Ted Norton is an avid fan of anything that might be considered outside the spectrum of the mainstream. He will go anywhere just to find a grain of excitement. He likes various series depicting different scenarios involving the unknown, though he does not love them. He finds television productions too predictable and too “public-oriented.” He experienced some weird stuff so he does know what “bizarre” means in practice. Shows such as “The Outer Limits” and “The X-files” do have their better moments. Ted has never seen anything that might really incite his intellectual spark to turn into a flame. His persistence keeps turning up various stuff, but it is never up to Ted’s standards. He has the time, he has the money. His appearance does suggest a certain degree of “geekiness,” though on an acceptable level. If you try to mess with him, you will burn your arse. Ted used to plan everything in major detail until he realized it was too to cope with. He abandoned diligent planning in favor of sensible planning. Seems to be working for now. Norton has just returned from Spain where he has been observing the great faces for two hours. Appearing, disappearing. Appearing, disappearing. “Do you hear about it in the mainstream media?” he thought, though it has been more of a rhetorical question.

“Ah, right now, I gotta see this new movie, the X-files movie.” As he plans, so he does.

“Just another mainstream production,” grumbles Ted after leaving the cinema. “I really gotta take matters into my own hands.” As he says, so he does.

Ted is an owner of a company called “Norton Technologies, Inc.” In his forties, Caucasian, he takes nothing at face value. Belief means nothing to him. This is why when everyone around him kept yelling to abandon the “Tetra mast eradication project,” he assiduously went on with his work. Ted always hated the primitive method of TETRA masts - the very technology upon which cell phone industry is based. He held a grudge against the world’s communications method.

His daughter did have cancer, after all, cancer which had been metastasizing at an incredible rate. She was only fourteen. Ted never forgave himself after that. Somehow he knew the culprit: electromagnetic pollution. Ted was and is a genius when it comes to communication systems; he can visualize patterns and consequences of those patterns where others see only chaos and insanity. Divorced, it all ended with “good riddance, whore” flying toward his wife. His sole purpose in life has been to find an alternative to the most common communications method on this ordinary little planet in an ordinary solar system. He has locked himself up in the house, focusing on the task at hand. Nicola Tesla’s premise has helped him a lot in the task as he has purportedly invented a device that would make cell phone technology obsolete. Ted’s neighbors have started gossiping what has gotten into the guy, seeing various contraptions on Ted’s roof. They keep seeing strange bolts of light resonating between the two miniature Tesla towers. Conservatives members of the community have even been voicing for a governmental intervention in fear of a terrorist activity. Ted keeps going, perusing various conspiracy forums for useful information. Drawing plans, engineering ideas, quoting Einstein to pass the time. After ten years he has finally done it. A device that would make Tesla shake his hand.

His enterprise? At first, a small endeavor with Ted helping people with mundane communication issues. His main objective has always been the main focus. He has been in need of someone who would be able to acknowledge his invention. He could not just go public with his ideas – that’s just not how Ted Norton handles things.
           
Driving home from work is always through the woods, beautiful woods where maple trees, pine tress and such abound. He usually drives home around the time when it gets dark with no one else in the vicinity. This is the only place, inside his own care, where Ted feels really free. Free of senseless babble, free of electromagnetic pollution, free of mediocre individuals bent on attacking anyone who dares to voice a different opinion. Just woods and Ted. He is ashamed to admit it to himself but the woods have become like his second family, however warped it may sound to an external observer. Ted’s distance from home to work is circa thirty kilometers or around 19 miles - if you prefer that standard. Not everything of it is woods but a major chunk is - by major one could estimate approximately thirteen miles. The rest is a - frustrating to get through - ring road. Ted’s inner dilemmas always involve his eating habits. McDonald’s on the way is a always a big temptation to Norton, enticing him to taste new corporate delicacies. Ted tries to remind himself of his progeny’s cancer then and that usually stops him from stopping by. He orders home-delivered pizzas instead or tries to concoct something by himself instead.

