The Dark Somnium - "Alien abductions are real and they’re worse than you think"

Episode Date: August 30, 2023

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Most of you hearing this account won't believe my story. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't lived through the horror. To the best of my knowledge, only two people have ever survived this hell and made it back to Earth in one piece, and sadly, the other is no longer living. As for myself, I was warned by government suits of the very serious consequences which would follow if I ever went public with my story. But I've decided to do so anyway, because I believe people. People need to know what's really out there, and I fear the truth will become apparent soon enough, as an intergalactic war is coming to our doorstep. As with most of their abduction victims, I'm not special or important.

In fact, I was at the lowest rung of society, a down-and-out who'd fallen on hard times as I lost my job, my home, and fell victim to an alcohol addiction, sleeping rough and filling my belly with cheap vodka to keep myself warm at night. My confession to having an alcohol problem will surely bring my account into question, but I can assure you that I was quite sober when the events all described took place. On the night in question, I'd taken refuge in an abandoned bus shelter, set along a lonely back road, falling asleep under the stars after I'd emptied my bottle. I don't know at what time I was awoken, but I do vividly remember my senses were simultaneously

overloaded, my ears ringing with a deafening buzzing sound and my eyes temporarily blinded by an intense white light. Suddenly and inexplicably, I felt my body rising off the bench, my form being pulled upwards into the night sky. My last memory was of a dark, cigar-shaped aircraft in the sky above me, and to my horror, I realized I was being pulled towards it. But then I felt myself falling out of consciousness. My eyes closed. closing as my whole world went dark. I awoke an indeterminable length of time later in a very alien place, quite literally. The first thing I noticed was the pain I felt throughout my body, a dull throbbing as my bones and joints all ached simultaneously. And then I felt the cold as I discovered that

my body was completely naked, my clothes gone as I lay against cold metal, my skin freezing and body shaking. It caused me physical pain to open my eyes, but when I did, there was little I could see, because the steel-plated room was dark, only dimly lit by a faint red light. It was at this point that I panicked, quickly standing up on my trembling legs as I darted toward the wall, but I didn't get far as suddenly I experienced a shooting pain pulsating through my body, feeling like I'd been hit by a bolt of lightning. I screamed in agony, falling down to the cold, hard floor as I reached from my throat and was horrified to find a metal collar secured around my neck.

In an act of panic desperation, I tore at the collar, trying to remove it, but instead being hit with another surge of electricity that tore through me. I wouldn't do that if I were you. Called out a voice from the darkness. His tone surprisingly calm, given the circumstances. The shock collar is programmed to go off if you make any sudden movements. or if you try to remove it. The voltage will steadily increase

until you either lose consciousness or your heart stops. I experienced a flood of emotions upon hearing his words. Confusion, anger, and fear, but I listened to the stranger's voice, not wishing to go through that pain again. Slowly, I opened my dry lips

and stuttered out my words. Who are you? And what the hell is this place? My name is Gideon. and I am like you, a prisoner here. Is there anyone else there? I asked cautiously. Yes.

Came the first response. I'm Tanya and I don't know why I'm here. There was a pause before the next voice called out of the darkness, his voice trembling as he spoke. Max, I'm Max. I don't know why this is happening. I want to go home. I'm sure we all do.

Answered Gideon. But alas, that's not. not going to happen. I shook my head, imagining this must be some kind of vivid nightmare, but in my heart, I knew it was real. You haven't answered my question. I answered, as my fear began to turn into rage. Where the hell are we?

And who's done this to us? I heard Gideon sneering before he replied. Well, technically, that's two questions, but I'm happy to help. Although I suspect you may not like the answers, it's difficult to explain in words. So perhaps it's easier if I show you all. I heard footsteps and saw the shape of a man slowly walking across the metal floor and towards the adjacent wall. He tapped on a hidden control panel with his bony fingers and entered a code. And suddenly the mechanism began and a shutter slowly opened,

unveiling a scene which brought terror to my heart. Because when the shutter was finally open, we all saw a transparent porthole-like window looking outwards, showing a dark sky adorned with distant stars, and a blue and green globe that we all recognized very well. I slowly pulled myself up, ignoring the throbbing pains in my naked body as I walked barefoot across to the window and observed the scene in disbelief, scanning the outlines of the familiar green continents, the mighty blue oceans, and the shifting storm fronts which swept across the globe.

