The reflection of the afternoon sunlight on the glass of the plane settling on the runway forced Arthur to turn away from the lens of his long-range camera for a second. He rested his forehead on the floor of the hill where he had been stationed covered by a blanket for the past 18 hours. He took the opportunity to reach into the bottom pocket of his jacket and pull out a disposable cell phone.
_ Have the van ready in two hours. he texted.
Arthur Lloyd, at 52 years old, is a veteran journalist, war correspondent and photographer. He has a very sharp and accurate pen that makes more than one person tremble with every article he publishes. He is a hardened guy and not given to kindness, he always worked alone until now that he works with his son John in an attempt to toughen him up.
For months he has been on the trail of the army's new spy aircraft prototype and all indications have led him to that hill to await the first test flight from that military base.
He hasn't finished putting his cell phone back in his pocket when unusual movement at the base makes him clutch his camera and observe what's going on; personnel deploying on the runway and armed patrols guarding the perimeter reminded him of the old days in Eastern Europe.
_ What the hell is going on here, Arthur whispers as the gray in his eyes intensifies as afternoon is replaced by night.
A siren goes off as powerful searchlights begin to tear the sky above the base. Arthur begins to hear a powerful buzzing sound passing over his head in the direction of the base. Traces of fire from the base begin to light up the barren landscape aiming at an impossible target. Through his lens Arthur can see three lights forming a triangle performing evasive maneuvers, in an instant the lights separate and now there are three luminous targets flying over the base. At one point, they line up vertically and climb vertiginously very high where they form a triangle again to fade away.
The gunfire ceases at the base, the searchlights continue to tear the sky, Arthur, getting up as quickly as he can after crouching for so long, slings his camera over his shoulder and begins the descent down the hill while trying to communicate with John to pick him up. It is true that he has been in difficult situations in the past but what he has just witnessed has no logical explanation.
Halfway down, he can see the lights of the van waiting for him, he hurries his steps and suddenly his boot stops touching the ground, for an instant he is suspended in the air until he is engulfed by a beam of light.
Arthur Lloyd appears in a space of total light, He could not tell if it was a room because there was no sign of walls or divisions, half blinded by the light that seems to come from everywhere Arthur seems to notice a white figure also moving in front of him.
_ Don't be afraid.
Arthur heard, presuming it was the white figure moving sinuously in that sea of light. Arthur with his eyes grayer than ever reached to ask:
_ Who are you and Why have you brought me to this place?
_ We have interrupted your time continuum because we have calculated that your future actions might interfere with the sequence of events that your race must follow. It is a small possibility but there is no such thing as chance in our dimension.
_ We know you are a seeker of truth, but you must understand that there is a substantial difference between truth and reality, for the former only affects those who know it. We are observers of your civilization from the moment they used atomic energy for destructive purposes.
This time the voice, which although it was the same, seemed to come from another figure that suddenly appeared behind Arthur, if not always there.
_ It was necessary for our incursion, we had to scan the level of technology they are developing. They still ignore it but they are close to discovering a propulsion system that will allow them to overcome the gravity of their planet with less energy than they have used so far. When that happens they will open up to the stars and stop being a neutral planet.
This time the voice came from a third figure to the right of the first.
_ The truth you witnessed today must be postponed for the sake of reality. Even against your nature you must keep the secret. We just want to warn you but it's your choice.
The last message was uttered by three equal voices simultaneously.
_Dad! Dad! What happened up there?
John shouts to his father who remains engrossed in the passenger seat. The van snakes at full speed down the dirt road towards the main road.
_ You'd never believe it son, you'd never believe it.
_ Come on Arthur, from the road I could see the light show, I'm sure you have it all in your camera.
Touching the absence of the camera on his chest Arthur says bitterly:
_ I don't have it in the camera.
Says a war correspondent who even with bombs falling all around had never lost his camera.
_ For now I need to write a story, maybe one that will not be published.
This is an original story for The ink well community in their weekly prompt #55: Lens.
Image courtesy of Pixabay
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
