I paused to let this really sink in. “Once landed, these ships will open up so they can be boarded and inspected. They will also fly the leaders of each country, and a handful of guests invited by such leaders, around the world and into space, just to show off a little.”
“I know what everyone is thinking,” said Mark Russell after a few seconds had passed. “That what Jason has just said is preposterous. And it is. But it turns out that I’ve taken a trip in one of these craft myself,” he added with a giddy grin. “Which is how Jason convinced me that everything he said was true. Nothing can erase skepticism faster that a ride in one of these ships. Because it’s not around the world in eighty days. It’s more like around the world in eighty minutes—and that was at a leisurely pace.”
If that didn’t get his audience’s attention, nothing would. And when the ships really did arrive in two days at world capitals, as promised, my appearance would be replayed over and over again, and every one of my words would be pored over with a fine-tooth comb. Overnight, I would become the most famous person on the planet. An ironic result, as I had never sought out the spotlight, happy that an author of my limited stature could easily blend into the scenery.
“So let us have it, Jason,” finished the host. “Tell us what you’ve discovered.”
“With pleasure,” I said. “Although I should warn your audience that it will be somewhat complicated and elaborate, and will take quite a while to explain. I won’t be sharing how I came to have this information, but believe me, it was quite the wild ride.”
“Now that’s something you didn’t share with me beforehand,” said the host. “Can you tell us what you mean?”
“Just that discovering the answers turned out to be quite, ah—dangerous, Mark. Crazy, really. I was taken prisoner by humans and aliens alike. I was in a jet that basically disintegrated around me at thirty thousand feet. I traveled inside a UFO, and also under one, suspended in midair. And that was just the beginning.”
There was so much more I could have said, but now wasn’t the time. I could have teased nanites, and enhancements, and the Swarm, and mind control, but I knew that what I had just teased would be more than enough to pique the audience’s interest.
“You really should write a book about your experiences,” said Mark Russell enthusiastically. “Sounds like it would be quite the real-life page turner. A writer like you could provide an exciting, colorful sense of these events for historical purposes.”
“An intriguing idea, I have to admit,” I replied. I raised my eyebrows. “You never know. Perhaps someday I’ll do just that.”
“I hope you do,” said the host. He smiled. “But my audience will lynch me if I don’t shut up already and let you continue, so please go ahead.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Mark. For the rest of the show, I’ll be telling you about a number of things. About multiple intelligences that have banded together into a benevolent Federation. About the indispensable role that humanity is destined to play in the very survival and evolution of all life in our galaxy. About a threat twelve hundred light years away, one so dangerous we need to begin preparing for it now.”
I paused and leaned in toward the camera for effect. “And finally, I’ll be telling you about what turns out to be our races’ superpower. The source of our strength. The reason that we’ll prevail and ultimately lead all life in our galaxy into a new age.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “And I have no doubt that this last revelation will be the most surprising of them all.”
Author’s Discussion of the Novel
Thanks for reading Unidentified. I hope that you enjoyed it. If you’re interested in reading other novels I’ve written, I’ve included a complete list of my books, embedded with links to their Amazon pages, at the end of this section, along with my author bio.
At the conclusion of most of my novels, I include a section detailing what in the work is real, and what isn’t, along with a few personal anecdotes—and these sections have been very well received. So here I go again, beginning with a passage about how I came to write this novel.
But first, if you enjoyed this book, I’d be grateful if you could help spread the word by recommending it to friends and family, and posting about it on social media. And if you get a few minutes, please also consider writing a sentence or two about the novel in a review box on Goodreads and Amazon, so others will know what’s in store for them.
I love hearing from readers and always respond to email messages, so please feel free to write to “Doug” at [email protected]. Finally, you can visit my website, www.douglaserichards.com—where you can sign up to be notified of new releases—or Friend me on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author.
So now, without further ado, I’ll get right to it. I’ve listed the subjects I’ll be covering below in order of appearance. Since research and interpretations can differ, I encourage you to explore these topics further to arrive at your own conclusions. And if you aren’t interested in an early topic on this list, feel free to skip ahead to one that might interest you more.
How this novel came to be, and other personal anecdotes
Plea to ET
Am I Jason Ramsey?
How this novel came to be
First person
My fantasy chapter
Being a writer in the age of targeted marketing.
What UFO information presented in chapters 1-4 is real? (hint, all of it)
Is Artificial SuperIntelligence (ASI) dangerous to humanity?
The Goldilocks Zone for life
Einstein’s happiest thought (possibly implanted by aliens)
Is consciousness a quantum effect?
Is the universe itself conscious?
Nanites
Are Elfin Forest and other settings real? Is Elfin Forest haunted?