Charles H. Grooms

Forty two hours. That is what it was. Forty two hours ago. Mother had grown a mass of specialized brain cells that contained the sum total of all of her knowledge, plus memories of our home planet, but none of her personal memories, naturally. She had also grown a mass of non specialized half cells, each containing exactly one half of the genes needed for life. Father had done the same thing. So far, nothing unusual. But then, the unusual part had taken place. Those two masses of tissue had been brought together, not to be nourished within Mother's body, as would normally be done, but within an alien atmosphere, one that Mother and Father had to be protected against while they brought the two masses together.

Since all of the cells were as yet unspecialized, and even only half cells at that, they quickly adapted to the unusual mixture of gases that very closely resembled the atmosphere of the planet that the natives called Earth in their major tongue. When the two masses came together, the half cells quickly combined to form whole cells, and the two masses of brain tissue joined and I became aware. Just forty two hours ago. They tell me that the combining took two minutes.

So now I am being artificially nourished in this alien atmosphere, and it seems perfectly normal to me. Fortunately, my genes "remember" what a real atmosphere is supposed to be like, so I will quickly adapt to that when I am exposed to it. But then, I will have to be protected from this type of atmosphere. It is a one way street. So I must be raised within this alienism, never to play with my siblings or peers, never to be held or shown real affection by my parents until after I am fully grown and have completed my mission. I am even being given drugs and hormones to make me grow much faster than normal, and to grow to look more like those humans down there than like my own people. I am told that except for the size, it is reversible, fortunately.

********************

It has been six days now, and I have been growing brain cells of my own, as well as other cells. I am also gaining mass and getting larger. I have also been learning the language called English. I still have to learn Russian, French, Spanish and Chinese. Such an uncivilized planet, to have so many languages. And I understand that these are only some of the major languages, that there are many, many more. Fortunately, they tell me that if I know these, I should be able to get by anywhere on the planet. There seems to be some debate going on, some of the expedition seems to think that I should also learn German, Italian and Japanese as well.

In case anyone is wondering how I am managing to make these reports at such a young age, before my vocal apparatus has developed and before my hands have developed or I have managed to develop motor skills and coordination, those caring for me and teaching me have set up a device that directly picks up any thoughts that I direct at it and records them for me.

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I am four months old now, and I did have to learn the other three languages. I understand them all perfectly, and can read them as well. Of course, I don't really speak them or write them yet, even though I do know how, I just haven't yet developed the coordination, motor control and dexterity to handle them yet, but it will come. Nor have my vocal apparatus and hands fully developed yet, but that too, will come. I did manage to sit up without falling over for a few minutes today.

********************

It is six months today since I became aware, and I am now starting to be able to speak a little, but my pronunciation still leaves a lot to be desired. Mother and Father still come to my chamber and look at me through the glass and talk to me. Hey! I managed to stand up yesterday. I admit that I was holding on to a support, but I did it. They tell me that I am now as large as a six month old human baby. Of course, we have to remember that a human baby has also had nine months of development within it's mother's womb, so that is really fifteen months of development, for me, it is only six months.

They have me studying human psychology now. Their normal psychology is complex enough, but when you add in all of their abnormal psychology as well, I tell you, it can boggle the mind. I really don't know how they manage to handle it. Using their measurement scales, I try to use human measures and terms for everything, it is good practice. Anyway, using their measurements, their average IQ is only between 90 and 110, about where our people were about a quarter million years ago. Considering that, it really amazes me that they can handle all of those nuances in their psychology. Come to think of it, maybe they don't handle them so well after all, they still have crime and fight wars. It really shocked me to learn that.

********************

I am one year old today. Mother and Father came by to visit. They brought my brother and sister with them. They tell me that I am now as large as a four year old human child. I have no trouble at all with my speech and pronunciation anymore. I can speak all nine languages that I know fluently. That includes the eight human languages as well as Grillian, the language of my own people. My siblings were surprised to learn that I know eight human languages, and even more surprised to learn that that is only a small percentage that the humans use themselves. They were also amazed at my size. They are both older than I, my sister is five and my brother is eight. I am already larger than my sister and nearly as large as my brother. Of course, they have not had the growth hormones that I have had, so are not growing as fast as I. Nor will they grow to be as large as I will. The project leaders felt that I should be grown to be almost as large as a normal human so that they will find it easier to accept me. By keeping me on the small size of normalcy, the humans will still be able to accept me, then when I return to my own people, although I will be oversized, I won't be so oversized that I will not be able to live a normal life.

