The Cesium Flash: Jay Lyons

Alfred and Utalk go to a post office. Alfred mails a package with a thumb drive full of information to one of his trusted followers. They go to an internet café where he sets up a bogus email account and types an email to the follower telling him to keep the thumb drive in a safe place until he contacts him. Alfred hesitates then types an instruction for the follower to look at what was on the thumb drive if Alfred doesn’t contact him by the end of the month.

Alfred drives along a highway for a couple of hours then he turned onto a secondary road. He drives a few miles on the secondary road then stops at a motel. The motel is cheap in both price and appearance.

Alfred booked 2 adjoining hotel rooms. A single room would have made more sense moneywise but Alfred figures it was best not to do anything Utalk might misunderstand.

In the hotel room Alfred’s thoughts turns to Jay Lyons. Alfred fells terrible about how he thought and behaved at the time knowing now what happened to Jay Lyons.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusick plays on Alfred’s cell phone the call is from Mike.

“What did you get?”

“It’s in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.”

“Send me the coordinates. I have a follower who lives in Oakland. Maybe he can get there.”

“Is this follower okay?”

“Yes, he doesn’t seem like a kook.”

“Hopefully he is a better photographer than you are.”

“Cheap shot Mike.”

Alfred receives Mike’s message with the coordinates he brings up a hybrid satellite and map image and a set of directions. He sends an email to Jay Lyons. Alfred impatiently waits for Jay’s response. Alfred is overjoyed when he receives Jay’s email:

I got your email. This is great news. Yes I can go there. I waited my whole life for something like this. I will go there!!! :-)

During Alfred’s work shift some thoughts temper his enthusiasm. He is concerned if his efforts and those of his followers lead to direct contact he and his followers could get kicked to the sidelines. The skeptics would proclaim themselves the experts. That would be an ironic turn of events. He would have to quietly submit or give the space visitors a close-up view of human pettiness. Alfred tries to force this idea out of his head. He keeps telling himself the most momentous event in human history can be happening soon and he shouldn’t let such personal concerns get in the way.

Alfred comes home from work the next day and rushes to his laptop and checks his email and blog. Alfred is disappointed he doesn’t see any messages from Jay. Another day passed with no word from Jay. Alfred thinks maybe Jay had a dumb reason why he wasn’t able to make the trip and Jay is too embarrassed to admit it. Alfred thought maybe Jay went there and didn’t see a UFO and felt like he was Sally waiting in the pumpkin patch with Linus. Then the thought comes to Alfred maybe Jay did see the UFO and was talking to friends and lawyers about how he should and could protect “his” discovery. Alfred tells himself he shouldn’t be thinking this way.

Alfred waits a few more days. He couldn’t bring himself to send Jay a message.

A week has passed. Alfred is on his way to work when the news on the radio reports searchers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains were looking for Jay Lyons who has been missing for a week. Alfred is shocked.

Alfred is quivering as he steps inside his apartment. His first thought is to call 9-1-1 but he hesitates. He fears he might also be charged with a crime. Alfred worries he might get sued for wrongful death if they find Jay dead. Alfred decides if the authorities ask him about Jay he would tell them what little he knew. Alfred also decides he would lurk on his blog and only answer direct questions until he could figure out what to do next.

Utalk sits in a chair and thought at how she was so easily fooled. They call her an erratic yet they seemed to know exactly how she would react. Utalk thought back to when she first met Susanna.

*

Utalk performs her usual custodial duties when she hears a cheerful voice call her name. Utalk turns and sees a pretty woman with straight shoulder length golden blond hair and blue eyes. Despite the coveralls she was wearing Utalk could tell the woman had a well defined body. The woman has a cheerful voice and a smile on her face. Utalk knew she had to be an erratic.

“They renamed me Susanna.”

“What is your real name?”

“I am not to use it any longer. I prefer Susanna anyway.”