To my horror, I realized I was looking down at earth. Earth, which could only mean one thing. I was no longer on my home planet. The reflected light of the Earth's surface now illuminated the room we were held inside, a bare metal cell with few visible amenities other than a stinking hole in the ground, which I guessed was meant to be a toilet and hard concrete slabs in the place of beds. I also saw my fellow prisoners clearly for the first time. Tanya and Max appeared as I did, naked and humiliated and beaten.

Their eyes full of terror as they saw what I did. Clearly, they were both in a state of shock. I tried to maintain their dignity by focusing on their faces rather than their nude forms. Tanya was a young woman, slim, dark-haired, and attractive, although I recognized the tale-tale signs of addiction on her, such as pasty skin, bloodshot eyes, and track marks on her arms. Max was an older man, his physique flabby and skin wrinkled. I saw a raw terror in his wide eyes, which made me think he was on the verge of a psychological

breakdown. Gideon was different, however. I noticed he wore a shock collar like we all did, but he was also fully clothed, wearing a white robe which covered his dignity. True, he didn't look in the best of health. His body emaciated and eyes sullen as if he had seen too many horrors. It was also clear that he knew more about our situation than the rest of us. I wasn't the only one to come to this conclusion, as soon all turned on the mysterious Gideon.

How the hell did you know about the shutter? I demanded. Gideon held his hands up defensively as he answered. I can explain everything. Just give me a chance. Bullshit! You're playing with us, man! Max screamed angrily.

Yeah. Tanya agreed. How do we know you're not the one who did this to us? Why the hell should we trust you? In an instant, all three of us were advancing upon. Gideon, our fists clenched as we prepared to beat the living hell out of him. Gideon's eyes widened and he lifted his hands up higher, slowly backing off as he said. You shouldn't do that. Screw you!

I yelled as I lurched forward. But a second later, I was on the floor. My body convulsing as the shock collar delivered another agonizing jolt. I looked over to see my two companions similarly incapacitated, the two of them rolling on the metal surface in agony. When our punishment was over, we all glared upwards, seeing Gideon looking down upon us with a barely concealed look of smug satisfaction on his lips. I did warn you. Slowly and painfully, I got up on my feet, and my fellow prisoners did likewise as we looked

to Gideon for answers. My friends, as I've already explained, I am a prisoner here just like the three of you. It just so happens that our captors have allowed me certain privileges. and access to limited information. Why, I cannot say, although I suspect it's part of their plan for me to explain the situation to new arrivals. My mind was racing, my sweat pouring from my skin.

None of this made any sense. I don't understand. Asked Tanya, breaking the tense and confused silence. Who's done this to us? Who the hell is holding us, and where the hell are we? Gideon nodded before replying. Where we are should be obvious, although I understand it's a lot to take in. Nevertheless, we are clearly in space above our home planet.

As to who's holding us? Well, that's more difficult to explain. Our captors are not of this world. I assume they come from another star system in our galaxy. Although from where exactly, I cannot say. They've shared little with me about their culture or civilization. I only know that their technology is vastly superior to our own. So what are you saying? We've been abducted by aliens?

I exclaimed in shock disbelief. That's exactly what I'm saying. Gideon confirmed grimly. Alien abduction? Tanya interjected excitedly. What, you mean like anal probing and all that shit? Max submitted a nervous last. after him, but Gideon didn't share in the joke, his face remaining like stone.

I'm afraid it's far worse than that. He said solemnly. They have no interest in human anatomy, except for the purposes of inflicting physical pain upon us. A chill ran down my spine as I asked. What the hell do you mean? Gideon didn't answer straight away, instead pointing and directing our attention back towards the porthole.