I must confess that my handwriting is still very childish. I am still working on my coordination and dexterity. But as I said before, it will come.

They have started teaching me about human cultures. What a mess. I thought that the languages and psychology were bad. It seems that each country has it's own culture. Some of them are very similar, others are very different. What may be considered to be very polite in one culture, may be considered very rude in another, what may be required behavior in one, may be taboo in another, and not even thought of or noticed in a third. And I have to get them all right for each. As I said, a mess, almost a nightmare. To make matters even worse, within one culture, there may be several subcultures. And each culture and subculture even has it's own differences in food preferences and methods of preparation. And the culture that one grew up in and lives in even affects the psychology of the individuals. Oy Vey!

********************

I was three years old last week. I have been studying the human cultures for two years now. I have most of the major cultures pretty well under control now, I am still working on some of the minor ones.

We tried an experiment last week. I would be given a problem, told to put myself in the frame of mind for a particular culture and solve the problem. Then I would change my culture and try to solve the same problem. It was amazing. By changing cultures, I would often come up with different answers to the same problem! Then one of the instructors had an idea. He asked me not only to change cultures, but to change the language that I was thinking in. We were all surprised to find that the language also changed the problem solution. We worked with that for a while and concluded that not only did the cultural differences affect the psychology, but the language being used affected both as well! Now the project leaders are wondering if it might not be best if I were to learn some more languages. For instance, if I were in India, trying to interface with the natives of one of the Indian subcultures, what language could I think in that would most assure that I would be successful in my interactions with them? Would one of the languages that I already know suffice, or would I be best able to understand them if I were to able to communicate with them, and think in their own language?

********************

It has been a busy year. I will be four years old tomorrow. Due to the experiment that I told you about in my last report, the project leaders and instructors decided to try another experiment. First, they taught me the Swedish language. Then they had me put myself into the Swedish culture frame of mind and gave me a problem. I solved the problem ten different times, each time thinking in a different language, the last time I used Swedish. I came up with ten different solutions to the problem. In some cases, the solutions were noticeably different, in other cases the differences were subtle. The important thing was, that with the same cultural frame of mind, and using the same problem, there were ten different answers. Then they taught me Norwegian and had me go into the Norwegian mindset. I solved the problem using both Swedish and Norwegian. Again, two subtly different answers. The reason that they picked Norwegian and Swedish is that they are two very similar cultures with similar languages. But even though the cultures and languages are similar, they produced answers that were different. The differences were subtle, but they were there.

As a result, the project leaders decided that I should learn all of Earth's major languages and many of it's minor ones as well. Each time I learned a new language, I had to test it against the country or countries in which it is used. Some of the languages that I already knew, like English I found are different in different parts of the world. For instance, although they can understand each other, the English speak a different language than the Americans, who speak a different language than the Australians, who speak a different language than the Bahamians. But that is not so bad when you consider that Spanish, as spoken in Spain has over thirty different dialects, and then you have the other dialects of Spanish spoken in the Americas. The worst of all is Chinese with something like three hundred sixty different dialects. Fortunately, they all use the same written language, just the pronunciation is different. And to think that I had thought that I knew human languages!

All of this has raised a question among the researchers. Does a culture affect the language, controlling it's form and syntax, or does the language form the culture? Or are they interactive, each altering the other until some equilibrium is reached? I suspect that the researchers will not rest until they have solved the problem and then experimentally proven it to their satisfaction. Fortunately, that is not my problem right now, but I suspect that it is an interaction.

********************

I am now four and a half years old, and we finally finished up with the study of Earth's languages and cultures. As a celebration, they fitted me up with an atmospheric suit that would allow me to leave my isolation chamber and took me on a "field trip." We went to the observation room and I got to see Earth for the first time. I could look out and see the Lunar landscape, and that was a first for me, too. Then I could look up and see the Earth hanging in the blackness of space. It was beautiful, like some blue and white gem, laying on a large piece of black velvet that had been sprinkled with glowing diamond dust. It was a full Earth, so we were looking out at the Lunar night. I asked that I be allowed to come back during the Lunar day so that I could get a better look at the Lunar landscape. The instructor said that he would try to arrange it for me.

