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

from my pack. While walking down a small trail. I study the map. Its going to take some examination of the area to match the coordinates on the map. Have to find common landmark features to give me sense of where I'm at. I keep going north. Its the most logical direction.
To regain what I lost in the explosion. On my trek, to pretty much nowhere. I collect samples. Record my log. Update my journal. I take a few breaks. But still. It just keeps me busy. I also capture specimens on my journey. Pretty much I restarted the mission all over again. I decide to shut all the windows of incidents that took place a few years ago. So with the hot sun beating me into submission. I take a rest in a shaded corner. Hours of walking. With no particular location. It has overheated my body. I ingest a hydrate pill to regain lost fluids. Energize myself for another trek to nowhere. For now that is. With limit power source around. I keep the wristband indicator off. A resourceful use for an emergency tool. A compass obtain from the local store and pencil will suffice. So looking for a water and other resources. It will be an observation method only. Peering through the binoculars. I find nothing but dirt and cacti. I decide to set-up camp here. No more breaks. As I've became more tired than usual. Not having the endurance from years ago. Plenty of sun remains in the sky for now. I'll need firewood and materials when the temperture drops. So with the night hours away. I gather resources, littering the ground. I bring a stack of wood and branches up to the campsite. In the plain and useless desert. There is always something of value to use. I return back with more firewood. I dig a small pit for the fire that will burn later tonight. Building a fire deters predators from entering the camp. I'll probably stay up all night. Not getting a wink of sleep. Scared and confused. If leaving the cave was a good idea? What the hell is the plan? Should I return to the town? But alot of time has passed since I've been back. Also unsolve events still have to be answer for. So in a way I can't go back to a town. That brings up memories. Memories that could distract me from my mission again. Must keep a low profile in order to get off this world. A profile I should have had from the beginning. I made calculated decisions for the interest of research only. But some research was for my curiousity as well. I indulge in human pleasures that developed emotions and experiences. Experiences that open a new entry for our archives. Observations revealed new behavior that isn't exhibit in other civilizations. During my dark days in that cave. My mistakes always haunted me when falling asleep. Plenty has been learned about the errors in judgement that were made. I wasn't myself. Somehow the transformation was too much for my mind and body to handle. But I don't think a defect or flaw had developed during the transformation into human form. Either way my mind has return to me. Entering a identity that was filed away and the cabinet closed. Now night has arrived. Uprooted the sounds of the wild out from their homes. During the night. Some predators are more active. Looking for weak and timid prey. Prey that is tucked away. Asleep for tonite. Or even hunting down dinner that roams alone. At this point. I have no friends or comrade to assist me in any dangerous sitituation. My blaster was left in the explosion. So no weapon for protection. But I've retained some knowledge from the human's reading material. During the following morning. I'll construct a weapon. Digging into my primitive nature that has been avoided by most intelligent beings.
The wildlife tamed after a few hours. Retreating back into their homes before the morning sunrise. A wolf or two poked their heads into the light from the fire that burn. Never did they notice me huddled in the corner. Soon afterward. Silence forces it return. This makes falling asleep alot easier. I mostly absorb the collective viewings from the day. But tonight I'll dream of something new. I'll have a dream just like Hank. A paradise as he called it. With rest and energized for the new day. I slowly crack my eyes. I could of slept a little longer. But the shaded location is being blasted by the morning Sun. It forces movement. I head north once again. In the open desert the wildlife is vacant during the day. A buzzer or snake are the usual creatures I encounter most. Whlile roaming the desert. A metallic object reflects from the shining of the Sun. While picking it up. I notice its crudely curved. This could make for a good weapon. I look around the area some more. There is sturdy stick lying on the ground. Not natural in design. But must have been crafted or produced. Anyway this will do for a handle. Tying the ends together. I swing the primitive weapon. Just to make sure its secured. Other debris is scattered around from where the metallic object was found. Some examination of the materials reveals its from a human aircraft. But advance from other aircraft. Especially those I've seen in some reading material. On maps I look at earlier. The Rio Grande River should be around here. Not sure about the exact location. But can't be far. With no water stored. It could be hard to continue the journey. With a stroke of luck. I see the river in the distance. Can't be for certain if that is running water or a mirage? Sometimes the hot weather