Diablo Mesa(33)

Bitan’s eyes gleamed in the dying light. “I had a feeling you’d understand, Skip. What are your thoughts…”

Bitan hesitated and Skip had the strong sense he was about to be confided in.

“…about alien abductions?”

This wasn’t the confidence Skip had expected. He paused a moment, then chose his words carefully. “I think some of them probably happened. Of course, some are just crazy people looking for attention. But some of the stories the abductees tell are just too grounded, too credible.”

Now a long silence ensued, and then Bitan said: “Those are my thoughts exactly.”

Another, still longer silence.

“Skip, may I speak to you in absolute confidence? About something never to be repeated to anyone?”

“Of course.” Skip could hardly believe a world-famous scientist was speaking to him like this. He felt a flush of warmth.

“You remind me of my own son, Azriel, who was killed in the 2014 Gaza War. So very curious, so full of theories. Half of the questions you ask, you answer even before they’re out of your mouth.” He went silent a moment. “Are you familiar with the Golan Heights?”

“Isn’t it the plateau that separates Israel from Syria?”

“That’s correct. It was occupied by Israel during the ’67 war. Israel retained it as protection, because Syria was shelling Israel from those heights. It is high and rugged and gets snow in the winter. It’s barely inhabited.”

Skip listened to Bitan’s low voice in the growing darkness, inflected with a pleasing Hebrew accent.

“As you probably know, most Israelis have to do a year of mandatory military service. I was no exception. Back in 1998, part of my national service was patrolling the Heights. I was a member of a small patrol. Our platoon leader divided us up for an exercise, and I got separated from the others in a place called Einot Si’on. A very remote ridge in the foothills of Mount Hermon.”

He paused to take a deep breath. Skip listened intensely.

“Toward midnight, I realized I was completely lost, so I settled down to spend the night on a ridgetop, where I had a view all around—keeping on the lookout for the lights of my patrol. I fell asleep. A few hours later, I suddenly woke to find myself in a bright, warm beam of light. I jumped up, thinking it was a search helicopter, but lost my footing and fell upward—yes, I know that sounds strange. A moment later I was inside a glowing, circular room, lying on a slab of iridescent material. Emerging from the glow came five alien creatures, humanoid in form, slender and gentle in their movements. They surrounded me. At the same time, I felt an incredible sense of peace, belonging, and oneness with these beings.”

Skip, hardly breathing, could tell this was no perverse joke: Bitan was telling the truth, or at least his recollection of it.

“My memory becomes hazy after this point. I was examined, and they communicated with me. What they said had a profound and life-changing effect.”

Again he paused. Night had fallen, and a limitless dome of stars had begun to appear over their heads like so much glowing dust.

“What they told me was this: that they belonged to a galaxy-wide civilization of immense technological advancement, peace, prosperity, compassion, and happiness. The problems we face here, they had all solved. And one day, we would be invited to join them—if we could cure ourselves of war, racism, inequality, and the other social ills of our time.

“I asked them: Why me? And they answered, You will eventually understand. You are part of the plan. And then I felt like I was falling again and found myself on the Einot Si’on ridge. Dawn was creeping up in the eastern sky. A few hours later, my patrol came into view, coming up the ridge looking for me.

“I then did a foolish thing. As soon as I had the opportunity, I took the patrol leader aside—he was a lieutenant in the IDF—and told him what had happened. He was aghast. He immediately assumed I was psychotic and said he was obliged to report me for my own safety and the safety of my fellow soldiers. It was only with extreme difficulty that I was able to quickly backpedal, retract it all, claim it was a dream, and talk him out of reporting it. If he had, I would have been cashiered. It would have gone on my record that I was mentally unfit, and my life would have been ruined. It was a lesson learned. For those reasons I never spoke of it again—save to my son.”

His voice had fallen to a hush. Skip had to lean close to hear him.

“It did, however, encourage me to pursue a path in life, the one you’re familiar with from my books and research. But I kept that encounter to myself, because if it ever got out, it would all be over for me. Even here and now, perhaps even among these open-minded scientists, I would be thought a crank.”

“Yes, of course. I understand.”

“You must tell no one, not even your sister. This is between you and me.” Then he smiled and glanced at the dog. “And Mitty.”

“I promise.”

“For me, this project is more than just a scientific effort. It has spiritual significance. This discovery will draw us closer to the day when humanity can cast aside its evil ways and eventually join the galactic civilization.”

Skip felt a shiver of exultation. This was an incredible revelation, and Bitan, the famous scientist, had chosen to make it to him—and him alone.

“Thank you,” Skip said, into a long silence. “Thank you for your trust and confidence in me.”