Then we went on a tour of the station. It seemed rather strange to be wearing an atmosphere suit when nobody else that I saw was wearing one. Normally it is the other way around. Either the people that I see are outside of the glass that surrounds my isolation chamber, or if they are in the chamber with me, they are wearing the atmosphere suits.

I also found out that the station was a lot bigger than I had realized. Of course, this was the first time that I had ever been out of my isolation chamber.

It was also strange to see native Grillian plants after all that I had ever seen before were Earth plants. Of course, I knew what they were, I remembered them from the memories that I had received from Mother and Father. I would never know as much about them as Mother, a lot of her memories about plants were due to her technical training and so fell into the realm of her personal memories. There is no word in a human language that describes exactly what Mother does, the closest that I can come to it would be to call her a genetic botanist. But that doesn't really describe it. She works at the DNA level with plants, correcting genetic drift in them. In a closed system such as we have here on Luna, if some of the food plants were to start to mutate, it could be disastrous. So she has the DNA pattern of every species of plant life in the station, and if any of them should start to change, she can correct the DNA. It follows that with those skills that she can also tailor plants for special needs. Father does a similar type of thing, only he specializes more in defining the specialized needs that are required from plants.

I will never get any of that kind of specialized technical training. I am being trained more as a generalized specialist on Earth. We already have many specialists on Earth and the humans, more than four hundred in fact, but none of them have the breadth of training that I am receiving. Each of the Earth specialists is giving me the entire depth of his or her training and knowledge across the breadth of his or her specialties, so that I will eventually know everything that each of them knows. The difference is that none of them will ever know as much about Earth and it's people and cultures as I already know. And they tell me that my training still has a long way to go. For instance, I still have to learn what the humans call philosophy and sociology and political science just to name a few. The instructors tell me that they started me off with the easy parts first. I start on the philosophy tomorrow.

********************

We celebrated my sixth birthday today. We also did it in a different sort of way than in the past. Mother and Father and my siblings came to my isolation chamber for awhile. Then I was suited up in an atmospheric suit and went to my family's chambers for awhile and got to spend some time with them.

It seemed strange to be there. Aside from wearing the atmosphere suit, it was my first real chance to interact with others using my own native culture. Naturally, I knew about my own culture from the memories that I received from Mother and Father, but I have been living and interacting with others primarily in one or another of the Earth cultures. It also seemed strange to be speaking Grillian, the first language that I ever knew, instead of speaking one of the Earth languages.

I am much larger than my brother now, and almost as large as Father, who is a large man. They tell me that I don't have too much more growing to do.

It also seemed strange listening to Grillian music when all that I have ever heard before is Earth music. It was beautiful. I have been exposed to various Earth music in the course of my studies on the various Earth cultures, but I have not really studied music yet. They tell me that that is another subject that I will have to learn.

There is another interesting aspect of getting to get out of my isolation chamber. The gravity in my isolation chamber is maintained at one Earth normal gravity, what the humans call one gee. The rest of the station is maintained at the normal gravity that is normal for Grilla, our home world. In Earth terms, that would be point eight gee. It makes me feel light and energetic.

I have been studying various types of Earth philosophy since my last report. Everything from ancient Greek and Chinese philosophers to modern philosophers. It is really fascinating to see how they could come up with what are really such divergent, yet logical ways of looking at their universe. Again, their cultures seemed to influence their philosophies, just as their philosophies have seemed to influence their cultures. With these people, every aspect of them seems to influence and change every other aspect. The more that I learn about them, the more I am amazed by them. In a way, for such a primitive people, they are an admirable race. Even with all of their negative aspects such as crime and wars, or perhaps in spite of or because of those negative aspects, they are a people who can really evoke respect. At times, they can be almost noble. I almost wish that I could see what they will be when their civilization is as old as ours.

In studying their philosophies, we have touched on some of their religions. When I asked my instructors about that, I was told that that was another area of study for later.

One thing that I have come to understand about them, that I am not sure that they themselves know is this. They are a very diverse people. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure that they know that they are very diverse. They have diverse languages, cultures, philosophies, psychologies, races and everything else that you can think of. But it seems to me that their divergence is reversing, that is, they are slowly becoming more homogenized, less diverse. I can see that they are slowly blending into one. In a way, that is sad.

