“Thank you,” the researcher responded. “Maybe this will help. What is not mankind is not necessarily alien.”
“Say that again,” McCauley implored.
“What is not mankind is not necessarily alien. And the reverse as well. Not alien does not have to be human in the developmental terms as we know it.”
McCauley stopped and gazed past Greene and all his boxes, beyond his house and all the way to the cave system. “I’m not sure I get where you’re going.” He paused to consider an interpretation. “Are you suggesting that accounts of ancient civilizations may, and let’s keep it at may, have existed on earth with some degree of technological know-how?”
“Sticking to the narrow confines of your comfort zone, Dr. McCauley, I really don’t have any scientific fact to support that. That said, I’m not a scientist. I merely research and discuss what I come across. Anyone can do it. The fact is, no one else has to the same extent.”
“But you believe those pictures are authentic?” Alpert injected. “The artifacts and fossils and—”
Greene interrupted Alpert.
“Reports. Research. You could have done a Google search and come up with the same thing. Can I stand behind any of them? Hell, I get the government to release loads of documents. Does that mean what they wrote is true? Was an FBI investigator covering his butt? An Air Force pilot citing a UFO encounter as an excuse for a poor decision he made in the air? Are the dates of relics from Russia, South America and Asia to be taken as credible when respected scientists haven’t laid their fingers on them?
“I have great stories and fabulous photographs. The largest download of previously classified documents anywhere in the country. But validity?” Greene shrugged his shoulders. “Beats the hell out of me.”
“Then, with all due respect, what the fuck are you talking about?” Quinn McCauley couldn’t have been more direct.
“You stood in front of a metallic wall you couldn’t see and felt a prime pyramid that doesn’t make any sense. And yet you question things that I bring up that are equally confounding. Again, why do we assume we know everything there is to know?” He paused. “Why do we do what we do? To see if we’ll ever be lucky enough to uncover a something that no one else has discovered, hoping to add to a greater wealth of knowledge,” Greene continued. “Proving a theory we’ve long held or just being surprised by a big old aha!”
“You are by far one of the oddest people I’ve ever met,” McCauley said. “But you’re right.”
Greene smiled. “I have an idea. Give me a few minutes.”
Greene went to work on his desktop and began printing out a number of pages.
“Here you go,” he said after a few minutes. “I can’t guarantee you’ll have any success, but nothing ventured…”
“What is it?” McCauley asked as he scanned the papers.
“Articles on people who might be able to fill in some blanks. Then again, they may just shut you down or worse send you down a deeper rabbit hole than even I’ve done. Oh, what the hell. I like you. You’re a nice couple—
“We’re not a—” Katrina quickly cut in.
“A nice couple of academics.”
“Oh,” she replied, somewhat embarrassed.
“So,” he said leaning over and pointing to the papers, “start with this guy. Gene Krein. He’s a TV producer who does a show for Nat Geo called World’s Greatest Cover-ups Uncovered.”
“Really?” Alpert asked incredulously. A TV producer?”
“Believe it or not, they can do worthwhile research.”
“I bet.” It was Alpert’s retort. “Does it show up in their programs?”
“Well,” Greene acknowledged, “that’s another thing entirely. But I’ve worked with Krein. Worth a try.”
“More?”
“Yes. A retired archeologist/historian somewhere in New England. He must be pretty old by now. Not sure where, but I’ve read his work. DeCoursey Fales. He used to teach in Boston. Emerson College. Imagine a teacher with that name? I love it. I understand he made some cool discoveries years ago. Here’s his picture. It might lead to something.”
“Maybe he should call the TV producer.” Alpert offered.
“You tell him when you meet. I also think you should talk to this old French spelunker. Bovard.” Greene handed them a picture and contact information. “If anyone knows caves he does. I’ve never met him, but I know his work.”
Greene checked his watch. “Okay, I have to wrap this up. I’ve got a live webcast tonight and I’m way behind on my homework.”
“But you’ve got another,” Alpert noted. Greene held more printouts.
Greene gave it some thought. “Well, yes. I’m just not sure.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I met him at a convention.”
Given Greene’s following, this worried her. “What kind of convention?”
“Ah, sciency.”
“Sciency?” Alpert responded. She didn’t like the sound of that either.
“Well, maybe more science fiction. But don’t get me wrong. He’s the real deal.” Greene turned back to his computer, quickly found an article and printed it out.
“Area 51? Star Wars?” McCauley said.
“Actually Star Trek.”
“Further into the abyss,” McCauley complained under his breath.
Greene heard him.
“No, really. A lot of PhDs go to these things. You’d be surprised. There’s real enthusiasm for research at these things.”
“And a lot of people dressing up. What’s he wear?” McCauley asked completely sarcastically.
“Oh, I’m so glad you asked.” He handed McCauley the article. “A black jacket and a collar. He’s a Vatican priest.”
Thirty-five
“Assuredly, we can all reflect on the meaning of time,” Galileo argued. “It is not ours to control any more than the truth. You may do what you want with me now, but it’s temporal only to us; a pyrrhic victory for you and those who sit in judgment of science.”
Father Vincenzo Maculano sat silently. His fellow inquisitors had left, as had the Vatican scribe. Just two men now, continuing to explore a most uncommon ground.
“Tell me Father, how did you find out?” Galileo asked.
The inquisitor smiled. “Quite simply. Your coterie.”
“My coterie? I don’t understand?”
“The thinker doesn’t think?” Maculano declared. “Are you so old that you have forgotten your friends Pino and Santori?”
Thirty-six
“Father Eccleston. Jared Eccleston. A Paulist. He does his research through an agency called The STOQ Project. STOQ for Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest.”
“Ontological?” McCauley was unfamiliar with the term.
“Metaphysics focusing on the nature and relations of being; the essence of being.”
“Oh, that ontological,” McCauley joked.
“Don’t worry, Dr. McCauley. I had to look it up myself,” Greene admitted. “STOQ embraces chemistry, earth and environment sciences, botany, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. But Father Eccleston also crosses over into astronomy. Kind of a Brother Astronomer. Pretty incredible turnaround for the church that made an example of Galileo.”
“I guess.” McCauley said not really knowing.
“Just promise me that if you figure out more, you’ll give me a call. I’m dying to know.”