Susanna likes to chatter and often drew Utalk into irrelevant conversations. Utalk enjoys Susanna’s babblings. Utalk is surprised they haven't been chastised for having distracting talk.

Susanna surprises Utalk with a visit just before Utalk’s sleep period.

“Utalk, they told me why they brought me, and certainly you, on this flight.”

“This is strange, I have never been told reasons for decisions.”

“They want to test us to see if we have some use for their plans for this planet, Earth.”

“What are their plans?”

“They did not tell me. It is surprising they told me as much as they have.”

Their space craft lands in a valley of a mountainous area. Utalk receives orders to carry out some duties in an area that shows images of the area outside the craft. She sees Susanna walking from the craft. Susanna has on ornate clothing. The costume’s form didn’t seem to match any function.

Susanna walks from the craft. There is a man with a camera in the distance. Susanna calls out to him.

“You may call me Susanna. Please come closer.”

The man takes a few hesitant steps towards Susanna then picks up his pace.

“Welcome to Earth. My name is Jay Lyons. You can call me Jay.”

“Jay?”

“Yes, Jay?”

Jay is a few paces from Susanna, he extended his hand.

Jay turns into black ash flakes.

The site horrifies Utalk. She could see Susanna is hysterical. A normal crew member says a few words to Susanna. A crying Susanna slowly walks back to the craft.

Later Susanna speaks with Utalk at great length at how terrible she felt by what she witnessed. This draws Utalk closer to Susanna.

Utalk has since figured out Susanna was merely mimicking emotions. Susanna was using her to see if she could fool other erratics. If Susanna could fool an erratic then Susanna could certainly fool Earth people.

Utalk was lying in bed thinking about how Susanna might have behaved differently.

*

They are in the wooded area and Utalk hands Susanna the weapon. Susanna incinerates Utalk.

Susanna’s action shocks Alfred.

“Why did you do that?”

“There was no choice. We couldn’t trust her.”

“She could have killed us but she didn’t.”

“It could be part of their plans. Even if she was sincere she might have had a change of heart later. There was no choice, now come on.”

Susanna and Alfred run off.

*

They are in Alfred’s apartment. Susanna incinerates Alfred while Utalk is in the bathroom. Utalk steps out of the bathroom. She sees the pile of ashes that was Alfred. Susanna covers Utalk’s mouth to muffle Utalk’s inevitable scream.

“Utalk, I had to do it. We have to go back.”

Susanna takes her hand from Utalk’s mouth. Utalk meekly asks, “Why?”

“Tracking fluid, they put tracking fluid in me.”

“They think we are dead, otherwise they would have caught up with us by now.”

“Maybe, maybe not, but we have all Alfred’s stored data. If we take this back with us and tell them we disposed of Alfred they won’t kill us. Utalk, we have no other choice.”

Utalk softly cries but helps Susanna gather Alfred’s data.

Alfred and Utalk are in the car and Alfred is driving.

Utalk, “I was thinking last night. How we are both still alive?”

Alfred takes a quick glance at Utalk.

“You think there is something we overlooked?”

“Why didn’t Susanna kill me the moment she got the weapon?”

“She probably figured such a cold act would make me suspicious.”

“Would it? Or would her explanation for killing me convince you your only option was to trust her completely?”

Alfred ponders the question and Utalk continued.

“I know had she killed you and told me we had to go back to save ourselves I would have done it.”

“Is this true confession time or is there a point to this?”

“Susanna’s primary mission may have been to see if erratics, and by extension Earth people, could be controlled by manipulation.”

“In that case she failed, at least as far as they can tell. We will see if we can cause them other failures.”

Utalk and Alfred exchange reassuring smiles.

As Alfred drive he realizes at Utalk’s word he abandoned his apartment, most of his possessions, and gave up his job. At her word he left her alone possibly to die. He was supposed to return in 2 days but could only stay away from her for one night. Alfred had no reason to believe Utalk was manipulating him but Alfred realizes how easily someone could manipulate him.

THE END