********************

I was seven last week. I have pretty well gone through their philosophies. With each philosophy, I had to test it against each of the cultures that it applied to. It was interesting to observe how the same philosophy could be interpreted differently. The teachings of Aristotle, for instance, may be understood in one way by a Greek and in an entirely different way by a Frenchman or an American.

Now there is a really fascinating people. Unlike most of the other major nations, they are a fusion of peoples and races from many different cultures and languages and philosophies and races. As a result, they have developed a gestalt that is totally different than any of the mores that bred them. In a way, they remind me of a large, overgrown puppy. Not as individuals, mind you, but as a people. Like that puppy, they are friendly, sometimes overly friendly, always wanting to please and help someone else out. They will, like that puppy, take a lot of abuse and still keep coming back for more until the abuse reaches a certain point, and then they can become absolutely vicious. Then, when it is all over, they become friendly again, helping the vanquished to pick up the pieces and get back on his feet. They have even been known to help foes who were suffering from some natural or manmade disaster.

Tomorrow, we are going to start on their sociology and political sciences. Although these are really two different subjects, they are integrally tied in so many ways that the instructors decided to teach them to me at the same time.

********************

I was ten years old last month. I now stand, in Earth measures, four feet, ten inches tall. That is small for an adult human, but very large for a Grillian, the average height for an adult male being four feet, four inches. I have reached my maximum growth.

We just finished the study of sociology and political sciences. What a mess. They have so many vastly differing political philosophies that I can understand why they have so many problems getting along with each other. Even within the same nation it is hard to find two of them that agree totally on everything. Then when you consider the differences between two totally different ideologies, it is a wonder that they haven't totally annihilated themselves, they certainly have the capabilities to do so. It does say something about their self restraint.

Tomorrow we start on the study of their music and art. Again, these are two totally different subjects, but since they are both of a creative nature, and since the humans sometimes combine the two, it was felt that studying them together would be appropriate.

********************

I am now eleven and a half. I have been subjected to everything from cave wall paintings and the chanted songs of the most primitive stone age people to modern times. Again, I was impressed by the contrasts. Take their music. Some of their music is absolutely beautiful, some of it is simply meaningless noise. Or their art. In their earlier times, it was a form of magic or history. As they evolved, it evolved also. It became something to be used for decoration and some of it is beautiful, some of it is meaningless, some of it seems to be meant to shock the viewer. Then there is another art form where they combine the visual with music, dance. Again it runs the entire gamut from magic to beauty to obscenity. A very strange people.

After we had finished this study and I commented that it was amazing how what is essentially a single people could be so diverse, my instructors told me to hold that thought until we had covered the next course. Religion. They tell me that if that doesn't confuse me, nothing about these humans will.

********************

I will be fourteen next month. I had known that the Creator had created an infinite number of worlds, with infinite life forms. I had also known that He had created an infinite number of ways in which the intelligent life forms understood Him. But it had never occurred to me that He would try to get all of those understandings on a single planet.

They vary all the way from atheism at one extreme to intense fanaticism at the other extreme. They vary from monotheism to pantheism. Even within a single religious group, there is no REAL consensus. Take the Christians, for example. That group is divided into numerous religions that are about as diverse as you could possibly imagine. Not only does each of these different Christian religions have a different viewpoint concerning the Creator, they have different ways in which they express their faiths. Then examine a single religious group, Churches, they are called. From one Church to another within the same religion, from one minister to another within the same Church, you will find different teachings. Then it starts to get confusing. From a single individual to another within the same church, you will find a different understanding. They may profess to believe the same things, but each of them will have a different way of looking at things, a different understanding. Sometimes the differences are subtle, sometimes they are blatant.

At least one of their religious groups does seem to have some understanding of this. Over the door of one of their religious temples is a stone. Carved into this stone are the words, translated to say, "Ten thousand monks, ten thousand religions." I think that it would be safe to say that no two humans have exactly the same religious and spiritual beliefs and understandings.

Lest some of the reviewers of this report get the idea that the divergence that I mentioned among the Christians is restricted to them, let me clear that possible misconception up. These same types of differences have also been noted in the other religious groups as well.