can play tricks with your eyes. I Might be an alien. But I also can fall victim to natures illusions as well. Even in my binoculars. This image is the same. I walk to the source of possible water. After a few paces from the source. It does turn out to be true. I've stumble onto H20. I take a drink from the flowing river. Kneel down like an animal. I drink as much as I can. A replenish of fluids from the miles trek that was evaporated from my body. I finish filling the canteens. Where I continue my journey to the to a new location. A location to rebuild my resources that were lost in the explosion. On the map. I head northeast, changing direction. Could take that trip into Utah and take a look at the Great Salt Lake. Passing through heading toward California like I talked about long ago. A quick route of the coordinates. It seems I need to head toward city of Sante Fe. In the city. I will gather up items of importance that could further my journey. With no money and attentions to stay long. I'll have to steal. As its the only way to obtain such items. From Santa Fe. I cross the Rio Grande reaching Los Alamos. Pass that city lies the Chaco Canyons. Mountain climbing will be tough in this fragile body. But will keep me concealed till I'll reach the Four Corners. A area that conjoins all four states. I'll continue the observations and research of this world. As I get away from the past memories of tragedy, death, and love. Which is fading from thought ever so fast. When I finally get away from this world. Maybe I'll be able to forget. But not totally forget all the memories. Just the ones I suppress. Those are the ones I feel most love and dire compassion for. As they were my only friends on Earth.
So many days walking in the desert sun. I resort to sleeping in the cold dry nights. A distance between me and the comforts of human life. After a few hours. I finally come up to a familar sight. Roads and signs become visible. Something I'm more accustomed to when I first arrived here. As I'm walking. I stay off the roads and more near the desert. At least until I reach the outskirts of the city. Don't want driver-bys to slow down and ask me a bunch of questions. Trying to keep a low profile. Get my resources and move on to the next location. No more do I want to blend in with human society. I think my research has uncover enough intel about these humans. I begin to tire from the journey's walk. I rest up against some solitary boulders. Because only these boulders inhabit this portion of the desert. While miles lay ahead of me. Open space with no end. A universal plain. I soon fall asleep. After several minutes I begin to dream. My dream reveals to me familar faces. These faces are my people. But just not any people. These individuals serve under me on numerous explorations. They became my brothers. All because of the dangers we encounter. Sticking together like a pack or family. My men didn't have any families or someone they cared about. Dedication to duty was their life. I myself did find that person to form a family. She died many years ago. A little after our son was born. Ofcourse. Because of my position. He was raised by the counsel and later the academy. It was my son's choice to follow in my footsteps. Exploring new worlds and learning more about the colossal universe we all inhabit. Instead of being a explorer. He joined the colonal army. Protection of our colonies and providing security for terra engineering projects. Since I rarely saw my son. This crew I speak of became the only family for me. In my command I always thought about my crew's safety. Never did I put my own goals ahead of their lives. Something came over me that time we arrive here. Especially before the explosion. I didn't want to abort the missions. My final report after my discharge always ran through my mind while stranded here. That completing the mission was a good way to end my career. Unfortuately I ended their careers and lives in the process. Yet these faces have been haunting me the past couple of days. When dreams like this reveal themselves to me. Something is lurking in reality. It could be a psychological link has open up? Someone from the past, communicating with me through my cortex. Like that voice that urged me to proceed on with the mission. To gain the strength on getting rescue and let my crew live on in memory. Dedicating this mission to them I will. Bring the necessary intel and report my findings. Tell them that my brothers did their job. With their lives. They went further than any other explorer would dare. They had a choice to remain with the fleet and pursue other endeavors. Knowing my crew. They all came aboard on this mission. Committing themselves to the same dangers I would face. These men would follow me into gamma ray burst. But during my time here. I do hear many voices. Hank sometimes speaks to me in my dreams. Or so I think? I do have visions of Mary. There is a voice that has haunted me from the start. Shortly after that connection with my son. It was strong. A feeling of happiness. One who I share conversations with that envolve us in the old times. He was my parther. But we grew into more than that. He became my friend. So now I start to wonder about these voices or voice? That maybe the navigator never died? I mean he was alive when those military personel took him away years ago. Still that can't be the case. After all this time how could he be alive? If this voice