Ted’s job requires him to be peripatetic. He is always on the run, so to speak, driving from client to another, arranging one thing or the other. Anger concerning the main project is mounting within his mind, though, and he is about to explode if he does not come up with a solution in the near future. Driving home is the best time for him to contemplate various aspects of existence, what to do, where to get, etc. Many women have proposed to Ted, but his interest is best classified as zilch; he politely tells potential mates to fuck off. How easy it is for people to dismiss someone as a nut. They rarely see past the surface of anyone, because their own lives are shallow. Ted used to get angry, he even used to attack people physically because he could not stand their insipidity and arrogance. Then has finally understood the futility of his actions. He turned to travesty - along the lines of reductio ad absurdum - to do the job. Almost everyone that confronts Ted is left with consternation on their faces.

“What you on dood cuz I wanna have same shit goin’ in ma hed,” is a frequent query directed toward Ted. “Ganja? Is dat da shit dood?”

“The difference between you and I, my friend, is simple, so lemme break it down for ya. I don’t have to be on crack to experience visions because my mind is powerful enough to produce them on its own. You need something to expedite your mental faculties, though.” “What the fuck does that expe-something mean?” a question usually flies toward Ted.

“It means check it out yourself” a response comes with Ted bolting afterwards. “And I’m not your dood.”

The conversation usually ends there. Unless his friend decides to…pursue the matter further, if you know what I mean.

***

“What the hell?” a surge of heat passes through Ted’s body upon seeing someone on the road in front of him, mayday-ing. Breaks can be heard and stuff in the trunk is floating around. Ted’s stomach almost popped out when the seatbelt pressed itself against it with an incredible amount of force. For a moment Ted has thought - that’s it, I’m going to jail cause of some drunk hermit. Ted gets out of his silver Toyota pickup and heads toward the (alleged) hermit.

The person involved does wear a strange robe, seems to be black as it can be barely seen in the impending darkness. The mayday-ing is gone, now only the robe and the hood can be seen. The individual does not move at all which infuriates Ted as some kind of a prank gone awry.

“What are you, little red riding hood?! I could’ve killed you for Satan’s sake!” Ted uses the name “Satan” for a purpose. The appearance of the stranger does correspond with some cult members, particularly those of devilish variety.

 “Have you gone completely catatonic?” Ted says in an aggressive, though not overly loud, tone. “Are you so shocked your program just…fucking froze?!”

“I KNOW THE SOLUTION TO YOUR TETRA MAST PROBLEM” a loud male voice speaking with the “Trans-Atlantic” variety of English can be heard in Ted’s mind. The voice speaks with such conviction that Norton accepts the statement as real and utters the following words aimed at the individual while standing around one meter away from the entity.

“What do you mean, is this another thought experiment on me?” thinks Ted in a nervous voice. “Don’t you see we’re in the middle of the road and someone can simply whack us with their automobile?”

“Don’t worry, it’s all been taken care of,” responds the voice while the individual stands in the middle, hidden. “I know what you are planning. I know you want to go public with your inventions. This is unwise. Not on this planet, Ted. Not on this planet. The powers that be will first harness your potential and then you’ll be disposed of. I came here to offer you something much bigger.”

“Why me?” Ted asks a question this time, looking directly at the robed figure. “It is reminiscent of some messiah crap.”

“No, Ted, you want your daughter back.”

“Get the fuck away from my daughter or I’ll shoot you where you stand!” Ted shouts at the figure, brandishing a shotgun under his coat. “I’m not fooling around here.”

“Ted, this is not necessary” the figure says and sends a mental image to Ted representing his own assassination. Norton is staggered by the vision and simply knows its true. “We’ve chosen you out of billions. We collect thought patterns of the populations. We’ve visited many planets, many star systems. The most capable minds are taken with us as they help us to understand each culture deeply and they help us to improve ourselves.”

“What, you’re an alien now?” utters Ted, both defensive and shocked.

“Yes” the voice responds. “People on this planet possess a mental screen which does not permit them to see who we are. Due to that, so many people on this planet are easily manipulated. They are archetypes and their behavior is predictable.”

“What do you want from me?” says Ted in a defensive tone, pushing all considerations about the nature of his interlocutor aside. “Why am I so special to you?”

“We’ve been looking for someone like you, Ted. Your situation in life renders you conducive toward various bargaining chips. Quid pro quo.”

“Am I a messiah in your mind, then?” asks Ted, surprised.

“No, you are a person that has what we need. As was stated – we need something from you, you have something for us.”

“What I don’t understand is how someone capable of supraliminal travel would have to visit…me” concludes Norton.

“You’ve discovered a device that handles the problem of electromagnetic pollution. We need it. We also have something that will allow you to be happy again” telepathic voice asserts.

