Not Like Us

How different can visitors from another world be? What if they were 'too different'?

Ten-year-old Johnny Ames saw it first. He was building a sand castle and the girls were teasing him. He ignored them as best he could. He didn't care if they thought he was too old for building a sand castle. He carried on. He made the towers, then built up the walls between the towers. The walls had to be straight. He was making sure the wall was straight and looked out over the gulf while doing so. 

He went back to making the other wall and looked down again to make sure it was straight, and that was when he noticed the shape was bigger. He sat up, still kneeling on the beach. He thought it was a cloud or something, but it was definitely coming toward shore. He watched to see if he could see it getting bigger as it came closer. That was when the girls began to scream. They saw him looking at it and they did, too, and didn't know what it was, so they got scared. Johnny looked at them with an expression of, what good does screaming do, and when he looked back, it was even closer. 

Everybody saw it now. Everybody was running up and down the beach, screaming, yelling. The girls ran to their parents. Johnny's dad was calling to him, but he sat still. The shape came closer to the shore, casting a huge shadow over the water. Then it reached land and still proceeded, never stopping. The only distinction was everyone was gradually plunged into darkness when it was overheard. 

Then it was over Johnny. He looked up at it, as did everyone else. It was a large, smooth surface, seemingly metallic. It seemed high in the air, but no one could determine how high. There was all but a sensation you could reach up and touch it. Johnny just watched it slowly move over him and the beach, then it moved on. He sat in sunshine once more. He turned to look at the object making its way inland. He stood up and took a few steps. His dad was now watching it as well. Ever so slowly, the large disc just moved away from the gulf and away from the beach. 

It came on land near the Stennis Space Center, so locals immediately began suspecting that had something to do with it, but it gave no sign of hesitating at this location. The near flat oval surface continued on its slow journey, moving further inland. 

As it journeyed upward, there were those not entirely in its path who began calling radio stations and insisting it was their mother ship, coming to take them with it. They declared the mysterious image was coming directly toward their location, their home. They'd give out their address on the air. Others stood outside as tho they expected to be teleported up as it moved over. Even closed their eyes. 

The craft continued on its way, making nary a sound. No hint of light, nothing. 

As one location was passed over, new voices spoke up, insisting they were actually the intended target the vessel was coming for. As it approached, they would recall to anyone who would listen (usually a radio or tv station) about when they were taken aboard the craft and begin describing the interior they knew so well. 

And once again, the floating ship would pass over their presence as well, with no hint of stopping. 

Slowly the device maneuvered over the land of trees and dwellings, slightly veering west as tho it were giving the impression it was following highway 49. This of course led to the state capital of Jackson, but no one could fathom what the strange object or anyone who might be within would have to do with Jackson, Mississippi? 

The form continued on its path, adjacent with the highway below. Only then did the voices grow quiet, now that everyone had an idea of where it was possibly going. No one in the direction of the highway came forward to identify as the target of the flying circle, nor did anyone in Jackson. They waited to see. 

Aircraft had been sent up to determine any kind of threat, but none was determined. The shape ventured on, slowly making its way up the highway. All along the stretch of territory, the inhabitants stood outside to see it, holding up their phones when it moved over. News vans followed along beneath it. Everyone just watched it quietly glide through the air. 

In the state capital, no one knew what to do. Surely it was going to continue on beyond their location. Maybe on to Vicksburg, or perhaps it was heading on to Memphis. Yes, surely that must be what it was after. Jackson, Mississippi, had nothing to offer. Some people began insisting it was a threat to them. It needed to be taken down. Why didn't those planes shoot it down? Slowly it edged on. It reached Florence, then proceeded on up to levitating over Jackson. 

Once it reached the city airspace, it still continued floating quietly. The military had moved in, was waiting to see what might happen, but so were many of the city's residents who were just unable to evacuate, even tho they may have made it in the timespan the voyage allowed them, it would have been too chaotic trying to do it with any order, so it was decided to just leave everyone where they were when it arrived. 