I turned my head to look, instantly sickened by the horror that I witnessed. As first one and then a second human body slowly floated through space and past the window, their naked bodies frozen in the cold vacuum. The first was a man, the second a woman, and both of their corpses showed obvious signs of torture with deep incisions made into their flesh, burn marks on their skin, and digits sliced off their hands. Their bulging, bloodshot eyes were still open, filled with pain and terror of their final moments. But the most disturbing part was that the tops of their heads were gone and their brains were missing.

We all watched and shocked awe as the bodies disappeared from sight, lost forever in the cruel emptiness of space. Sweet Jesus. I muttered my whole body shaking with revulsion as I slowly backed away from the porthole. Hmm. The last batch. Gideon explained solemnly. Our captors are finished with them. I struggled to force the words out of my throat.

They murdered them, tortured them first, and then dumped their bodies into space. Why? Why would they do this? Well, that's the $1,000 question, isn't it? Gideon answered cryptically. I don't have all the answers, but I've been on this ship for a while. I've observed what occurs and have had some limited communication with our captors, receiving as much information as a master would provide to his slave. From this, I have reached some conclusions.

All living organisms are a product of their environment, and the traits they evolve allow them to survive in said environment. The trouble with evolution is that it's hard to shake. We humans consider ourselves an advanced and civilized species, but we are still prone to primal, animalistic urges. Now, imagine a species which evolved on a planet much more dangerous than our own, an environment populated by many highly aggressive organisms, where the evolutionary victor would need to be smarter, stronger,

and more ruthless than its competitors to end up on top. Move forward a few millennia, and that species is now technologically advanced and capable of intergalactic space travel. It meets other similarly developed civilizations, and inevitably there is conflict. Terrible wars fought across star systems resulting in countless deaths. Gideon paused briefly as he looked out of the porthole and towards our far distant planet. It would be safe to say that we were all hanging on his every word, although the implications of what he was telling us were both extraordinary and terrifying.

Eventually, these wars end in stalemate, as multiple civilizations fought each other to a bloody standstill. A new order emerges, a sort of galactic UN formed to keep the peace. The war is over. However, our captors still have those same predatory instincts, a leftover from their violent evolution. So, what do they do with these murderous urges? Well, they come to a place like Earth, an uncontacted backwater planet on the edge of the galaxy, beyond the laws of the Galactic Confederation. Here, they can kidnap with impunity, taking those who will not be missed and inflicting sadistic tortures upon them before brutally ending their lives. By such underhand methods, our captors can indulge their dark impulses,

without risking war with their galactic rivals. I shook my head in dismay, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of this madness. In the end, it was Tanya who vocalized what we all must have been thinking. So you're saying these psychos are like the space versions of Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer? Like they travel light-ears just to torture and murder people? Gideon frowned before replying. Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, But, in a nutshell, yes, this is the situation.

I couldn't believe it. My exhausted brain told me that this couldn't be true, and even if it was, there must be a way out. What do we do? I asked frantically. How do we get out of this hellhole? Gideon sighed loudly before replying. You don't, I'm afraid.

There is no escape from this ship, and there's no way you can avoid your fate. All of you will die here. Sadly, this is inevitable. Bullshit! I cried in angry defiance. That can't be true. You survived?

Why haven't they killed you? Our captors keep me alive because I serve their purposes. For now, at least. I suspect they will kill me once I outlive my usefulness. Or perhaps they're just saving me for last. In any case, I have accepted that I'll never leave this ship alive. Suddenly, all of our attention was drawn to the corner of the cell where Max had curled himself up in a fetal position, maniacally nodding his head back and forth as he muttered in a state of disconnected panic. No, no, no, this can't be happening. This can't be real.

Earthness, I should not be here! A moment later, and the far wall lit up, as suddenly a previously hidden doorway appeared and slid open. They're coming to claim their first victim. Gideon warned, a fear now evident in his voice. We all backed away from the doorway, trying to prepare ourselves for whatever monstrosity emerged from the other side, but Max had lost his mind, standing up and attempting to run for the door, screaming. Let me out of here, I need out!

