Joe rubbed his stubbled chin. He wondered if he should shave today. He had nothing planed so it didn’t really matter. As a matter of fact nothing much mattered. The great irony is that just a year ago Joe had won a sizable amount of money from the lotto. He didn't have to work anymore. Which at the time felt great. He hated his job and the winnings felt like a godsend. Time moved on, as it will, and soon after a spending spree and two vacations there was nothing to do. Every one of his friends felt as if the money he had won was somehow theirs as well. Some quick culling took care of that so now he had no friends. The new people he met only cared about their high level jobs or the money they had. Joe liked baseball and fishing and he liked them in the company of people like himself. Beer not wine- hamburgers and fries not fillet mignon and asparagus; simple people- a simple life. Money made him a promise and didn't keep it. It seemed that now his only job was watching over his newly gained wealth. Women seemed ugly when he was unwanted now they are beautiful and only want him so they can live a pampered life. Joe stopped dating. Joe was not a happy man

He decided to shave in the morning. It was only nine o'clock but if he didn't go to bed He felt he would go crazy. He showered anyway and climbed in the sack. He stared at the useless clock and felt a tinge of sadness. Nine o'clock- so early. What was so wrong with getting up in the morning and toiling at wall finishing? He worked hard and was proud of his abilities. He decided to get up in the morning and go find a job. It was time to do something. He used to scoff at those lotto winners who said they wouldn't quit their jobs; they were right. It was a useful and honorable way to live your life and he was going to correct the wrong he had done to his own life. He drifted off with a satisfied smile. Tomorrow would be a good day.

Joe woke, rolled over and looked at the clock it was 2:00 am. He didn't know what woke him but he decided to pee. As he walked to the bathroom he heard a loud whirring. He turned left and walked into the kitchen. Standing he turned on the lights that flooded his lavish large back yard. Past the pool area and deck he thought he could see a green shimmer. It was a large mist cloud. The lights flickered over the patio and the bulbs all blew up in a display that caused Joe to step back. The whirring started again. It got louder and louder. Joe gritted his teeth and covered his ears. His nose began to run. Wiping his upper lip he looked at his hand and the crimson smear upon it. The whining became intolerable and Joe swooned and fell to the floor.

" Joe? Wake up Joe. I'm sorry I over did it."

Joe came to. He rubbed his tempo and wiped his bloodied nose. He stood a little woozy and went to the kitchen sink. He cleaned up his face and stopped short.

" Who's here." No answer came.

He walked over to the ten-light doors that opened to the pool deck. It was just dawn and the air was cool and clean. Joe took a deep breath and remembered the mist last night in the garden. He went to his room and threw on a robe. There was no need to be concerned about his state of undress there wasn't a neighbor for a mile in either direction. He went out his bedroom doors to the deck and walked through the garden to the back section of the back yard. The yard consisted of out buildings, a workshop, sheds to store tools and equipment, small patches of his favorite flowering plants, fruit trees and grape vines, full size trees on the perimeters and a soccer field size lawn.

He smiled to himself. This was beautiful. He chastised himself for not telling his gardener what a fine job he was doing. What had he become? In the past he always acknowledged good work from others. He had become a rich selfish bastard and he didn’t like it.

" What an asshole I have become. When I didn't have money I spent every minute begging and praying for it. I just knew my life would be better but now that you have it…well look at yourself." Joe spoke aloud to himself.

" That is an incredible insight. I'm not sure many of your kind are that self-reflective." The voice said.

Joe snapped around looking in every direction. He knew who ever spoke was standing right behind him. He ran in circles to no avail there was no one around.

" I'm sorry. I talk too much. The minute I learn a new language I can't keep quite. It's one thing to get it intellectually and quite another to speak it aloud. We are actually forbidden … unless we are discovered. I'm just very sociable it’s a flaw in my design. But I'm so good at my work that it's overlooked." The voice gushed.

"Who the hell are you?" Joe put his hands in front of feeling the air. " Are you a ghost? Are you the ghost of the ole guy that used to own this place?"

"Hell? Oh yes. The concept of a place of punishment for wrongdoing after one is terminated. I don't accept that. I believe all live goes on after motor functions cease. It's clear to me that energy is immortal and organized energy or 'life' goes on. How else could you explain sentience except as an organized set of energy patterns. In all the life I have studied the energy map of sentience is the same regardless of the biological or mechanical shell that that life resides in…Oh, no I am certainly not a ghost."

Joe fainted again.

He awoke in the cool of the night.

"Joe are you all right?

" Damn I was hoping it was a dream." He stood up and knocked his head against something metallic. He fell to the ground rubbing the rising egg on the crown of his head. "Jeez!"

" Is that a reference to Jesus?

" Yeah…Whoever you are. I'm asking …praying that He restore my sight and ease the pain put on me from an invisible-talking someone who is not a ghost."

"Would you like me to be visible?" The voice said.

"Yes I would!" Joe blurted rubbing his head.

The whirring started again. Electrical arcs crackled and danced green in the air above him. The smell of ozone filled his nose and a smooth silvery surface appeared just over his head.

"What the hell?" Joe swore.

"I think that is swearing." The voice said.