"Is it looking for a hotel? It's looking for a hotel!" someone was saying. 

"No, it's heading to the civil rights museum!" someone else shouted, giving the impression this was the target. 

The flat sphere did indeed give all impressions it was going to the museum, then it stopped, and levitated silently. Directly over the state fairgrounds. Near the coliseum. No one said a word. No one speculated on anything. They simply watched and waited. 

After a brief bit, four metallic looking legs slowly extended down from different corners on the round instrument. The legs seemed to secure themselves to the grounds, and only then did the people hear the strange hum, as tho engines were shut off. There was another pause, bit longer, but then the door opened underneath the ship and a diagonal platform descended to the Earth. This time the wait seemed to take forever, but finally, a figure emerged. One lone figure. He quietly walked down the ramp and reached the ground and said nothing to anyone. 

By all possible detection, as various video devices and news cameras zoomed in on the long figure, he appeared humanoid, African in origin. A tall, very dark, bearded black man. He must be security, someone speculated. 

A second figure came down, also male and as it turned out, also African in appearance. The deduction definitely went up these were security personnel. 

A third fellow now followed, but in a different costume, then a fourth in a similar costume to the first two. All four were visibly black men. 

Then the fourth man spoke. Everyone was too far away to hear what he said, but some cameras were focused in closely on him and could see his mouth move. As it turned out later, when lip readers were asked to determine what he said, they confirmed it was no Earth language of any kind. 

But now that there appeared to be a point for speaking, media and other outlets scrambled to set up microphones and recording devices near the talking alien's point of dialogue. As camera men and sound crew moved by the aliens already on the ground, it was apparent the beings were not standing to attention as if prepared to fight. They were quite casual in their regard. 

Microphones were placed all about where the other fellow had spoke, cameras were trained on the same location, as next down the ramp came what appeared to be the first woman. She too seemed African. Likewise, she didn't say a word, and stepped aside, but to the opposite. 

Another black female emerged, followed by a black male, descending the ramp, and they stopped at the same spot the previous one had when he spoke. Everyone waited in anticipation as to what they might say, if they spoke. And they spoke. He did, anyway. 

In a totally incoherent language. 

"Is it African?" one fellow asked. He was told negative. 

This man and the woman stepped to the same side, with the four men, leaving the woman standing alone on the other side. 

Cameras were placed closer to the standing point when the aliens came down the ramp. One or two would descend, then a third one would speak. Two men, one woman, then the next person would speak. Two people would come down, step aside, then two more and they would speak. With absolutely no apparent pattern. 

And all those who did speak did so in the same alien language. 

"it's not African." 

Three women seemed to be middle Eastern. A man and two women seemed Asian. Only one of the middle Eastern women spoke, again in the same language. 

"No, it is not Arabic."

In the end, 24 beings emerged from the spaceship. Their design and makeup gave no hint to position, authority or purpose. The last person out was a seemingly small native woman to the American continent; a tribal native of some sorts. She spoke no words. 

Once the figures were assembled, all 24, whether there were any more on the craft or not, they began mulling about. One or two approached the microphones and spoke in them. 

"The language is not African." 

Medical staff came forward to see if they could study something about the aliens, but there seemed to be no interest in cooperating. One of the men motioned toward the automobiles parked nearby. Several other figures stood behind him. 

"Do they want to ride in the cars and trucks?" someone asked. Efforts were made to show the beings what the vehicles could do. The drivers carefully took off with their new passengers, as well as others who could assist them if necessary. 

A second assortment of figures came forward. A woman stepped up to the microphones. Do they think the microphones are how they make requests? Nobody could tell. 

Once this group seemed dispersed to give them tours, three more figures stepped forward and once again, they were led away. 

"Where do we take them?" 

"Show them the sights. See how they react." 

About six of the aliens remained standing below the ship. They weren't the first six off, nor were they the last six. There was no pattern to who remained with the craft. 