He moved quickly before any of us had time to react. What happened next was a violent blur in my memory, as a long implement extended out of the darkness and struck Max hard on the head, knocking his head. him backwards and down to the metal floor. The creature which emerged from the shadows and entered our cell was something like from a nightmare. My descriptive skills are not good enough to do the alien being justice, but the best way I can describe the thing's appearance is a cross between a human and a lizard.

The alien was about seven feet tall, its body covered in smooth red scales, although it also wore what appeared to be some kind of body armor over its torso. The snout-like mouth was filled with sharp teeth. It had no nose, just two slits for nostrils, and its large, dark eyes were those of a reptile, cold, calculating, and predatory. Its arms were long, and I noted that it had opposable thumbs and digits, meaning that it was able to hold and direct the pike-like weapon in its claws, the same metal rod it had used to strike poor Max with.

Its legs looked powerful, and I saw its middle toes were adorned with sharp, curved claws, about six inches long. It tapped these claws menacingly on the metal floor as it surveyed us, its naked and helpless human victims. At this point, Max unfortunately regained consciousness, glancing up at the beast above him and screaming out in absolute terror. I swore I could see a cruel smirk on what passed for the alien's lips. Its eyes widening with a sadistic pleasure as it lifted its weapon. A second later, Max's limp body was roughly dragged across the floor, his shock collar

acting like a magnet which attached itself to the end of the alien's metal pike, allowing it to easily pull the kicking and screaming Max out of the cell and into the dark corridor beyond. A moment later, the door slammed shut, leaving a trail of Max's blood and urine on the floor and the rest of us trapped inside, dealing with the shock. shock of what we'd witnessed. My God. Tanya asked with a trembling voice.

Trust me. You don't want to know. Gideon answered. I sat down in a corner, my head and my hands as I desperately tried to think. Surely there must be a way out, I thought. This couldn't be the end. But things only got worse over the next few hours. Clearly, our captors enjoyed tormenting us because although the cell walls were thick,

They deliberately piped in sound using some sort of speaker system, and what we heard were the screams and pleas of our companion, Max, as he was subjected to unspeakable tortures. We heard every ignored cry for mercy, every incision made into his flesh, and a foul hissing sound that I can only assume was the reptilian alien's equivalent of laughter. And whenever we tried to plug our ears to block out the sound, we would get shocked from the callers. Our reactions to hearing this monstrous cacophony were different in each case. Tanya broke down as she lay in a corner and sobbed uncontrollably, while Gideon stood and listened in grim silence,

as clearly he'd been through this hellish situation many times before. As for me, my mind was on the edge of madness, and I wanted to rip my ears off so that I didn't have to listen to Max's suffering. I kept racking my brain, trying to think of a way out, and demanding answers from Gideon, but he didn't provide the answers I needed, as the veteran prisoner seemed resigned to his fate. We can fight them. Surely we can.

I shouted. Gideon shook his head in the negative. You are naked, unarmed, and have a shock collar attached to your neck. What's more, we are on board their spaceship, surrounded by dozens of armed guards and torturers. Resistance is entirely futile. Believe me,

Many have tried, and all have failed. Well, can't we reason with them then? I asked desperately. You were able to communicate with these aliens. Can't we make a deal? Gideon scoffed at the very suggestion. Reason with them? Our captors, regardless, is no better than insects.

They would no sooner negotiate with us than we would with a common housefly. Well, there must be something we can do. I cried out angrily, raising my voice to be heard over my... Maxa screams. We can't just sit here and wait for death. Don't you think I would have done something already? Gideon shouted, as for the first time he lost his temper. Don't you realize I've considered every possible action?

