Hollow Moon

Bent Dipple was certain he was dead.
First off, he was feeling the effects of a few beers after he left Mac's Tavern, his regular stop after working second shift at the mill. Then, two goons dressed up for Halloween jumped him. They wore white military-style hooded smocks and dark, maybe black pants. Their hoods extended forward hiding their facial features. That's the last thing he remembered. Next, he found himself laid out on a slab in a brilliantly lit white room. He'd heard of people having near-death experiences, seeing a bright light, feeling serene and wanting to surrender to the light.
Serenity and surrender was not what he was feeling.
He couldn’t move anything except his eyes and when he looked down he could mistily make out those two goons near his feet. Whatever they were doing he could feel pressure in his lower abdomen. Suddenly he felt a sudden stab of pain. He tried to scream but couldn’t.
Dipple thought, “If I'm dead I wouldn’t feel pain, would I?”
“You are indeed right, Mr. Benedict Dipple,” Said a deep disembodied male voice. Dipple couldn't remember the last time he heard his Christian name. Probably from his Mother. To his friends and family he was known as Bent. “You are very much alive. Allow me to apologize for my assistants and any pain they have caused. They were performing a DNA and spermatozoa harvest. Unfortunately we can't make it totally painless”
“If I could talk, I’d answer you, whoever you are.” Thought Dipple.
A face moved into Dipple's field of vision. The face was definitely not human. It had large black eyes, no nose and a very small mouth. The skin was gray and had a plastic appearance. This one was taller than its two assistants.
“Please allow me to introduce my assistants Danthio and Odrah. My name is Alukura. You are in our medical research laboratory located within an asteroid.”
“This is weird,” thought Dipple, “is he reading my mind?”
“Yes Mr. Dipple, we communicate via quantum thought transfer. We are what you may call androids. We are also called 'Grays' on your planet”
“I've detected that you might prefer to communicate via spoken communication. Most of our human guests prefer that.”
“You guessed right, Al-luke whatever.” thought Dipple.
“Alukura, Mr. Dipple.” corrected Alukura. “We were created 385.6 million years ago using synthetic biological engineering on our dying planet Atlivius, fifty six light-years distant. Our own sun went supernova 353.2 million years ago, resulting in the destruction of our own star system. Prior to the destruction of Atlivius, a series of missions were planned and launched to a number of promising looking young planets.”
Alukura nodded to his two assistants, Danthio and Odrah. Dipple was relieved to find that he was now able to move. He sat up and hung his legs off the edge of the gurney. Except for a hospital type knee-length gown he was naked. He was able now to see that Alukura was at least six feet tall and wore a toga. Danthio and Odrah were only about five feet tall. They had removed their smocks revealing their faces. They too had large black eyes, a small mouth and no nose.
Alukura continued with his discourse, “Large asteroids from our star system were tunneled out as a result of mining and re-purposed as genetic ‘arks’ carrying digital copies of DNA of all life forms that existed on Atlivius plus 1,000 of our human population placed into cryobiosis, a form of suspended animation. These humans would then serve as teachers and prophets on our new planet. Using the tunneled asteroids rendered maximum protection from collisions with other bodies. These asteroids were piloted by androids, like us, programmed by our human creators on Atlivius. We could subsist for very long periods of time without need of food or water. We are self-replicating. After fifty years the contents of our memories are transferred to new androids which exist for the next fifty years after which the process is repeated. A fusion reactor deep within the asteroid provides our operating power.
“We have been living in this asteroid, for these last 385.6 million years. Our mission was to place this asteroid into orbit around a promising young planet, with its period of rotation equal to its orbital period so the same side of the asteroid always faced the planet.
“We then terraformed the young planet, a long, fiery and steamy process. When its environment cooled and became stable, we began to populate the planet with all the life forms, both flora and fauna using bio-synthesis. We then revived the 1,000 Atlivians who taught moral standards in the forms of religion and ethics. Our only task has been to observe as the young planet evolved, occasionally seizing representative life forms in order to draw DNA, eggs and spermatozoa, as we have done with you.
“You may have already surmised that this asteroid is orbiting your planet Earth as your Moon. At some future time when planet Earth is no longer viable to support life, we will gather up 1,000 willing earth inhabitants, bring them aboard and place them into suspended animation. We will then leave the orbit of Earth and travel to another as yet undetermined planet many light years away where we will undergo the same process. The 1,000 will then become the teachers and prophets in the new world. Your early religious leaders such as Abraham, Moses and Isaiah were originally Atlivians. You will become one of those prophets if your planet's life ends during your own lifetime.
“If you please, I would like to show you our facility.”
Alukura gestured with his right hand and a vehicle similar in size to a minivan silently emerged from a tunnel. It had no wheels and floated about a foot above the surface.
“This, Mr. Dipple is a mobility module. We keep an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere in the research laboratory for the benefit of our human guests. We androids can subsist in a vacuum. Where we will be going will be airless, so you will be required to stay in this vehicle.”
