Harbinger

Id like to offer my thanks to the courageous individuals of a bygone era and to those in our present. Though this is a work of fiction, its genesis stems from their undaunting efforts, their contributions and remarkable lives work. Let us not forget them! This is a story of a few who, in the face of adversity, persevered. These characters are fictitious and pose an imaginary situation. It does not portray any person or incident. The hunters and gatherers have finally reached the stars. We are newcomers to the cosmos. From the onset, we have questioned the hypnotic allure; it has intrigued us and it has led us to leave our footprint out there, because we are a curious lot! We know the phenomenons and the incredible dangers. How many times we have wondered what it would be like at the edge of space, just an hours drive from the safety of our home! We have just opened our eyes, discovered fire. We have drawn back the curtain and started to peer toward heaven. Columbus, Marco Polo, Bruno, Sagan, the Spanish and Portuguese, they picked up the baton and passed it on to us. How did the Windjammers of yesterdays differ from their counterparts of today? We want to wander into the cosmic evolution! Do we want to stare into the face of God? How dare us! We know that someday the reality will come. So what if our perseverance is not sharply defined or blurred. The torch has been passed, we have taken a bite of the Apple, we have sent a message. We have given our address, we have called out Yo-hoo, we are here! Was it wise? Its inevitable we will have visitors from the cosmos. Without nightmares, there would be no dreams, yet we keep on dreaming and wondering. Would the aliens be altruistic, will they be kind, humane, charitable? What are their canons of ethics? The generations that ignores history has no future! Are we any better? Are we to make amends? We have been traumatized to some extent by the relentless flood portrayed on the silver screen, TV, etc. Aliens have been portrayed as unscrupulous villains. One can count on one hand the positive discourses, so read on and let your mind wander and enjoy.