be me
former contractor attached to a compartment that technically doesnβt exist
spend first 6 months thinking itβs another drone retrieval program
not a drone retrieval program
first briefing starts with Roswell
everyone laughs
nobody in the room is joking
shown archival footage from 1947
object isnβt a saucer
object isnβt even stable
shape changes slightly every few frames
analysts call it βtopological driftβ
ask if itβs some optical effect
told no
thatβs the problem
learn there have been recoveries
plural
materials donβt behave like materials
isotopic ratios impossible
internal spaces larger than external dimensions
engineer has nervous breakdown trying to model one
physics team calls it βnon-local architectureβ
hear rumors of occupants
think itβs alien bodies
not exactly
biological component present
but classification says βoperator interfaceβ
ask what that means
nobody answers
get moved onto sensor analysis
discover radar tracks arenβt the weird part
witness effects are
same object appears differently to different observers
fighter pilot sees metallic craft
civilian sees glowing orb
child sees angel
all standing in same place
all describing same event
data confirms it
start reading historical archives
medieval fairy encounters
religious visions
airship waves
modern abductions
same behavioral pattern for centuries
same symbols updated for cultural expectations
management starts calling it the βcontrol systemβ
nobody says extraterrestrial anymore
thatβs considered an outdated hypothesis
learn intelligence agencies have known for decades
biggest secret isnβt aliens
biggest secret is reality appears responsive
phenomenon reacts to observation
reacts to belief
reacts to attention
like itβs studying us back
internal report asks if humanity is being conditioned
asks by whom
nobody knows
retrieval program becomes disclosure task force
public pressure increasing
too many sensors now
satellites
phones
AI pattern recognition
phenomenon impossible to fully suppress
briefing from senior official
says public can handle non-human intelligence
public cannot handle uncertainty
thatβs the real containment problem
final week before retirement
read assessment marked EYES ONLY
βThe phenomenon may not originate elsewhere.β
βThe phenomenon may be co-resident.β
βHumanity may have mistaken proximity for visitation.β
stare at page for twenty minutes
suddenly understand why nobody sleeps in this program
log out
pension secured
still check the sky every night
not looking for spacecraft
looking for whatever has been looking back