Jack is a young man from Utah, USA who has a strong interest in astronomy and enjoys observing the stars with his night vision telescope. His father is a retired Air Force pilot who participated in the Hiroshima atomic bombing mission during World War II and has always felt guilty about it. His mother is a devout Mormon who believes in the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although Jack’s family is harmonious, he always feels that there is an insurmountable generation gap between him and his parents.
One night, Jack took his favorite night vision telescope and drove his pickup truck to a mountain not far from home. It was his favorite stargazing spot because there was no light pollution and he could see the clear Milky Way and stars. Jack parked the car on a flat spot, set up the night vision telescope on the roof of the car, and began to look for the constellations and planets he wanted to see. He first found the Big Dipper, then followed its direction to find the North Star. He then turned the telescope to find Andromeda, Leo, Taurus, etc. He was most interested in Mars because he knew that there might be life on Mars. He adjusted the focus and magnification of the telescope to try to see details on Mars. However, at this moment, he suddenly noticed a strange phenomenon.
To the lower right of Mars was a small bright spot, flashing with different colors of light. Jack thought he was seeing things, so he rubbed his eyes and looked at the bright spot again. But it was still there and had not disappeared. Jack was curious, so he aimed the telescope at the bright spot to see what it was. However, when he enlarged the bright spot, he was stunned. The bright spot turned out to be a spaceship! A metal spaceship with a round hull and three triangular wings. The spaceship also had various lights and signs on it, making it look very advanced and mysterious. Jack couldn’t believe his eyes; he thought he must be dreaming.
Jack wanted to capture this amazing discovery, so he took out his phone from the car and tried to take a picture of the image in the telescope with his phone. However, before he pressed the shutter button, the spaceship suddenly emitted a strong blue beam of light that shot directly towards Jack’s direction. Jack was scared and quickly hid in the car, but it was too late. The blue beam hit the pickup truck and night vision telescope, blowing them both up into fireballs. Jack was thrown out of the car by the powerful shock wave, fell to the ground and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself lying in a strange place surrounded by white light. He wanted to get up but found himself wrapped in a soft substance and unable to move. He tried to shout but no sound came out. He felt fear and despair, not knowing if he was dead or alive or if he was dreaming or in reality.
At this moment, he heard a voice—a gentle but unfamiliar voice—sounding in his mind.
“Hello Jack. Please don’t be afraid; we won’t hurt you. We are explorers from Mars; we want to communicate with you.”
Jack was shocked; he couldn’t believe what he heard. He wanted to reply but found that he couldn’t speak.
“You don’t need to speak; just think with your heart. We can communicate with you through telepathy. We are interested in you because you are the first human being to observe us with a night vision telescope. Did you know that night vision telescopes can see special wavelengths of light on our spaceships that ordinary telescopes cannot see? This shows that you have unique vision and wisdom.”
Jack heard these words and felt surprised and curious. He wanted to ask why they came to Earth, why they attacked him and why they took him away.
“We came to Earth to explore and learn. We are interested in the life forms and cultures on Earth, especially humans. We attacked you because we thought you were going to fire at us or call for help. We didn’t expect that you just wanted to take pictures. We apologize for causing you harm and damage. We took you because we wanted to do some experiments and tests on you, to see what is special about your body and mind. Of course, we will ensure your safety and health, and send you back after we’re done.”
After hearing these words, Jack felt panicked and angry. He felt like he was being used as a guinea pig and played with by the other side. He wanted to resist, to escape, to go home.
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be angry, don’t resist, don’t run away, don’t go home,” the voice said again. “Please trust us, we are friendly, we just want to communicate and share with you. If you’re willing to cooperate, we can give you many benefits and rewards. For example, we can show you the scenery and life on Mars, let you experience the civilizations and fun of different planets. We can also give you some special abilities and skills, making you a unique person on Earth. Do you want to know more?”
Jack was tempted by the other side’s words, feeling hesitant and indecisive. He didn’t know whether to trust or refuse, to cooperate or rebel. He had countless doubts and confusion in his mind. He didn’t know the other side’s true purpose and motive, nor did he know what his fate and future would be. He wanted to learn more, but was afraid of paying the price. He wanted to go back to his family and his world but was attracted by the other side’s promises and temptations. He was in a dilemma and couldn’t make a decision.
At this moment, he suddenly felt his body starting to change. His vision became more acute and clear, and he could see all the details around him, even the molecules and dust in the air. His hearing became more sensitive and extensive, and he could hear distant sounds, even his heartbeat and blood flow. His sense of smell, taste, and touch also became stronger and more delicate. He could taste his own saliva and blood, even his thoughts and emotions. He could feel every hair and inch of his skin, even his cells and genes.
Jack was shocked and intoxicated by this wonderful and intense feeling, feeling like he was a completely new organism with abilities and perceptions beyond human. He forgot who he was, where he was, and what he was supposed to do. He just wanted to enjoy this feeling and explore this possibility.
“How do you feel?” the voice asked again. “Do you like these changes?”
Jack didn’t answer, but thought about one word in his heart: “Yes.”
“Good, very good,” the voice said. “You have passed the first stage of the experiment. We injected you with a special nanorobot that can change your body structure and function, giving you the sensory abilities that we Martians possess. This is the first gift we give you, and also the first step in our communication.”
“Communication?” Jack asked. “What do you want to communicate with me?”
