‘We come in peace! Where did that come from?’ - said a glowing little man

‘That is what they say in their films - the aliens’ - said the other glowing little man

‘What are you talking about?’ - said the first glowing man

‘In the human films, when they meet an alien the alien says “we come in peace”’ - said the second glowing man.

‘This is not a film, Andros!’ - said the first glowing man

‘I know that Bartos’ - said Andros

‘Then why did you say it?’ - said Bartos

‘I thought it would make him more relaxed, at ease’ - said Andros

‘It makes me fucking cringe’ - said Bartos

‘He is waking up - okay, places’ - said Andros

David was sitting in a huge chair inside a large, bright metallic room. The only things in the room were the chair, David Sterling, and two glowing little men - Andros and Bartos.

‘Welcome, David Sterling’ - sand Andros, standing upright

David blinked. He moved his eyes around the large metallic room, and saw the two glowing little men in front of him.

The glowing little men wore no clothes, and they had long, oval shaped heads. Their arms were thin and their hands and fingers were elongated. The glowing little men had black, bead-like eyes and no nose. Their mouths were small and they had small teeth inside. The glowing small men had bluish skin that glowed a bluish light.

David continued to blink.

‘Is he alright?’ - whispered Bartos to Andros

‘Yes, he is fine. Just a bit disorientated’ - said Andros

‘Are you alright?’ - said Bartos

‘Where am I? Am I dreaming?’ - said David

‘No, David Sterling. You are not dreaming’ - said Andros - ‘You are aboard our ship’

David wasn’t restrained, but he could not move. He sat and stared at the two glowing little men.

‘I must be dreaming!’ - said David

‘David Sterling, I am Andros Fangdadium, and this is my colleague Bartos Arrasstium’ - said Andros - ‘We are from the planet Espultana’

‘We are friends of your father, David Sterling’ - said Bartos

‘You know my father?’ - said David

‘Oh yes David Sterling. We know the Dr. Roger Sterling very well’ - said Bartos

‘Is he here?’ - said David

Bartos looked at Andros.

‘Your father is not here, David Sterling’ - said Bartos

‘Where is he?’ - said David

‘Your father went on a mission for us, David Sterling’ - said Bartos

‘Where did he go?’ - said David

‘Back in time, David Sterling’ - said Andros

‘This is a dream?’ - said David - ‘I am dreaming?’

‘David Sterling, you are not dreaming!’ - said Andros

‘He won’t remember any of this, why don’t we just do the implant and send him back?’ - said Bartos

‘Do you have somewhere else to be?’ - said Andros

‘No’ - said Bartos

‘Well then, just shut up and let me do my thing then’ - said Andros

‘Your father, David Sterling, was like the rest of your kind. Unremarkable’ - said Andros

‘Oh god, not this’ - said Bartos

‘When we met your father he was about your age, and an unremarkable boy. And then we gave your father a gift, David Sterling’ - said Andros

‘A gift?’ - said David

‘Yes David Sterling, a gift’ - said Andros

‘What kind of gift?’ - said David

‘We made your father remarkable, David Sterling. He became the most remarkable of your kind. We gave your father knowledge and the ability to think about things, and to build things that no other of your kind could ever have thought of or built’ - said Andros

David stared at Andros.

‘We gave your father, David Sterling, the ability to build a time machine’ - said Andros

‘This is a dream’ - said David

‘It is not a dream, David Sterling’ - said Andros

‘He won’t remember any of this, Andros’ - said Bartos - ‘If he wants to think this is a dream, let him!’

‘But it spoils the occasion’ - said Andros

‘For whom - For whom does it spoil the occasion Andros?’ - said Bartos

‘Well, for everyone’ - said Andros

‘Sorry. David Sterling, but do you think that you thinking this is a dream spoils the occasion for you?’ - said Baros

‘No, I like this dream. It seems so real!’ - said David, smiling

‘There you go, the occasion isn’t spoilt’ - said Bartos

‘But it is not a dream, Bartos. It is real!’ - said Andros

‘If he wants to think it is a dream, then let him. As I said - he will not remember any of this’ - said Bartos

‘But I will remember it, and I would like for David Sterling to know that this is real’ - said Andros

‘Even though he will not remember any of it?’ - said Bartos

‘Okay, David Sterling. Just so that we are clear. This is not a dream, this is real. You are not dreaming. Do you understand?’ - said Andros

‘Yes. It does feel so real!’ - said David, smiling

‘No, it doesn’t feel real. It is real!’ - said Andros

‘Yes, it feels almost real’ - said David

‘That is because it is real. It isn’t almost real. This is actually happening. You are on a spaceship, and we are aliens’ - said Andros

David Sterling giggled

‘Just get on with it you psycho’ - said Bartos

‘Sorry, where was I?’ - said Andros

‘Time machine’ - said Bartos

‘Oh yes, the time machine. What about it?’ - said Andros

‘We gave David Sterling’s father the ability to build a time machine’ - said Bartos

‘Yes, of course. We gave your father, David Sterling, the ability to build a time machine’ - said Andros

David giggled again.