So what do the humans believe in? Take your pick. Almost anything that you want to choose can be found there. And probably quite a few that you couldn't even imagine. Of course, each of the different religious groups thinks that all of the others are wrong, no, that is not quite correct. There are a very few, scattered individuals who have the understanding that there is no single universal truth that is true for all, but rather many truths, each truth being applicable to different individuals at different levels of understanding. These few individuals are generally content to allow others to believe as they will, but among others, wars have been fought over religious differences and individuals have been persecuted and even killed or tortured because of religious differences.

********************

Throughout all of my studies, with the exception of language studies, I have also been learning the history of Earth. This makes a lot of sense if you think about it for a second. Think about how a different philosophy or philosophies can affect a culture or cultures, and their course of development. Think about how one culture might interact with another and how one ideology would interact with another. It was easier to understand some of these things if I also saw the historical occurrences that helped to shape them and cause changes in them.

********************

I have also just been told that some of my education has been neglected. This was not an oversight, but was done on purpose. Some of the things that are normally taught to Grillian children, starting at about age four, have been kept from me. In the first place, my memory has been enhanced by hormone treatments, as well as my general intelligence. But in order to allow me to have a better understanding of the Earthlings, some of the skills that a normal Grillian child learns were never even allowed to come to my awareness. These are mental skills. What the Earth people would call psychic abilities. Now I have to learn those skills. Other than learning those skills, I also have to gain a general understanding of the Earth technology and keep abreast of the current events on the planet. When I have done that, I will be ready to start my mission.

********************

I am eighteen now. It has been four years since my last report. I have learned a lot during that time. The technology was easy, the instructors simply put me in the teaching machines and plugged in a module and the information would be fed directly into my brain, just as all of the rest of the teaching had been accomplished. The difference here was that I did not have to exercise that knowledge as I did with some of the other studies that I have undertaken. Like with the cultural studies, I would have to practice putting myself in a certain mindset that would make me, for all practical purposes, a part of that culture. I didn't have to do that with their technology and mathematics. After all, either you understand mathematics, or you don't.

What has been the real work, and taken the most time was the development of the psychic abilities. Now they tell me that I am ready. Tomorrow, they are going to allow me to spend the day with my family. Of course, I will have to wear an atmosphere suit. After all of this time and work, it wouldn't pay to have me exposed to the Grillian atmosphere and revert to the Grillian biochemistry and not be able to undertake my mission. Then the day after tomorrow, I will go down there to Earth and meet the humans.

********************

I left the Luna base ten minutes ago. I think that everyone turned out to see me off. Over the course of the last eighteen years, I had met everyone at the base, and they all wished me well, all four hundred twenty of them.

My space craft was specially constructed for this mission. It will have to be left unattended as I go among the humans, and our knowledge of them tells us that it would not be safe to leave a normal space craft sitting around where they could get their hands on it. One of the things that they would try to do would be to disassemble it to find out how it works, and I would be stuck on the planet. So the entire craft has been constructed of a ceramalloy that nothing that they can bring to bear on it, short of a nuclear explosion, will affect it. There are no panels that they can remove and no exposed controls that they can get to. The only movable parts are the door and the retractable ramp. The controls are all psychically controlled and keyed to me personally. Some of the humans do have some psychic abilities, it wouldn't pay for one of them to accidentally cause the ship to take off. Of course, it can be recalled by those at the Luna base in case something happens to me, they would then be able to retrieve my reports.

When I left the base, and the hatch had closed, I looked around and at that low altitude, the only thing that I could see was the observation dome. Once I had reached five thousand feet, even that was not visible. That base was well hidden.

It should take me just about an hour to reach Earth. From this point on, rather than make reports on what has happened, I am going to make a running dialogue as it happens. That way, if anything should go wrong, the last report should be as complete and up to date as possible.

********************

I have just entered Earth's atmosphere and started broadcasting on several of the more commonly used wavelengths, both radio and television, the single word, "Greetings" in several of the major languages used on Earth. I intend to circle the planet five times, in a different orbital path each time so that all parts of the planet receive the message.

I have just completed the final trip around the planet and have come to a stop above the city called New York. I am still broadcasting while also monitoring several of the wavelengths used by some of the more powerful governments. They have detected me and the reactions, as expected, range all of the way from anxious curiosity to panic. I have started my descent and will set my spacecraft down in front of the United Nations building.