After scrutiny to the best of their abilities of the visitors, scientists came forward to clarify the aliens in an alphabetical manner. 

"The first one down from the craft will be designated Amos. The second one will be Bud. The third one will be Cob. The fourth one will be Dez. The fith person is Ella."

The press listened to the assigned names. Some of them noticed there seemed to be a pattern of sorts used for the figures. 

"Then we have Lee, followed by May, then Ned."

"Excuse me, sir. Excuse me, but there are no really distinctive names of sorts being given to the aliens? The two Asian men are Joe and Kim?"

"The tenth and eleventh beings were Asian in appearance, so we gave them alphabetical names."

"Joe and Kim." 

"Yes, Joe and Kim." 

All through the alphabet the names were called out, with the very last one, the native American seeming woman, being tagged with the name, Zee. 

A couple of local dignitaries approached the aliens remaining at the spacecraft and sought to speak with them. 

"May we board your craft?" 

The beings simply stared back. One turned and spoke to another, with no idea what was said. 

One fellow made a gesture to walk up the ramp and was stopped. 

"Well, we aren't wanted on their ship. They get to walk all over the place, ride around, but we don't get to see how they live." 

"Let's not push things. Wait to see how the others who have ventured out react." 

Some of the aliens were taken to a local club to listen to some local music; truly some of the best blues music around. 

The visitors didn't seem impressed. 

"They didn't like the blues music?" 

"No. Should they have?" 

"I thought everybody liked the blues." 

"Well, Oba, Pet and Rio didn't." 

A few other aliens visited a local church. 

"First we took them to a Catholic church, got no reaction there, so we took them to the fundamentalist holy-rollin' church." 

"Nothing?" 

"Nothing. They must be atheists." 

"We're not going to bother taking them to an atheist meeting." 

"Do atheists have meetings?"

A couple of the aliens were allowed to visit a hospital, and only while departing the location, they viewed elderly folks sitting outside a nearby nursing home. They seemed interested and wanted to visit, so their guides took them. The aliens viewed the elderly figures, frail and in wheelchairs and spoke to them in their dialect. 

One elderly woman griped, "I can't understand them," but the aliens persisted. it was as tho they wanted to greet each of the elderly persons, bed-ridden, wheelchairs, it didn't matter. 

"What if we take them to a homeless shelter?" 

This was attempted with two aliens and they seemed disinterested. 

"So the only reaction we have so far was the elderly. Take some of them to a hospital and let them visit the maternity ward. See what happens there." 

The reaction was phenomenal. The aliens, a male and a female, behaved as if they were honored to see the newborns, even seemed unwilling to speak in their presence. 

"We took Zee to a movie. She didn't seem to like it." 

Night settled over the land. Any and all forms of late night antics gained no response of interest or even curiosity from the beings. Those outside the spaceship seemed to take turns in guarding the ramp. Military guard were placed around them as well to keep any thrill-seekers from drawing near. 

And with the morning sunrise, the aliens stirred, arose and began walking, seemingly all at the same time, or in a pattern of some sorts. 

Dez, Cob and Amos seemed far away. Once it was realized they were moving, an effort was made to drive them, but with no idea where it was they wanted to go. 

"Do they want to go back to the spaceship?" 

"We don't know." 

"Bud showed up and is standing at the ramp." 

So Amos, Dez and Cob were driven back to the spaceship, to see if this was what they wanted. 

Amos ascended the ramp first, then Bud, then Cob and finally Dez. 

"They're returning in the order they arrived. Who's next?" 

"Ella. Where is she?" 

Crowds were beginning to gather, many of whom had not left the night before. 

"Are you leaving? Why are you leaving?" the shouts went at Ella, who had stayed nearby, being shown the meals at a local restaurant. She didn't seem excited by the menu. 

Ella slowly walked toward the spaceship and made her way up the ramp. 

Everyone was checking lists of the names, watching for the figure. Which one was next? Where is he? Where is she? 

