Lost in Magadan: Extraterrestrials on Earth

There were dozens of Vitahicians living on Hill Air Force base as permanent residents. They were called “guests,” but it seemed more like a prison. He and the other Vitahicians were given military ranks and paychecks. They could move around the base and utilize its facilities. They blended in with the human population very well, as they looked very much like humans. They aged more slowly than humans, but on a highly transient military installation, people did not stick around long enough to notice certain residents did not appear to age.

Mike’s day-to-day life was not like that of a prisoner. He lived underground in private quarters, the size of a large apartment. He went to work every day, performing duties that matched his skill set. He could go to the commissary, bowling alley, grocery store, movie theater and any other of the base’s many amenities. However, he was not allowed to leave the base or interact with the public without an escort. He was able to leave the base several times per year, with an escort, to go on what humans referred to as a vacation.

Many years ago, Mike had lost all hope of ever being satisfied with his station in life. He grew to resent his American “hosts,” thinking of them more like prison guards than co-workers. Most of the Vitahicians liked the Americans and enjoyed helping them develop new technology. They believed that by helping the Americans develop better technology the Earth would become a good ally and trading partner for the Vitahicians.

Mike was tired of playing the long game. Waiting decade after decade for the humans to get their act together was more than he could stand. Mike was certain that his long life would be over before the humans ever reached the point where they were able to become a meaningful ally to his people. Mike wanted, needed, something more, something to fill the mundane routine of working and sleeping.

Mike, like the other Vitahicians, was well paid for his services. He had no wife or children, rarely left the base and lived in underground quarters provided to him at no cost. His frugal lifestyle and lack of bills had allowed him to save most of his money over the years. Mike planned on having a lot of fun on this vacation with the money he never had time to spend. Except for drinking alcohol, which did not agree with their digestive systems, Vitahicians enjoyed many of the same activities as humans.

Mike’s security detail consisted of two ex-military types wearing dark suits and driving a single SUV. The luggage was placed in the SUV; Mike climbed into the back seat and they started off toward the beach. After struggling through heavy traffic down General Booth Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, Mike found himself in a large hotel room on the twelfth floor of an expensive ocean front resort. After handing the valet a ten-dollar tip for bringing up his luggage he turned to his security detail, “Do you really have to stand here in the room with me?”

“No Sir, we can stand outside the door, if you would like,” said the bulky man. Both men on the protective detail were wearing black suits, black aviator style sun glasses and appeared to know how to handle a situation.

Where do they find these goons?

“Do you guys always wear black suits? It’s 105 degrees out there,” Mike asked with a slight chuckle.

“We will have to accompany you whenever you leave the room,” said the larger man, ignoring Mike’s question. The men turned to walk out the door.

“If I go lay on the beach, will you two stand in the sand behind me wearing those black suits?”

“I think the boardwalk will be close enough,” said the smaller of the two stone-faced agents. On the drive in, Mike had noticed that the Virginia Beach boardwalk was about five miles long, and made of poured concrete, not actual wooden boards.

After a day of relaxing on the beach, Mike decided to walk down Atlantic Ave to a steak restaurant that had received many good reviews, it appeared to be a small family owned restaurant with a silhouette of a bull on the outside of the building. Mike was thankful that Vitahician scientists had developed a pill that, if taken prior to eating, would allow for easy digestion of human food. He did not make a habit of eating human food, but from time to time he liked to splurge. The food was excellent. The two agents sat at a nearby table and did not appear to eat anything other than a few rolls. Mike planned to charter a boat and go deep sea fishing the next day, but tonight he was going to head across the street to a bar where a local band was playing. Mike paid the bill and left an extra twenty for the cute waitress. As he walked out the door, the two agents followed.

“I’m heading across the street to listen to the band; do you have to follow me?” Mike asked the two agents. Mike was wearing khaki shorts, a brightly colored collared shirt and tan loafers. He knew the two men in black suits would stand out like vampires in the Vatican.