We have chosen this location for many reasons. The fact that it is in the United States is not one of them. We had decided that we wanted to land somewhere that I would be noticed, but not to give the impression that I was favoring some one nation over another. Since, in a sense, the United Nations is an international site, by landing here, I am not really choosing one nation as the first to contact, but rather am contacting Earth.

I am down to five hundred feet altitude now and it has become apparent to those on the ground that I am about to land. They had originally started gathering just below me but now the police are dispersing the crowd in order to give me room to land. Still, I am keeping my descent slow. I don't want to frighten anyone and I certainly don't want to harm anyone.

I had a close call there. Just as I was about to set my spacecraft down, a child broke out of the crowd and ran towards my ship. I had to dodge to keep from hitting him. I'm afraid that in dodging the child, my ship hit the steps of the U.N. building and chipped a small piece out of one of the steps. I feel bad about that even though it was only a very small piece, about half of the size of one of the marbles that Earth children play with.

I have been sitting here for two hours now. The police of this city and some soldiers have set up a cordon around the area. That was to be expected. Several government dignitaries of both local and national governments have arrived and are waiting outside. Several U.N. representatives are also on hand. There are also many reporters with both still and television cameras set up and aimed at my ship. It is time for me to make my appearance.

By directing a thought at the proper mechanism, the door of my spacecraft opens and the ramp extends to the ground. Much thought also went into the clothing that I should wear on this, my first contact. In order not to appear to be favoring one culture over another, it was decided that I should wear the clothing of my own people. The closest that any Earth culture has gotten to that was the togas of ancient Greece. So that is what I am wearing. Anyway, as the door opened and the ramp extended, a murmur went up from the crowd and it moved back slightly. I decided that it would be wise to wait a moment before I step out to give them a chance to get used to this new development, particularly since I know how nervous they can be about facing new and unknown situations, and considering that many of them are armed. I don't want to do anything too sudden.

I just stepped into the doorway of my craft. They can easily see me now. At my appearance, many of the police and soldiers raised their weapons, but since I didn't do anything threatening, none have fired at me. I think that it might be best if I just stand here for a moment and let them look at me, let them get used to me.

Just as I had about decided that it was time to descend the ramp, three individuals detached themselves and started walking toward my ship. I could easily detect their nervousness. Since I don't want to upset them, I think it best if I wait for them.

They stopped about ten feet from the bottom of the ramp of my ship, so I walked down the ramp toward them. When I reached the bottom, and they were no longer looking up at me, they realized that I am considerably shorter than they are. That made them feel better, less inferior. It also made me feel strange. It was the first time that I have had to look up at anyone in a long time.

A small group of the U.N. representatives came up behind the first three humans. One of the three took a couple of steps forward and said, in American English, mid-western accent, "I don't know if you can understand me, but welcome to the planet Earth."

I answered, also in American English, "Yes, I understand you quite well. Thank you, I am happy to be here." He seemed both surprised and pleased that I knew his language.

One of the U.N. representatives said, in French to a large black man standing next to him, "Wouldn't you know it. Of all of the human languages he chooses to learn English."

I couldn't allow that feeling to continue, so I immediately said to him, in French, "I speak your language as well, in fact, I speak most of the languages of Earth." His face lit up and he looked pleased. I decided to press my advantage and spoke to the large black man beside him. I had judged from his dress and general appearance that he was a Swahili, "And I believe, Sir, that this is your native tongue?"

The black man's face broke into a large grin and he replied that it was.

The man who had originally spoken to me said, "I am General Matherson. I suppose that you would like to be taken to our leader?"

I looked back at him and said, "Which leader do you mean, General, the mayor of this city, the governor of this state of New York, the president of this country or the Secretary General of the United Nations?"

"Why, the President, of course."

"In time, I would like to meet with your president, as well as the leaders of all of your nations. I also want to meet your people, not just the people of this city, this state or this nation, but people all over your planet. Then I would like to address the General Assembly of the United Nations."

"Are you here then, as an official ambassador of your people?"

"Ambassador, emissary, representative, visitor, call it what you will. I am here on a mission, and part of that mission is to meet with people from all walks of life in all parts of your world. I am not here as a visitor to any one nation or group, but to all mankind. That is why I chose to land at the door of The U.N. building, believing it to be the closest thing to international territory that I could find where there would still be people."

