite pretty. She looks familiar. Where have I seen her before?
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