The Truth

EPILOGUE: THE PRESENT

The Fynbar floated above the seven-mile-long runway that marked the edge of Groom Lake. Turcotte brought it down to the tarmac in front of the massive doors for Hangar One. Both were wrecked, smashed by the attacking forces that had kidnapped Duncan. For Turcotte it seemed years ago, while in reality it had been only a few days.

Once the ship was stopped, he opened the hatch and exited, followed by Yakov, Quinn, Kincaid, and Leahy.

The survivors stood on the seven-mile-long runway dwarfed not only by it, but the mountain which the nearby massive hangar was built into. Mike Turcotte, Yakov the Russian, Major Quinn, Larry Kincaid, and Professor Leahy. The roll call of the living. Other names rang in Turcotte’s thoughts. Peter Nabinger. Che Lu. Lisa Duncan. All of whom had given their lives. And the millions more who had died in the battle to defeat the aliens.

He realized the others were looking at him, waiting. He faced them. “We don’t have a mothership so we can’t help other worlds. We don’t have the Grail or Master Guardian either. Both went down with Lisa Duncan on Mars when she destroyed the alien array.

“We are free of the aliens, though. That was her goal. And ours. And it must remain our goal. We know there are Airlia artifacts still here on Earth, hidden away. Some discovered by governments and kept secret, some not yet found. And we know for certain there is life out among the stars. The Airlia. The Swarm. Neither of which wishes us well. And undoubtedly other life-forms.” He paused, trying to articulate thoughts which had assailed him over the past year ever since arriving here at Area 51 and being confronted with the reality that we were not alone among the stars and that the world had been occupied by aliens since before the beginning of recorded time.

“What about telling the world the truth?” Yakov asked, cutting to the core as usual.

“Could the world handle it?” Turcotte asked in turn. “If you had asked me that question yesterday, I would have said the truth must be told. But that was before I knew what the truth was. Now—” He shook his head. “What good would it do? The world knows there are aliens. That they threaten us. Telling people that we were ‘grown’ to serve as soldiers for the Airlia in their war against the Swarm will destroy all the faiths. Beyond that, people will also know we destroyed their chance at immortality with the destruction of the Grail.

“Duncan’s people developed enough to overthrow the Airlia on their planet without the aid of the Grail. We did the same here. And beat the Swarm. Who knows what the future holds for mankind if we are uncorrupted by alien influences?” He looked at Leahy. “Tesla invented his weapon on his own. Our future is ours to make.

“The original charter of Area 51 was a wise one. It worked until Majestic was corrupted by the Temiltepec guardian. I say we pick up that charter. We join it with that of the Watchers.”

Turcotte held out his hand, palm up. “Are you with me?” The others reached forward and placed their hands on top of his. “We know the aliens were here,” he said. “We know they changed human history. Their presence and their technology almost destroyed the human race many times in the past and will in the future if we do not prevent it. We must guard the truth and the planet. We will watch from here. From Area 51. And we will act when we need to.”