The Monster of the Prophecy

The Monster of the Prophecy

"You know, you're not at all what I expected," said Geraldine. She was sitting, limned by the light of three moons, next to the starship's main viewing window.

Her companion looked up from the console he was working with. Before him a holographic image of the Earth spun, the continuous flashes of nuclear explosions depicted in real time. He had no eyebrows to raise in polite inquiry, but still all three eyes twinkled with friendly curiosity. "Ah, yes, your people have legends of small, gray, large-eyed creatures who visit your world. You don't seem frightened, however."

Geraldine chose her words carefully. "We had a prophecy that foretold the war, and where to go to escape the destruction. That's why I was on the beach." Over two years ago it had appeared on a mysterious website that was only accessible to users after they had solved a number of puzzles left on various conspiracy theory message boards. The site bore the name of "The Rubicon", and those who successfully cracked its code found themselves looking at this message:

"From a flame-filled sky the monsters shall fall,
Raising their long-forgotten call,
Fear their eyes not, for they come to save all."

Unlike most apocalyptic prophecies, which usually involved battling armies of angels and demons, this rather simple poem described perfectly the holocaust that was even now engulfing Earth. And when other puzzles on the "Rubicon" site proved to be the GPS coordinates for several beaches along the East Coast, the believers had their answer. Salvation had come, as foretold, at the edge of the sea.

"That is good, Geraldine. There was some debate over whether our warnings would be heeded." When he straightened up, she was struck by his height. The towering crest of crimson hair added nearly a foot to it, but even without the hair he stood nearly nine feet tall. The greenish mottled skin, sharp incisors, and three eyes did indeed give him a monstrous appearance (she privately reflected the woman who first wrote the "prophecy" must have met some of his people and could only adequately describe them as "monsters"). However, he wore light armor that seemed as futuristic as the ship that swept her and the others away from Earth, and his demeanor was as civilized as that of any Earthly scientist. She felt relaxed enough to keep conversing with him.

"You seem to know my name, but I don't believe I caught yours...?

"Your human speech organs cannot speak our language yet, but you may call me Jacques if you wish. I believe Jacques Vallée is also an interdimensional researcher, as I am."

In her excitement at the mention of a scientist whose work she knew well, Geraldine quite missed the word "yet" and the slight emphasis Jacques laid on it. "It's very nice to make your acquaintance, Jacques! So tell me...what happens next?"

Regarding her thoughtfully, Jacques picked up a tablet and began entering data onto it, typing swiftly with his long fingers. "Your equanimity in this situation is remarkable. I hope the others are as tractable as you. We are in a position safely outside of your solar system and any tracking equipment from Earth that may have survived the war. After a complete medical examination, any imperfections you have will be corrected, and you all will be bathed, fed, and permitted to rest before moving on to the next stage of processing."

Geraldine's mind, which had been on the prophecy, snapped back to the present. Words like "tractable" and "processing" had finally caught her attention. "Imperfections?"

"When your kind was introduced to your planet, its atmosphere and overall climate were quite different," explained Jacques. "You did not evolve as we expected and will not survive as you now are. Therefore, we will have to make alterations to your biology before you can be returned. But do not worry, Geraldine. By the time we've finished, you and the others will be able to thrive in even the most heavily irradiated parts of your planet. And the enhancements we make will permit you to see as we do...with the soul as well as the mind. You will have achieved the perfection we always wanted for you." As he spoke he was laying out syringes, forceps, beakers, and something that looked like a tiny circular saw. He had noted her rising alarm and was moving with fluid speed to prepare his instruments.

"But...but..." Geraldine, shocked by this turn of events, barely noticed the restraints that were being attached to her wrists. "The prophecy didn't speak of this!"

"Fear us not," soothed Jacques, as the syringe sank into her neck. His voice began to fade in the warm fog that filled her mind. "We have come to save all of you."

Everything faded into the fog.