‘When your father had built this time machine, David Sterling, he traveled back in time on a mission for us - for the people of Espultana, and the peoples of hundreds of other worlds’ - said Andros - ‘Unfortunately, your father did not complete the mission’

‘What happened?’ - said David

‘He died before he could complete the mission, David Sterling. We are very sorry’ - said Andros

‘We are very sorry’ - said Bartos

‘When did he die?’ - said David

‘You father left on the mission 7 of your earth years ago, David Sterling. He died shortly after starting the mission, and that is why we are here today - with you David Sterling’ - said Andros

‘We want you to complete your father’s mission’ - said Bartos

‘I thought we had agreed that I would be doing the talking?’ - said Andros

‘I just wanted to add that, for the occasion’ - said Bartos

‘We want you to complete your father’s mission’ - said Andros, staring at Bartos - ‘And we are going to make you remarkable, David Sterling’

‘A scientist, like my dad?’ - said David

‘Yes David Sterling. You will know things and be able to think of things and build things that the others of your kind couldn’t even imagine’ - said Andros - ‘You will build a time machine, just like your father did, and you will complete your father’s mission’

‘You aren’t going to tell him the mission are you?’ - said Bartos

‘Of course I am not going to tell him the mission, I remember what happened last time. I am not stupid!’ - said Andros

‘Well you did tell Roger the mission’ - said Bartos

‘Yes, I remember. I was there. There is no need to remind me’ - said Andros

‘So just the implant, and no more monologuing?’ - said Bartos

‘Fine, yes. Just the implant’ - said Andros

‘So the knowledge, the time window, and the coordinates? - said Bartos

‘Yes’ - said Andros

‘Okay’ - said Bartos

The ceiling far above David opened, and a long pole with a disc on the end of it descended through the hatch.

‘Have you enjoyed meeting us, David Sterling?’ - said Andros

‘Oh yes. This is the most vivid dream I have ever had’ - said David

‘Just leave it, okay’ - said Bartos

The pole with the disc on it continued descending until it was above David Sterling’s head.

‘We will now provide you with the knowledge to build a time machine, David Sterling. We will also provide you with the coordinates and the time window we want you to travel to once you have built your time machine. You will not remember us, or being here today with us. But all throughout your life you will have a burning desire that you will not be able to ignore to travel to those coordinates and that time window. Goodbye, David Sterling’ - said Andros

‘Goodbye David Sterling’ - said Bartos

The disc above David Sterling’s head glowed blue, and the room filled with light. David felt himself floating, and then he didn’t feel anything. And then David Sterling blanked out.

David was crouching by the side of the road on the long hill. He was staring at some weeds at the side of the road.

David looked around. He saw his bike resting on its side on the road.

‘I must have fallen off’ - thought David

It was nearly dark. David’s mother had told him to be home before it was dark. David climbed back on his bike and pushed the pedals. He huffed and puffed and made it to the top of the hill.

‘Wash your hands and then we can have some dinner’ - said David’s mother

David cleaned himself up, and joined his mother in the cozy kitchen of the cottage. They were having shepherd’s pie for dinner.

‘Mum’ - said David

‘Yes boy’ - said his mother, who was eating and reading a magazine

‘Do we still have dad’s books?’ - said David

‘Which books?’ - said his mother

‘The dinosaur books?’

‘Och. They will be out in the barn. In boxes’ - said his mother

‘Can I look at them?’ - said David

‘If you don’t look at them, no one else will’ - said David’s mother

After dinner, David went to the barn and opened boxes. He found what he was looking for. A large book that covered the entire evolution of the dinosaurs from the Triassic period through to the Cretaceous period.

David took the book back to the house, and sat in the living room and started to read it. His mother was knitting and watching television.

‘You getting interested in dinosaurs?’ - said David’s mum

David was reading the first page.

‘Yes mum’ - said David

‘Och. Just like your father. He was mad about dinosaurs as well’ - said David’s mum

David continued to read the book.