A door slid open and Alukura held out his hand inviting Dipple to enter the vehicle. After they were inside the vehicle moved ahead into a small room.
“We have entered an airlock. Where we will be going will be airless, so you will be required to stay in this vehicle.”
Thirty seconds later a door on the other end of the airlock opened to reveal a dimly lit tunnel that looked like it had been recently mined.
The module moved rapidly through the tunnel for about one hundred yards, turned left, then a quick right after about twenty yards. Dipple then saw light about fifty yards ahead.
They arrived in a dimly lit room. In the center was a console where two androids stood watching a bank of monitors and occasionally pushing buttons displayed on touch screens. Above the monitors was what Dipple thought was another monitor.
“Is that...”
“Yes Mr. Dipple that is your planet Earth. Since the Moon keeps the same side facing Earth at all times earth stays in the same place in the window.
“This is our control deck. All aspects of flying the asteroid and maintaining its orbital station are done here. This is also the monitoring station for our fusion reactor.
“The Moon is held in orbital station using an array of quantum thrusters. This system is also used for interstellar travel when that becomes necessary.
“Our fusion reactor generates all the energy needed for our operations.”
The mobility module then moved out of the room and zipped through a warren of tunnels and into a room that was about thirty feet square. The room contained three rows of work stations. Above were shelves with beakers of various colorful reagents and solutions. Several androids were busy.
“This is our bio-synthesis laboratory. Here we inspect spermatozoa, eggs and DNA that we have collected. Samples that fail to pass the inspection are discarded and good samples are fertilized invitro and the zygotes undergo cryobiosis.”
“Cryobiosis. Isn't that like...freezing?”
“Yes, Mr. Dipple, it is a form of suspended animation. All biological processes in an organism are brought to a halt and can be kept there indefinitely. It will allow one to travel great distances and survive.”
The module then went through a set of doors into another similar lab. Along one wall were rows of. metal containers with tubing attached.
“This is our cryo storage where the 1,000 humans will be prepared and posited before we disengage from earth orbit to begin our long journey to our next planet.”
The module moved through to the next room, which looked like a puppeteer's workshop with androids in various stages of assembly.
“In this area new androids are created and others are being repaired.”
The module entered a tunnel and after zipping through a number of tunnels entered an airlock. Emerging on the other side they were back in the lab where they started. The door on the module opened.
Dipple heard Crickets chirping. His head throbbed. He was lying on gravel and it felt like a bed of nails. He didn't want to try moving just yet. He was on his stomach, his head turned and his left cheek rested on the gravel. He saw red and blue flashing lights. They were getting closer. Headlights and flashing red and blue lights. Tires crunching on gravel. Then darkness.
“Benedict...Benedict...Mr. Dipple. Can you hear me?” A woman's voice. Blink. Blurry image. Blink again. Pretty blue eyes, blond hair and a nice smile.
“Where...am...I? Who...”
“You're in Community Hospital, my name is Samantha and I am your nurse. Just call me Sam. The sheriff found you last night along a county road about five miles out of town. You were laying on the gravel shoulder. The left side of your face, your elbows and knees got some nasty abrasions. The other guy can't look very pretty either. You were missing for three days. The sheriff is on his way to talk to you.”
It seemed like every muscle and bone in Dipple's body ached. His head, his arms and hands were bandaged. He had an IV port in his arm.
Just then the sheriff entered the room. He was a big man wearing a brown and tan uniform topped with a wide-brimmed campaign hat.
“Good morning, Benedict, I'm Sheriff Johnson,” he removed his hat and pulled a notebook from his pocket, “we're very happy that you were found. There was a massive search for you over the past three days. I was out in my cruiser last night looking along State Highway 2 when I saw a strange craft land behind the trees. It looked like it went down near County Highway C, then after about five seconds it shot back up into the sky and disappeared. I headed over to where I figured it landed and I found you on the side of the road. You were barely conscious and your clothes were a mess. Your shirt wasn't buttoned right and your pants were unbuttoned. Your shoes were on the wrong feet and your socks were in your pockets. We brought you here and I was waiting for you to come around so you could shed some light on what happened to you.”
“All I remember is leaving Mac's after having just two beers. I was jumped by these two guys. The next thing I know I was laid out on this gurney in a very bright room. All I had on was like a hospital gown otherwise I was naked as a newborn. Alukura, that was his name, he was the honcho, he told me we were inside an asteroid and that was their medical lab. His two assistants were messing around with my lower story, if you know what I mean. They did some things down there that really hurt. I couldn't move or scream. I was, like, paralyzed. He said they were harvesting DNA and sperm. That's about it.”
“That only accounts for maybe one or two hours. We still have about 72 more hours to account for.”
“Sorry Sheriff, that's all I can remember.”
“Can you tell me what they looked like?”
“Alukura had gray shiny skin and was about six feet tall. He said he was an android. The guys who jumped me had the same gray skin. They were shorter, maybe about five feet.”
Dipple was interviewed by medical professionals and psychologists. He underwent hypnosis and his story remained consistent. All he could remember was the first hour or two.