Kevin Ahearn nominates...

The Best and the Brightest

Dear BwS:

Fifty thousand UFO diehards showed up in Roswell, New Mexico to celebrate the “nearby crash landing of a flying saucer” 60 years before. What’s most astonishing is that not one of them knows what really happened. No one even has a clue of what the “incident” means.

Another 60th anniversary was celebrated, but it cannot compare with Roswell, the most important event in human history, and you don’t get it, do you?

I’m not talking about the “weather balloon” or “Project MOGUL” or the “parachute tests” or the rest of the government’s “explanations.” They’re beyond lame. Downright insulting.

But equally ridiculous are claims made by “believers.” The “alien autopsy,” the countless “eyewitness reports,” the alleged “artifacts” — the “conspiracy” of a “cover-up.” Who are these UFOlogists trying to kid? And they’re still at it, playing the Freedom of Information Act in a paper chase to prove what?

Just wait till they discover bureaucratic “evidence.” All together they’ll cry, “Yes, we got the memo!”

One indisputable fact: beings who traverse the cosmos to get here, whether they be predatory and warlike or altruistic and benevolent, are more advanced than we are. Blue or gray or silver with big or small eyes, three fingers or four, these beings are better than we are.

The concept that “We are not alone” is hopelessly naive. Roswell revealed that we are not the best in the universe: human beings are suddenly a second-class species. How do you think Church and State are going to handle that?

At any cost, we’d be determined to catch up. As these aliens are so far ahead of us, where we want to be, where we have to be, how do we get there? By being more human than we are now or less?

The course of humanity’s future to be influenced, directed, by space aliens? Do you think for a minute the U.S. Government is going to entrust that proposition to the American people?

Roswell did not happen. The government didn’t sweep anything under the rug. All the evidence — remains and artifacts — was completely obliterated and then the rug was vaporized. First contact never happened because humanity wasn’t ready for it.

But one day, we will have to be. Not because it is human nature to “boldly go” and explore the unknown, but to determine our worth as a species. Not just an encounter, but a joining with another race.

Should the ET civilization be one of lesser beings, our course would be obvious: to fully exploit and dominate. That which do not destroy of their culture, we will absorb. That’s who we are and who we’ll always be.

But what if first contact was to be with a superior race, or at least a race truly convinced of their superiority? And judging from the assembled data, these “aliens” have good reason to believe so. How would we handle that?

Imagine if one man were to represent all humanity in joining this ET civilization. The purpose of his mission would be to have humanity accepted as equals in the universe.

There would be no contrived series of events leading up to the endeavor. A thorough selection process would be initiated. We would have to make the right choice the first time because we wouldn’t be given a second chance.

Physical and intellectual prowess would be a given. We’d have hundreds, maybe thousands of candidates who’d measure up to the obvious qualifications. No, a special man or even a very special man would not be good enough: he would have to be unique.

Our representative would have to have undeniable courage and confidence and an unbreakable spirit. In joining these so-called “superiors,” he would be continuously tested, subjected to merciless abuse and humiliation. But he would never once hang his head. Never consider succumbing to the pressures of “his betters.”

He would be have to be proud, not just of his strength and intelligence, but of his very humanity. He could not possess, anywhere in his heart and soul, a shred of arrogance. That would be his undoing and ours.

Most of all, this man would have to understand that he would be in the center of circumstances upon which he had absolutely no control, but at all times, he must be in total control of himself. He loses it for a mere instant, for whatever reason, no matter how justified, and he fails, not only himself, but all of us.

An impossible dream? An exercise in wish-fulfillment? A long-term damaging fantasy? We could have it no other way. Who we are would never allow us to think of ourselves as inferior to anyone anywhere at any time.

One can only wonder how our representative would feel, totally alone among this “superior” race. How would he begin to cope, knowing that the future of all ofus depended on him?

Science fiction prides itself on the concept and consequences of first contact. Surely in the vast sf universe, there is a character who would serve as a comparative example of who our representative must be. Captain Video and Kirk are not who we’re looking for. Not that they’d overreact, but over-act. None of this could be “an act.” Han Solo or Luke Skywalker? Strictly minor league.

One of the most human characters in all of sf is the HAL9000, but even with a little tweaking, would be unable to pass the physical. A promising candidate might be Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu, who after serving for years aboard the Enterprise, revealed that he was gay. That takes a special kind of courage.

But not the courage we’re looking for. Moreover, from the very first moment of the mission, our man’s life would be an open book, every detail of his existence known and scrutinized. Anything later to be revealed as a possible flaw or weakness would be fatal.

Our man would have to be like no other human being before him. Every second of every day, his words and actions would be examined, debated, and judged. The pressure would be almost unimaginable.

If you are a science-fiction aficionado and have a candidate in mind, I would welcome your suggestions. I’m beginning to doubt any man could possibly achieve success.

As for that other 60th Anniversary... Jackie Robinson who?

Kevin Ahearn