Shut up! Screamed Tanya as she raised her tear-covered face from her hands. Shut up, both of you! This isn't helping and is dying! The woman's angry words of rebuke ended our debate, and soon after, Max's tortured cries ended, replaced by a horrifying death rattle as he finally left the mortal coil. I shuddered upon hearing that awful sound. I felt some relief that Max's suffering had ended, but also fear, because I knew one of us would

be next. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the invisible door and the wall reopened, and the seven-foot-tall reptilian guard marched in, its foot-cloths clicking in excitement as its predatory eyes scanned the cell's interior in search of its next victim. I stood in defiance, clenching my fists as I faced the beast. I knew any physical resistance would be useless, but still wanted to go down fighting. But the alien's cold eyes ignored me, instead focusing on Tanya and lifting its weapon as it advanced upon her. I experienced a moment of full-hearted bravery then, as I charged toward the guard, screaming,

No, don't take her. Take me instead. The alien's reaction was instantaneous as it struck me with its pike. A shooting pain reverberated through my skull as I collapsed to the ground. With me out of the way, the alien guard continued its advance upon Tanya, who had taken cover in the far corner of the cell. It seemed inevitable that the beast would take her, but then all hell broke loose. There was an almighty explosion, and the whole spaceship shook, throwing us all across the cell like helpless ragdolls.

This included the alien guard, who was flung heavily against the wall, its head cracking as it made impact. The alien didn't get back up. I didn't know whether it was dead or unconscious, but either way we were happy for our unexpected salvation. In that moment, we all turned to the porthole, astonished to see a second craft soaring through space, a silver needle-shaped ship, which was firing as it sped toward us, shooting missiles through the vacuum. There were more explosions, as the prison ship we were on board shook under the force of multiple impacts. Who the hell is that? I shouted, looking to Gideon for answers.

For once, the veteran hostage looked as surprised and baffled as we did. I've no idea. I've never seen a ship like it before. He answered honestly. Tanya brought us both back to reality, shouting, Come on, damn it! We need to get out of here! She pointed over the incapacitated body of the alien guard and towards the still open doorway, offering us an escape from the cell. Tanya led the way and I followed.

Gideon paused only briefly, taking one look around the hellish prison before leaving it behind. We exited and found ourselves navigating a maze of dark corridors as explosions continued to rock the alien ship. Our callers, thankfully, did not transmit a shock for which we were all grateful. I can only assume the explosions had disrupted their signal or the beings in charge of shocking us were preoccupied. Gideon soon pushed ahead, as it seemed he knew the way. He led us to a second room, typing in a code to open the door. What we found inside was a hellish scene beyond my worst nightmare. It seemed this was the alien's torture room, stinking of death, blood, and disinfectant.

I saw racks of both primitive blades and high-tech surgical devices that I assumed were designed for the sole purpose of inflicting physical pain. And as we progressed through the hideous room, we saw what remained of poor Max. His body secured to a medical gurney with his wrists and ankles bound and his chest cut open to reveal his rib cage and internal organs, while his face was frozen in a grim death mask, a silent but permanent scream on his lips as a chilling reminder of his agonizing final moments. Jesus! I swore as I looked down upon his mutilated corpse.

Tanya suddenly exclaimed, her voice once again filled with shock and disgust. I looked up to the far wall of the room and bore witness to sheer horror. There, mounted in a macabre display, were the severed heads of the alien's many victims. Most were human, but there were other species too, exotic and unfamiliar to my eyes. One looked like some kind of aquatic creature, complete with gills and scales, while another appeared similar to a little. a wolf, except it had six eyes. In all, there were about a dozen mounted heads up on the wall, but this wasn't even the worst thing about the sadistic exhibit. What chilled both Tanya and I, to our very core, was the fact that the severed heads were still alive. I don't know how they did

it, or what kind of twisted bad signs they used, but each head was connected by tubes to some sort of electronic digital device that seemed to be monitoring their vital signs. Every head seemed to be trapped in their own hellish nightmare without end. Some stared at us with bloodshot eyes filled with madness, while others maniacally opened and closed their mouths in an attempt to scream, except no sound was emitted since presumably they no longer had vocal cords. And a few of the heads had been subjected to even worse torment. Their eyes removed and their mouth sewn shut, although they could still sniff the air and reacted to sounds, the result being the most grotesque and sickening sight I had ever witnessed.