“Doubts are futile. Remember that, Ted Norton.”

“So you’re basically saying I’m unique” answers Ted, not sure how to treat this whole experience.

“Your mind is more open to certain experiences” says the voice. “You did not try to defend your belief system, warding off my presence by attacking me. Your reaction to me right now, despite all the movies concerning extraterrestrials and ultraterrestrials is exemplary. For a type zero civilization human, as one of your physicists would undoubtedly conclude. This is why we chose your thought patterns to be added to our database. We contacted you because we want your patent, Ted. We also want to help you. Please understand, ulterior motives are not within our cultural paradigm.”

“Why didn’t you simply take it away from me if you’re so powerful?” inquires Ted.

“Ted, we don’t infringe on someone else’s existence because it’s against our perceptions” says the voice.

“You are an equal to us; equals ought to be aware of the stakes. There’s some truth to your prime directive.”

“Fair enough” nods Ted. “What do you need my invention for?”

“It’s complicated” the voice explains. “What you can witness now is akin to moving to another dimension. This is why no one can see us despite various objects passing by. You haven’t seen it as nothing has happened yet. Just suppose it would. The difference is, Ted, that your body moves, not your mind. In our case, our mind moves, then our body. This is why we can be outside the consensual reality prevalent in a certain environment. If you were a robot, you might even die of shock. This is why we’re very careful about selecting entities to interact with. The same problem is prevalent in various cultures, individual or collective.”

“I still don’t get the gist of it” says Ted, vexed.

“The gist is simple” responds the voice. “Electromagnetic pollution causes our reality shifts to collapse. This is why I have met you here, to avoid the pollution as much as possible. You’ve devised a device which can eradicate the problem. With it, we will be able to become various individuals in various cultures by being outside their consensus and yet being them at the same time.”

“I think I know what you mean because it makes sense to me” says Ted and adds, “Though it wouldn’t make much sense to many people I guess.”

“This is why you’re our contact” says the voice. “We want you to give us your patent and we offer you something in return.”

Something to save your life – and your daugther’s.”

“My daughter’s?” asks Ted, the words still ringing in his head. “And how exactly can you do that?”

“It’s complex” responds the voice. “The point is, you’ll be back again, with your wife and your daughter, your daughter would be cancer-free. You’ll be back to the point where everything began to entropidize.”

“Agreed” Ted nods, knowing that nothing can be worse than his current mental state where suicide is on the table. “I’m in. You can have my inventions but I expect you to show me who you are first - out of common courtesy then tell me how is it going to happen.”

The individual disrobes. At first Ted sees a young man, in his early twenties, frail-looking with glasses on. Somewhat like a geek, one could wager. Then the person’s face begins to blur and Ted opens his mouth in amazement. “You’re either a genius or a real alien” he says. “It’s just why do you look like a typical gray?”

“It is cliche but it is indeed how this body looks like” responds the alien telepathically. A car happens to whizz by.

“Holy crap, it passed right through me” shouted Ted, exhilarated. “Must be that morphogenetic field!”

“Yes, as I’ve said, all is a matter of belief, even your primitive laws of the universe” the gray looks at Ted and smiles. Ted Norton is a curious man, to say the least.

He is about to ask the entity a torrent of probing questions:

What is reality?
What is the deal about cattle mutilations?
Is there life after death?
Did aliens create humans?
Was Jesus real?
Is the Illuminati for real?
Are vaccines safe?
Am I a mental case for believing you?

The alien just smiles and Norton finds himself in front of his car. “Daddy, what are you thinking about now?” Norton hears a voice coming from behind. “Wha…?” he utters a murmur, looks around and notices his daughter juxtaposed with her school’s background.

He feels an incredible urge to use hyperbolic speech but then realizes the sheer folly behind the idea. Instead, he smiles at Kate and tells her, “Oh nothing much, Katie. Daddy was just… epiphanized.”

Ted’s daughter scans her father. “What do you mean?”

“The X-files: I Want To Disbelieve” says Ted in a calm voice. “How was the school today?”

“Same stuff, as always” says Kate, still puzzled by her father’s bizarre demeanor. “Same here” grins Ted.

"Daddy, why are you so happy today?” Kate’s curiosity knows no bounds.

“The thought of hearing your mother’s voice renders me blissful” says Ted in his pathetic attempt at poetry.