"What did they want from us? Why are they leaving?" 

Nobody knew the answers. The crowd was starting to panic. 

High atop a local building, a nervous young man made his way with his high-powered rifle. He was going to stop them. They weren't getting away with the information they gleamed from Earth. he aimed his weapon, ready to shoot. 

Joe was next, walking up the sidewalk to the desired location. He moved casually, in no hurry. He looked at no one. People called out to him. 

The shooter far up on the building was going to do what had to be done. He aimed his gun at Joe, was ready to pull the trigger. 

A man leapt out of the crowd with a pistol and shot Joe. Screams followed. The crowd poured about. Joe fell to the pavement. The intended shooter high up on the building stared in disbelief. 

Law enforcement wrestled the gunman on the ground. Others ran to Joe to see if they could help him. There appeared to be no blood. The gunman was shouting the aliens had to be stopped. 

"I'm a medical professional! I can help!" a young man was yelling. 

Kim slowly made his way toward Joe, lying in the road. People were yelling to Kim what assistance Joe needed, what they wanted to offer. 

Kim paid them no mind. He gathered Joe up in his arms and carried him toward the spacecraft. 

People felt bad now, whereas before they distrusted the aliens for leaving, now they couldn't blame them, after what happened to Joe.  

May was already at the spacecraft. Kim walked by her, carrying Joe. They made their way up the ramp. Lee entered the location from the far gate that was open. Once he boarded, May followed. Ned showed up riding in a truck about an hour later. 

"We can't stop them. Can we stop them? Somebody already tried. It seems they are ready to leave. And we don't know why they were here." 

Still following the Earth named order the aliens didn't realize had been given them, they continued on entering the spaceship. 

Una, Vic, Wok and Yam were some of the last ones. 

All that was left was Zee. The small woman made her way back to her transport. All forms of people mulled about her. What was going to happen when Zee boarded? Were they going to start firing on Earth? Were they going to atomize the planet? 

People were nervy once more. Someone threw a bottle in her direction, but it didn't hit her. She continued on, undeterred. 

"Where all did Zee go?" 

"She visited the civil rights museum and she ate at a fast food joint. Then she was shown to a hotel for the night." 

Zee followed essentially the same path others had taken; walking toward the area, which she had never seen before yesterday, walking alongside the gate, entering and slowly she drew near to the spacecraft. 

Everyone became silent. No sound was made as Zee walked up the ramp. Zee hadn't spoke when she arrived and now she wasn't speaking again. Not even a good bye. 

"Why would they say good bye after we shot Joe?" 

When Zee entered, the ramp did likewise and was pulled up into the ship. Two people sought to run toward the ship as if they would grasp the ramp and be pulled in as well, but they were too slow, too far away. 

Once the ramp was no longer visible, the ship was silent. So were all the observers. Then the legs likewise were drawn up into the craft where they disappeared. The disc seemed to hover in mid-air, then a gradual hum was heard that grew louder, until it reached a deafening roar. People covered their ears with their hands, turned away, closed their eyes. 

Recording devices, such as news cameras, toppled over or were tossed about. The circle was pinning, like a blade, creating a massive wind. The crowd was being tossed to and fro and just as they expected the worst, the ship rose straight up into the air, continuing up into the clouds. 

Military craft sought to follow, but as expected, the mystery stayed in the same direction, heading up into the stratosphere and into outer space. Then it vanished. 

Almost immediately, the whole thing was declared a publicity stunt. No one could decide what kind, but oh, obviously it was fake, with actors who had left the area, possibly left the country. The disc was deemed nothing more than a balloon. 

"We were visited by alien beings and now everyone wants it to be a hoax," one local figure noted. "Could it be because none of the visitors were fair-haired, blue-eyed or ruddy in complexion? Because of this, the visit by aliens has been deemed nothing more than a hip hop promotional stunt for a concert, simply because observers of the strangers decided they were not like us."

Well, not like all of us.