Ah, yes. Apologies. Gideon added in a meek voice. I should have warned you about their hunting trophies. They use their technology to keep the brains alive, allowing these select victims to continue to experience pain and fear. Sadly, most of these poor souls have long since lost their minds. I shook my head, astonished at the almost flippant manner in which Gideon described.

described these atrocities. I realized, however, that he must have lived through hell, suffering untold horrors at the hands of our sadistic alien captors. I couldn't imagine what he'd had to do just to survive in this ship of nightmares. Whilst we stared in horror at the living heads, Gideon went to work, tapping into a control panel to reveal bizarre symbols that I guessed recorded text in the alien languages and images which appeared to show the ship's interior. He frowned as he tapped on the screen, obviously frustrated by what he was seeing.

I know there are escape pods on this ship. I've heard them talk of emergency evacuation procedures. He pointed to the map of the ship, drawing our attention to an area at the rear of this cigar-shaped vessel. They should be located here, but I don't know how we get to them. And, even if we do, I have no idea how to operate the pods, let alone navigate one back to Earth. Tanya and I shared a look of despair, realizing that we'd got this far only to face another obstacle. But Gideon was a beaten man, resigned to failure and defeat.

He'd never thought we'd get this far, and I knew we couldn't give up now. Where there's a will, there's a way. As we were considering our next move, fate once again intervened, as suddenly the room's door exploded and something entered through the smoke and fire. We prepared for the worst, but what confronted us, was something new, a hovering drone-like robot with two mechanical arms extending, both adorned with high-tech weaponry. It also had a camera-type device attached to its main body, a pitch-black circle silently observing us like it was analyzing our physical forms or perhaps scanning our brainwaves.

I looked to Gideon for an explanation, only to discover a look of bafflement on his face. Clearly, he had no idea what this entity was or whether it meant us harm. A tension-filled moment passed as the hovering robot continued to survey us, before suddenly a green light flashed on its visible display, and to our astonishment, the robot spoke to us in almost word-perfect English. Greetings citizens of Earth, but please do not be alarmed. I am Unit 2317, an autonomous artificial intelligence combat drone attached to SS righteous fury, a Confederation Worship tasked with hunting down and neutralizing

pirate vessels operating in breach of Galactic Law. You are all victims of a criminal conspiracy undertaken by a rogue faction engaged in illegal hunting operations. Our primary mission is to eliminate the rogue hunters, but we are also tasked with rescuing any survivors and, where possible, returning them to their home worlds. I shall now release you from your restraint. In an instant, all of our shock callers disconnected and fell from our necks, presumably deactivated by some kind of electronic countermeasure. We all felt a great relief at being freed, although we were still a long way from home. Please follow me, and I shall support you to a safe zone, said the AI drone.

The three of us looked at one another in confusion. I certainly didn't feel comfortable putting my trust in a killer robot from another planet, But reckoned, Unit 2317 was a better bet than our reptilian torturers. We exited through the demolished door and fled into the maze of corridors, following the hovering drone as it led the way. Meanwhile, the chaos of battle was all around us as the alien ship was assaulted by Confederation forces. We just turned a corner when we were confronted by a reptilian foot soldier armed with some kind of high-tech rifle. It snarled before aiming, raising its gun, and preparing to fire, but the machine reacted faster as it rapidly fired a series of dart-like

projections that ripped the alien's body to shreds. We walked over its body and continued our escape, observing scenes of violence as the other killer drones engaged reptilian aliens in mortal combat. The fighting was fierce, but it seemed clear that the AI drones were winning, as our alien captors were being gradually wiped out and their torture ship overrun. Finally, we reached what I guessed was the rear of the spaceship, where we saw a row of circular doors with strange symbols written above them, and control panels on the metal walls beside them. The escape pots? We've made it! Gideon exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with hope for the first time since I'd met him.

Our robotic savior extended a metal arm and began pushing buttons on the first control panel. Destination Earth, location the North American continent. Your pod shall depart in two of your minutes. A moment later, the door slid open, revealing the tight but inviting Pod within. Thank God! Tanya proclaimed joyfully. Please proceed inside. The robot instructed.

