"After Roswell" - A.H. Roberts (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗

found the star of my homeworld. Their definitions of the constellations are different. Yet I was able to pinpoint the location. So if my sense is wrong about a possible ship on the edge of the solar system. At least I have the location of my homeworld. Most of my research is done. Read a few books. Still I'm not tired. Too much on my mind. Plus, there isn't much to do right now. But wait for next day. Its better anyway. I'll take this moment to prepare the devices for installation at the radio station. While checking the devices. I start to place them in my secure case. Soon my stomach is feeling upset. All my years here. I never felt this before. My assumption? I might be under the weather. A human phase. Something I picked up. Being a human has weaken my system. It has me vulnerable to their diseases and infections. A virus has surfaced. I think? I'm not sure? I don't have any of my medication left. My stuff would have cured this by now. I'm not a doctor. Thats for one thing. At least a human physician. Really no idea how to treat this human infection? My bowel movements have been disrupted from food. I probably consume something that my stomach didn't agree with? Rushing to the bathroom. I vomit some undigested material. Feeling better. But my stomach is still bothering me. All this work and research has put a strain on my physical health. I'm thinking a little rest will calm things down on the inside. Visiting a local physician after work will give me a proper diagnosis on my illness. Only concern is. I hope this doctor doesn't discover my secret while performing the medical examination. Still I need to see a physician. Who then can give me the proper prescription. Eliminating the virus in my stomach. When things go right. There is always wrong that comes around. Nevertheless in the situation. Its the consequence of being human. Being vulnerable in your own environment. Shows the weakness these humans have. With a complex intelligent brain. It makes their physical body open to the dangers around them. I'm realizing these flaws of transforming into a human. How there constant conflictions give them pain. Which they must endure through day in and day out. But these humans mask such things. A uniform smile. Only hides there misery. Sickness, sadness, and pain is no way to live. I guess this is a life of a human. Which is hard for me to understand. Well with some rest. I might feel better in the morning. Maybe this illness won't interfere to much with my plans?


Chapeter 8
"Almost Here"