“We want to discuss topics such as life, the universe, meaning, value, belief, love, and so on,” the voice said. “We want to know your views and feelings on these issues as an Earthling. We also want to tell you about our views and feelings on these issues as a Martian. We want to share our wisdom and experience, learn from each other, and grow together.”
“Why?” Jack asked. “Why are you interested in me? Why do you want to share with me?”
“Because you are special,” the voice said. “Because you are the first human who has used night vision binoculars to observe us and shown curiosity. Your curiosity shows your intelligence and courage, and also your potential and possibilities. We want to help you develop your potential and realize your possibilities. We want you to become a more advanced life form, one that can communicate with us on an equal footing.”
“How do you know I have curiosity?” Jack asked. “How do you read my mind?”
“We used a special device that can scan your brain waves and nerve signals to analyze your thoughts and emotions,” the voice said. “This is our second gift to you, and it is also the second step in our communication.”
“Are you not afraid that I will read your minds?” Jack asked. “Are you not afraid that I will know your secrets?”
“We are not afraid,” the voice said. “Because we have nothing to hide. We are completely honest and transparent to you, without any deception or concealment. We also hope that you will be completely honest and transparent to us, without any deception or concealment. This is the basis and principle of our communication.”
“Can you tell me when you started coming to Earth?” Jack asked. “Did you come to Earth for any purpose?”
“Of course,” the voice said. “We have been coming to Earth for a long time. We came to explore and learn. Earth is a very beautiful and diverse planet, with rich and unique forms of life and culture. We are curious and in awe of everything on Earth, and we want to understand and appreciate everything on Earth. We also want to establish friendly and peaceful relations with the life forms and cultural forms on Earth and share our resources and knowledge.
“Why don’t you openly contact human beings on Earth?” Jack asked. “Why do you hide in the dark?”
“Because we know that not all human beings on Earth are friendly and peaceful,” the voice said. “Some human beings are hostile and violent. They will fear and be hostile to us and try to attack or capture us. They will abuse or exploit us and try to steal or destroy our technology or civilization. They will threaten or disrupt our relationship with other life forms or cultural forms. They will endanger or destroy the ecological balance or natural beauty of Earth. They will bring us many troubles and dangers.”
“How do you distinguish which human beings are friendly and peaceful and which are hostile and violent?” Jack asked.
“We have a special way of judging human character and tendencies,” the voice said. “We can analyze their motives and purposes through observing their behavior and language, and evaluate their good and evil and rationality. We can measure their emotions and health by scanning their genes and hormones, and predict their reactions and changes. We can understand their beliefs and values by sensing their minds and souls and judge their loyalty and honesty. We synthesize this information to make an accurate and objective assessment and classify human beings into three categories: type A is friendly and peaceful, type B is neutral and conservative, and type C is hostile and violent.”
“How do you treat these three kinds of human beings?” Jack asked. “Do you have different strategies or goals?”
“Of course,” the voice said. “We treat these three kinds of human beings in different ways and for different purposes. For type A human beings, we respect and appreciate them. We want to establish friendly and peaceful relations with them and share our resources and knowledge. For type B human beings, we understand and tolerate them. We want to maintain neutral and conservative relations with them, avoiding attracting their attention or interference. For type C human beings, we are vigilant and cautious. We want to avoid hostile and violent relations with them and prevent them from harming or destroying us or Earth. ”
“How did you find me, a type A human being?” Jack asked. “How did you determine that I am friendly and peaceful?”
“We found you through your curiosity when you used night vision binoculars to observe our spacecraft,” the voice said. “You did not show fear or hostility, but showed interest and exploration. You did not try to attack or call the police, but tried to take pictures or record. You did not try to escape or hide, but tried to approach or contact. All of these indicate that you are a friendly and peaceful human being, a wise and courageous human being, and a human being who we trust and respect. ”
“What we want you to do now is to go to Mars with us,” the voice said. “We want to take you to our planet, let you understand our scenery and life, and let you experience the civilization and fun of different planets. We want you to be the first human to visit Mars and the first human to establish friendly and peaceful relations with the Martians. We want you to be a great figure in history and a future leader. Are you willing to go to Mars with us?”
“Are you willing?” The voice said. “We are glad that you have made such a decision. We believe that you will not regret it because you will see and experience wonders and wonders that you have never imagined. We will provide you with all the necessary equipment and guarantees to make your journey safe and comfortable. We will arrange a dedicated guide and partner for you to make your journey interesting and enjoyable. We will show you the most beautiful and mysterious places on Mars to make your journey full of surprises and touches. We will introduce you to the smartest and friendliest people on Mars to make your journey full of communication and sharing. Are you ready? We are about to set off. Please follow me. ”
“Okay, come with me.” The voice said. “We are happy that you are cooperating and trusting. We promise that you will not be disappointed because you will embark on an unprecedented adventure and exploration. We hope you can enjoy this journey and learn a lot from it. We believe that you are a human being with infinite potential and possibilities, and also a human being with infinite value and meaning. We look forward to establishing a profound and lasting friendship with you, and creating a beautiful and peaceful future together. Please follow me, Mars is waiting for you. ”
After hearing these words, Jack felt a wave of excitement and anticipation. He didn’t know what he would encounter or what he would become. He only knew that he had made a significant and decisive decision, one that could change his life and possibly change the world. He decided to follow the voice, the spaceship, and the dream. He decided to go to Mars.