Tanya jumped in without hesitation, and I went to follow, pausing only briefly to look back at the third member of our party. To my astonishment, I saw Gideon was standing back from the pod's doorway. What are you doing? I asked in dismay. I'm sorry, my friends. I could not come with you. It is too late for me. You understand?

The things I've seen. What I've had to do to survive. I could not return after all this. There must be a price. There were tears in his old eyes, and I could tell his soul was aching. I struggled to find the words to persuade him, but there was no time. Suddenly, a trio of reptilian warriors charged down the corridor towards us, firing wildly as they came.

Gideon screamed, physically shoving me into the pod and slamming his palm on the controls to close the door. I was sealed inside before I knew what was happening, watching helplessly through the porthole window as Gideon fled and two three one seven laid down covering fire, engaging the attackers in deadly combat. The battle was intense but brief as the robotic drone eventually succumbed to superior guns. gunfire, exploding in a ball of flames around us. The aliens advanced upon our pods with guns at the ready, and for a second I feared all was lost. But then the counter reached zero, and our

pod launched, a huge blast of energy propelling us into space at tremendous speeds. I held on tight and continued to look through the porthole, seeing the reptilian vessel grow smaller and smaller in the distance. I observed numerous small objects eject from the ship, which must have been more of the AI drones escaping from the doomed craft. And then, a moment later, the torturous ship exploded from the inside out. Its form torn apart by white flames as the nightmare was ended. I watched the debris spreading through space and shed a tear for Gideon, believing we would never have escaped that death trap without the knowledge he imparted to us. Tanya, on the other hand, focused on the view ahead of us as our pod rapidly approached the earth's surface.

Look, we're going home. She exclaimed. She smiled sweetly at me, and for a moment I shared her glee. But soon we experienced the trauma of re-entry into the atmosphere. Our small pod burning up as the ground rapidly approached. I felt sure we would smash into the surface in a fiery crescendo, but at the last moment, the pod engaged reverse thrusters, reducing our speed and allowing us to land relatively gently on the ground,

although not without a bump. A moment later, the doors of the pod automatically swung open and we were able to breathe fresh air for the first time. And boy, it was amazing. Cautiously, Tanya and I exited the alien vessel, finding ourselves in the middle of a flat cornfield, seemingly without another soul in sight. I surveyed the scene, part of me still not believing we were truly free. What now? Tanya asked as she stepped to my side, her still naked skin shining under the morning sun. We soon got our answer with the heavy din of the heavy din of rotor blades, as suddenly a black helicopter appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching

until it was practically hovering over our heads. We looked up in baffled confusion before seeing movement on the road at the edge of the cornfield, as a fleet of dark SUVs sped into place, and a small army of federal agents jumped out, all aiming guns at Tanya and I as they ordered us to get down on the ground. So the feds arrested us both, bringing us into custody while they took possession of the alien escape pod. The only tangible evidence of the incident. We were held for days and questioned separately, ordered to recount the details of our abduction and captivity.

I don't know why they released us. I guess we hadn't committed any crimes, but we were warned not to speak about what we'd been through, or we'd face severe consequences. Obviously, I have now decided to disregard that warning and tell my story publicly for the first time. Why have I made this decision? I suspect my days are numbered. You see, I got word recently that Tanya had died suddenly from an overdose.

She had a history of substance abuse, so it's possible she started using again to cope with her PTSD after the abduction. But I'm not so sure I believe that. I wonder if Tanya was deliberately silenced by some shadowy government agency that wants to cover up the truth. If this is the case, they will surely come from me next. Clearly, our government knows a lot more about these abductions than they wish to share with the public. However, I doubt they can keep this secret for much longer, not if a galactic civil war is raging in our own solar system.

In any event, such is the huge gap in technology, I doubt there will be much we can do to alter the outcome of this conflict. War is coming to us, and we better pray the good guys win, because I've seen the evil out in the universe, and believe me, It is terrifying.