"Brian Plante - Something Meaningful" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plante Brian)

and the door was shut, there was a slight humming sound and we were off.

****

Through the transparent walls of the vehicle, the ground quickly slipped away,
until I could see the Earth below us like in those NASA films. As if I hadn’t already
had enough excitement for one day, the aliens were abducting me, and I was helpless
to stop them. The vehicle approached and rendezvoused with a much larger vessel
of the same type, and the two craft joined seamlessly to form one.

During the brief trip into orbit, I felt myself become weightless. Nevertheless,
something in the chair held me fast and kept me from floating away until we reached
the larger vessel. Then the Canopians pushed and pulled me, floating my body
through the hatch and into the cavernous space of their main ship, which somehow
still had gravity, although I felt lighter than I did back on Earth. There were dozens of
Canopians milling about, carrying strange objects and performing functions I
couldn’t even begin to guess about.

You are one of us now and are welcome here, a silent voice thought-spoke
inside my brain. Do not be afraid.

Sure, don’t be afraid, he said. I wasn’t even sure which one of them was
addressing me, let alone how to respond.
 Let me out of here, I thought at the group of them. My wife tried to kill me
and now I’m some kind of a monster like you. I want to go home!

The Canopians made excited gestures among themselves.

You are not thinking correctly, a voice thought-spoke.

Fear muddles your idea-casting, thought-spoke another.

Relax and concentrate, thought-spoke the first. Your body already knows
how to project your thoughts, if you can calm yourself.

I looked at the blue men and knew there was nothing to be afraid of. If it
weren’t for these people, I’d have already been dead, poisoned in my bed by Irene.

I ... thank you for saving my life, I thought-spoke, slowly and with as much
calmness as I could muster. Can you hear me now?

Several of the group made elaborate hand gestures with their sinuous fingers
and then all but one walked off.

Uh-oh, I thought-spoke. Was it something I said?

We heard your thoughts, George Hemlick. You will grow better at it with
experience, but for now we are satisfied that you are an intelligent being. We will
try to make you comfortable here. I am called Ecreath. Do you wish to ask me any
questions?