The general didn't seem to be overjoyed by my answer, but some of the U.N. delegates seemed heartened by it. They had all assumed that I had chosen to make contact with what I had decided was the dominate nation on the planet, a notion that I could not allow to develop if I was to be successful in my mission.

"Are you here, then, to establish formal relations with Earth, and perhaps trade relations?"

"General, the first, and most important thing that I must do is get to know your people and give them a chance to get to know me. What happens after that, well we will all just have to wait and see."

As it turned out, I was escorted to see the president and we had a pleasant visit. I'm afraid that he was left feeling rather frustrated by my refusal to make any deals or formal arrangements with him. Naturally, he was trying to position his nation favorably with what he perceived to be a "Galactic Civilization."

********************

It has been a very busy year and a half for me. I have been in all parts of the world and met with government leaders, politicians, machine operators in their factories, farmers in their fields, office workers at their desks and street vendors at their stalls. I have attended state dinners, eaten in restaurants, dined in private homes and even eaten around campfires. I have met and made friends with people from all walks of life in all parts of the world.

The various governments of the world have all been very helpful, each trying to impress me with their worth. They have gone out of their way to provide me with travel and accommodations and it has been helpful at times, at other times it has proven to be a hinderance to me.

Of the people that I have met, I have run the gamut. Some met me with fear, apprehension or nervousness. At the other extreme, some have felt adulation or awe as they met me. With all of them, I tried to leave them with a feeling of friendship.

Finally, this day has arrived. The Secretary General of the United Nations is making a rather long winded introduction and when he is finished, I will address the assembled delegates of all of the member nations of Earth. All of the member states of the United Nations have representatives here today. Besides the normal U.N. delegates, all of the nations of Earth that are not members of the U.N. also have representatives here at my insistence. I wanted it to be fully understood that my message today was to all of Earth.

Banks of cameras are aimed at the podium where the Secretary General speaks. An array of microphones is also facing him. Perhaps it is the knowledge that his every gesture, his every utterance is being seen and heard live all around the world is contributing to his verbosity.

Eventually, he winds down and introduces me. As I approach the podium, thunderous applause greets me. At last, the audience falls silent and I begin my speech to the gathering. "To the honorable delegates to this august gathering and to the good people of Earth everywhere, greetings. Firstly, let me explain that I have chosen to address you today in English, not because I have any personal preference for this language over any of the other languages of Earth. English is certainly not the native language of the majority of the peoples of this planet, certainly there are more people who call Chinese their native tongue than those that call English their native tongue. Rather I have chosen English because it is the most widely understood language on the planet even though it is a second language to most.

"Next, I need to explain something about me, personally, to you. I have been especially prepared to visit your planet since before my conception. The atmosphere of Earth is lethal to the inhabitants of Grilla, my home world. We call ourselves Grillians. As I said, your atmosphere is lethal to us and your food is poisonous to us, just as our atmosphere and food are poisonous to you. So in order to prepare me to visit your world, I had to be - modified - at conception. Then as I was being raised to adulthood, I had to be isolated from my native environment. I have never smelled the air of my home world or tasted its food. I have never been able to interact directly with any of my own race as I have interacted with many of you. Fortunately, the memory encoded within my genes will cause me to revert to the normal Grillian biochemistry once I am exposed to the Grillian environment. From that point on, Earth will be lethal to me. I can never return except in a protective atmosphere suit which will furnish me with my own air. I would also have to furnish my own food as the smallest bite of your food would kill me.

"I tell you these things because some have expressed the fear that Grilla intend to invade Earth and take over. This is simply not so, we could not live here. I am a special, one time case. I have been prepared all of my life for this one purpose, to visit you, here.

"I am also telling you these things so that you will have a better understanding of the importance that my people place in my mission here. My people have gone to the effort to build a habitat on your moon that could house all of the individuals involved in preparing me to come here. Over four hundred Grillians have lived in that isolated habitat since before my conception until this day. All to prepare me to visit you, because my world wanted to tell your world something.

"So, here is the message from my world to your's. The people of Grilla wish for you, Peace on Earth, and want you to know that we bear Good Will Toward Man."

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