Star Gift

Chapter Twenty

By evening, the group was tired from digging, taking photos, and then covering up the evidence of the astounding discovery. They had exhausted themselves, as well as what little food and cold drinks were in the ice-chest provided by Dan.

"We need to get back to our lives, and sort this all out, " Michael said, wiping his long hair away from a sweaty forehead.

Dan and Jasper just nodded as they collected the tools and prepared for the hike back across the stretch of sandstone desert to the vehicles. Blake was silent too, trying to make sense of what the mysterious find could possibly mean.

"Tuwa, we'll stay in touch about this," Michaels said. "I'm going to borrow the two discs we're taking . . . for some analysis . . .the metal and the symbols. I've got this genius cryptographer back at Yale. I'll send him a transcription of those characters. To see what comes up. The discs, of course will stay with me."

"Alright," she said, removing her heavy work gloves. "But I'm not letting any time go by before I return here, Michael. I want to personally excavate that pile of artifacts properly. There's much to be done here. . . and much to be learned . . . now that we're onto this."

The dusty group wearily made it back to the jeep and truck parked just off the highway. Night was about to set in around the majestic valley, and as the air cooled, Blake looked up at the beautiful cobalt sky. Who had put those discs in such a remote place, he wondered? And how long ago had they been resting in the earth for their discovery? More importantly, he wondered what his now-dead father was into. And why he himself had fallen into the event. It was something he knew would probably change what was known about the alien issue for ever. That is, if the information would ever get out, he mused. Like so much he had learned of the phenomena of late, it might well be covered up by the government or labelled just another crazy hoax.

Whatever it was they had discovered, he also knew they were not alone in knowing of it. The image of the silver craft, obviously observing them, was fresh in Blake's mind as they prepared for the drive back to Farmington in Tuwa's Jeep.

After seeing Dan and Jasper speed away west, toward Kayenta in their truck, Tuwa pulled out onto the lonely road to head east. They were all silent from the long exhaustive day and both Michael and Tuwa were unusually non-communicative.

As they rounded a gentle curve in the semi-darkness and passed into the dark shadow of one of the giant sandstone spires, the oblique metallic craft they had seen hovering earlier was now shockingly grounded. It rested on the earth in a clearing just off the highway. A series of beaded blue-green lights were illuminating it as they outlined its perimeter. They still approached on the road. The lights brightened then faded, and brightened again as Tuwa cautiously slowed the Jeep down.

"Holy shit!"  Blake called out.

"Michael?" Tuwa asked calmly of her friend.

"I think they . . . want to talk to me," he said in a reserved, matter-of fact voice."

Tuwa drove the Jeep forward and stopped. The craft was some fifty meters away from the roadway. Its lights brightened, then  dimmed again, but now turned to a warmer amber color.

"I'm going out," Michael said restlessly.

Blake had seen him approach an alien craft before, then return, claiming he had somehow communicated with them.

"Michael . . . I'm going with you!"  Tuwa said quickly and in an excited voice.

"Hey! Come on  you guys! This is crazy!  It looks . . . dangerous."

Michael spoke softly. "I'm getting a message they want to discuss the discs. They know we have them now."

"So, let's go!"  Tuwa answered, unbuckling her seatbelt.