Chapter 26
Two other aliens entered the room. "xzzx."
"These others will accompany grandfather. They never go to the surface alone."
"What are they wearing?" Caroline asked. "It looks like a child's pajamas, with those attached shoes!"
"Those are the anti-gravity suits." Sharon said as her grandfather and the other also donned one. "xzzx."
"xzzx."
"I asked how the suits work. Grandfather says the suit generates an anti-gravity field within it and about 6 inches outside it. The field is automatically controlled to give a weight on each foot of the equivalent of 25 lb, and turns on when the weight on each foot exceeds 50 lb."
"Why do you care?" Caroline asked. "We won't be using them!"
"Actually we will," Sharon replied. "I asked for an extra one to use to protect the tape recorder."
"xzzx."
"xzzx," Sharon replied. "They're ready to go. I told them that rather than leaving by their normal entrance, that we would leave through the hole we made in their hull when we entered. That way, we can more easily find the capsule."
The group of eight left the apartment and went into the park area. Spotting the hole in the ceiling, Sharon walked over underneath it. "xzzx."
Sharon reached down and picked up her grandfather in her arms. "You each carry one alien," she said. "See you up top."
With that, Sharon jumped into the air. She had judged correctly, and landed easily on the planet's surface. She gently placed her grandfather on the ground.
"xzzx," he said.
"xzzx." "I know, granddad, but I can't help it. Clothes just don't hold up to these conditions!"
The other three women soon joined Sharon on the surface.
"Caroline, can you fix that hole?" Sharon asked.
"Sure."
Sharon watched in fascination as Caroline first bent the heavy metal back into position. Then she ran her fingers over the gap from the tear. Faster and faster her fingers went, until they were mere blurs! The metal began glowing, brighter and brighter, until it started to melt from the heat of friction. Caroline then stopped her motion, and gently blew on the metal to cool it, forming a perfect weld!
Sarah and Caroline then filled in the hole with the dirt they had dug up earlier.
The group began walking towards the mountain range in the distance. The aliens walked easily, leaving no footprints. The women also walked easily, but they sank up to their ankles in the dirt.
As they walked, Sarah asked, "Your grandfather said earlier that our God and their God were related, but how about the grays? Do they have a God and is he related to our Gods?"
"xzzx," Sharon asked.
"xzzx."
"He says that yes, the grays have a God and He is related to our Gods.
"He senses from your question that you are wondering how it is that the grays look different from us. There are two reasons. The first reason is related to what we see on Earth. A Scot looks different from an Asian, but yet both are descended from Adam. What that means is that we can have a general feel for what God looks like, with two arms, two legs, a neck and a head; but we don't know any particulars, such as eye color. The grays fall within these general parameters.
"He also says that when God creates an animal or plant, that He creates what is basically a prototype with DNA that is not 'set'. For about the first 10-20 generations, this DNA can change rapidly, but afterwards, seldom changes at all. He says this is an easy way to create, that the basic animals are created and allowed to evolve to an ideal condition. God can keep the big picture, without being bogged down in details.
"The grays come from a very old race. Although after setting, DNA rarely changes, nevertheless, given sufficient time, you will see changes, and that is what has happened to the grays. After eons of having others subjugated to them and performing their work, the grays have atrophied to an extent. They are descendents of a warrior race not know for intelligence, this characteristic has stayed with them. Although they are good at copying, they have great difficulty in coming up with anything new. But their warrior genes still make them a formidable foe."
"Ask him about the life on this planet," Caroline said. "About how it is too delicate."
"xzzx."
"xzzx."
"He says there is life on the planet because his people like life and enjoy seeing living things when they come to the surface. He agrees that there is not much variety, but that is the best their scientists have been able to do. They have modified DNA, but there is a limit to how much modification you can do and still have a living organism. Once you go beyond that limit, the spirit which causes life, withdraws from the body and death results. They're not sure why the spirit withdraws, but it seems the limit is so rigid that they can only surmise that the spirit must have some type of 'deal' with God to only inhabit a certain type of body."
"Well, we're on the mountain," Amazon Girl said. "Does anyone see the capsule?"
"There it is!" shouted Caroline, pointing the way.
The group quickly proceeded and soon the cable came into view, still lying on the ground.
"xzzx," Sharon said.
Her grandfather held open the spare anti-gravity suit as Sharon began filling the legs with dirt. He started to struggle with the weight, but then relaxed as the suit turned on. Seeing this, Sharon stopped moving dirt and tied the legs so the dirt remained in position.
"All right, here is the plan," Sharon said. "Caroline, take the cable in one hand and jump up to the capsule. Hand over hand the cable as you are rising, to pull yourself into the capsule. Once in the capsule, drop the cable back down to the ground. I will attach the suit to the cable and wave at you. Once you see me wave, pull the suit up to the capsule, place the tape recorder in the suit, and lower it back down to the ground. OK?"
"OK." Caroline did as instructed, and soon the suit with tape recorder was back on the ground. Sharon untied the suit and gave it to her grandfather.
"xzzx." "Just press this button to hear the message. If you want to hear it again, press this button and then the first button."
"xzzx."
The two embaced. Tears filled both their eyes, but then Sharon regained composure.
"Sarah, you're next," Sharon said. "Grab the cable and jump, hand over hand it to pull yourself into the capsule. Once inside, press the button and let the cable drop back down to the ground."
"The button?"
"There's only one. It will cause the reactor to go to full power. The capsule should start to pull away from the planet, but it should be slow enough to give Amazon Girl and myself time to grab the cable."
Sarah did as instructed and soon the cable was back on the ground.
"Amazon Girl, you're next," Sharon said. "But wait until the cable leaves the ground. Then jump up and hand over hand the cable to pull yourself inside. Then release the cable."
Amazon Girl did as instructed. But the reactor was producing more power than Sharon had thought, the capsule was pulling away quickly. The cable, instead of falling to within a few feet of the surface, was now hundreds of feet above the surface!
"Oh my God!" thought Sharon. "Can I make it?"
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