Visiting a doctor turned out to be a wise decision. He prescribe me some anti-viral medication that eliminated the infection in my stomach. Luckily he didn't see anything out of the ordinary that could of blown my cover. He was a little curious. Especially about how I could be walking around with such a infection. But he insured me on one condition. That he would not put my name in his report. The doctor recommend some time and rest. Which is wise to take such advice. Building up my energy for the events ahead. I leave the doctors office and back to my house outside of the city. I was able to finish the rest of the installations at the radio station before visiting the doctor. With that task done. I can now connect the rest of the radio towers and finally beam a message. I only have a few more towers left. Soon I'll be off this rock heading back home. Its getting dark fast. Need to make it out to the next tower. Not much time remains. As I don't want to miss the only chance of a possible rescue. Driving to the next location felt like it took hours. A constant replay of the same desert picture passing me left and right. Nothing seem to change. Time acted in a manner that I wasn't moving at all. But everything else around me continued on. Parking up next to the tower. I beam my headlights on the power box. I move fast to the gate, zapping it open. Just like before. I break open the box, taking out my tools. I'm such in a rush. I grab them. Practically without looking. Around the gate. With a quick zap. I have access to the power box. I'm working fantically with the wires and dropping sweat from my face like rain. Its taking more time to complete. Since I'm trying to knock out two birds with one stone. The other tower lies just a few miles from this location. So knocking out two towers tonight is running through my head. As I'm nearly finishing the connection to the tower. I hear a vehicle in the distance. At this moment I'm unable to locate where the vehicle is coming from. Soon a feeling of fear looms overhead. I hate that sense of fear. Being human its hard to bypass it. Like this power box. Its basically wired in. I pack up my tools and head to the gate running. Before I can get into my truck. Lights appear on my direction. So I dart behind my vehicle. A man exits, looking around for the owner of the truck. He shouts out. "Hello! Is anybody out here?" I try to think how to get out of this situation. He inches closer to the back of my truck. I go around the other direction. In my head I must avoid confrontation. But I can't let this man report what he found. Finding me tampering with the tower is only going to pull me back from my plans. I can't get arrested. Nor can I let this man go. He might expose me? I never thought of hurting a human being. Trapped, desperate for an escape. It looks like its my only alternative. With his back turned. I come from behind, putting my arm around his neck. My hand cuffs his mouth from making any unnecessary noise. Its still in my mind. What I should do? With him in a struggle. Unable to hold the man any longer. I zap his neck, knocking him out. He falls to the ground. I kneel next to the man. Checking his pulse with my fingers. I detect no heartbeat. No sign of life. I rip his shirt open. With my palm. I place it on his chest. Close to his heart. A small transference of energy. He trembles. But still no response. No more I can do for him. It wasn't my intention to kill this man. My powers were too much. Especially in my heighten state of fear. I pull myself back together. Stay focus on the mission. Thats what I say to myself. With my tools gathered. I start the truck and head to the next tower. When someone discovers the body. They might not think foul play?
I finish the other tower. Taking less time than before. I just wanted to get back to my house. Think about the events that happen tonight. Hard to believe. How I could kill one of these humans. Didn't know something like this would arise. Yet my thoughts and my actions were necessay to hide my secret. At any cost. But the feeling of sorrow is something I've experienced before. Twice that is. No excuse for this behavior. I could of prevented this man's death. I have mixed feelings sinking into my mind. Why being human is so hard to understand? How come I'm feeling this way? Walking into my newly acquired house. I sit back in the chair that came with the place. Dust and dirt flee from the chair, vanishing in the air. Because of the incident that took place. I decided to transmit the message later this week. With all the installations completed at the radio station. There will be no need to go into work. Calculating my progress. I think the towers connected should be strong enough. Then again. There is a chance its not enough power? Without the other towers. My message being sent could overload the comm systems and damage my devices. If that happens. I don't have a back-up plan for such a dilemma. Either I proceed on with plan. Or cancel it entirely. Probably await for another chance at a rescue attempt. Only problem. Will I have chance? Can I even stand being stuck here any longer? Severe dissapointment has hover over my mind. With morbid thoughts of ending my life. Sacrifice. Not suicide. I'll preserve my secret. Keep it with me in the afterlife. Still my mission requires me to get the information back to my people. Tell them about my experience on this world. The future goals of my world depends on me to deliver what is necessary. Its why I took this dangerous trip. I get up from my chair and check the command screen for any good news. Some sort of morse code has appear on the screen. I'm unable to deciper the code at this time. Yet the morse code is good indication that something is in this system and has receive the signal. They must be waiting for a actual response. I transmit another signal to keep them guessing and hopefully they'll come closer. Exhausted from the nights activities. I head to my bedroom. Nothing to do now. But wait for them to respond. I might wake up realizing this whole day was dream. That the man I killed is still alive. My luck can only take me so far.
I wake up with the decision to go forth with the plan of transmitting the message. Even risking the possibility of overloading the comm systems and my devices. If that happens I'll still get the message out into space. One problem about the message being sent out. There will be no way of knowing if the message will be receive. Heading toward the command screen. I look over the morse code from before. It reveals the answer to my question? Its a pirate ship. A little outside the Jupiter system, and approaching quickly. Hard to believe that I've been here for ten years and finally going home. Thats to say if all goes well? I take this time to pack up my equipment and preparations to leave. Might make a trip to the city and pick up some valuable items to take back with me. Needless to say. I have plenty of relics that I've collected over the years. Its better to stay here and wait near the command screen. Important to remain close-by. Something might appear on the monitor. Sitting in the dusty old chair. It shutters a memory in and out of my mind. Reminding me of times spent with Hank. Numerous occassions Hank became drunk and passing out in a old dusty chair just like this one. Amazing I still hold on to a memory from so long ago. A memory when I first got here and encounter Hank. A past time when I was an alien on a mission. Can't believe the transition and path I took just to blend in. I didn't learn on my own to become human. Because in a way I was taught to be one. Hank wasn't the best teacher. But he was good enough. Giving me somewhat good advice about this world and its inhabitats. Now I need a cover story to explain myself. Its on my mind about calling the radio station to inform them I'm ill. Better they not show up and arise. Sooner or later the man I killed will be discover. From that point. A investigation will be started. I must depart from this world quickly. Its not safe here. If no chance at a rescue. I still must leave this