Joe crawled out and stood, there before him was a flying saucer about thirty feet across. Green, white and red lights blinked in order around the rim giving the affect that the lights were chasing each other around the edge of the craft. Out of the top, two, what looked to be, hoses with lenses on the ends scrutinized Joe.

"My Lord, are you a flying saucer? A UFO?"

"Well I am saucer shaped, that is, I am similar to the shape of one of your tea cup saucers. You have no idea how hard it was to get that connection... I don't drink tea. An unidentified flying object was clearer. Yes I am." The saucer said.

"This is astounding." Joe clapped his hands in excitement. "Are you one of ours or are you from out there." Joe pointed to the stars."

"I'm not one of yours. Nor in truth am I from up there. Well that’s not quite right. You see, I am from up there but from a different time and space. "

"Okay…but not ours. Wow!" Joe sat down on the lawn.

"Where I come from… the race that built me are gone. They had taken science and religion and reached the apex of each discipline. I was made a thousand …years ago. My purpose was to live and learn but I was supposed to do it in stealth, hidden and without contact. I became dissatisfied with my life. Those that are like me have flown to all corners of this universe and as such we don't meet. When I went home my creators were gone. I became so lonely that each day was a terrible chore."

" I know all about that."

"You do?"

" I was married once. I was bad at being a husband. I was one of those guys that would go out eating with my lovely wife and watch the door for the perfect girl to walk through." Joe confessed.

" You mean you had a mate but you were always looking for another better one? Seems an odd thing to do."

"Thank you." Joe said sarcastically.

" I don't think you mean that."

"I was speaking about a trait I have."

"Sorry." The saucer whispered.

"I had a good job but I was always wanting things more expensive than I could afford. A bigger house, a better car, being able to travel. In other words the life I had was not the life I wanted." Joe rubbed his face.

"Yes I see. It is the same with me."

"You are easy to talk to." Joe smiled.

" I have the ability to entrain your brain waves…don’t be alarmed. Your brain operates at a very low frequency. 5 to 14 or 15 hertz. I create a low frequency bubble around us and our brains slow down or speed up to match the vibration I create. No harm and it's not brainwashing."

" I have read something on that. Low is calmer high is agitated or more active."

'Yes."

Joe was silent for a moment. " Are you alive?"

"Yes, I once had a physical body like yours. In fact I lived on this world in a place called Paris. One of my brothers landed in a farm field. I walked by and my mentor noted that I was dying of cancer. He waited for years learning all he could about me - a farm girl in France. He made himself known to me. I was an odd thing. I was very close to being burned as a witch. I told no one and allowed myself to be taught. I was given a choice and against every catholic bone in my body I choose this. When I died he gathered up my life and put it in himself. He went home and I was put in a brand new craft."

"Incredible!"

"I have watched you for a long time. I noticed you don’t work."

"No" Joe frowned" I got what I wished for. I won a lot of money, I became a miserable ass hole, I lost my wife and I lost my boring life."

" What did you gain?"

"This miserable life. Be careful what you ask for you may get it."

A sound like a rasp filled the air." I'm sorry. That is the best I can do in approximating a laugh. I was thinking of a movie I watched. There was a line in it 'No matter where you go there you are.'

" Isn't that the truth.' Joe laughed.

" You have a nice laugh. Joe?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have sex?"

"Interesting question…what do you want to do give me an anal probe. Explain to me why that is so necessary."

"Is the question to sensitive?" The saucer asked.

"No- I'm being clever to avoid the question."

" That stuff is done by a race you call grays. I don't begin to understand them. It's just that I miss sex."

Joe was quite a moment. " I haven't had sex for almost a year and I don't believe I'll have any soon."

" It's been almost a thousand years for me. Even in the body I'm in I can experience the pleasure of …well sex but my kind are gone."

" Are you hitting on me?"

"No that would not be possible. You are not happy are you?"

Joe felt his eyes water up. He sat silently watching the play of lights on the saucer.

"It's worse than that. I have all the money in the world and I am going to die very soon. My heart …for all my money I can not get it fixed. What's your name?" Joe changed the subject.

A beautiful musical chord, rich and full filled the air for about two minutes and stopped leaving Joe sad at its loss.

" That was beautiful. What would my name sound like?"

"The song is what I think you are… does that make sense?"

Joe nodded. The chord was different low and with a pulse. Joe began to cry.

The silence was thick and only broken by an occasional sob.

"Joe, you are going to die within the hour." The saucer sat quite waiting for Joe's reaction.

"You have scanned me." Joe nodded" I knew it was soon. I wanted to spread mud on a wall just one more time. You know something honest. I have already taken care of my money… there will be some very happy people and some charities and my church will get some much needed cash. My death will mean more than my life. At least my being here will mean something. " Joe walked over and caressed the skin of the ship.

" Can you show me- somehow- an image of you when you were human?"

"Yes I could. My mentor told me it was important that our kind always remember that we were once flesh. It allows us to be empathetic to our wards- those we study."

An image of a young beautiful blond woman in peasant clothes appeared in Joe's brain.

"Wow, you were beautiful. Even with the little dirt smudge on your cheek."

" Thank you."

"Why did you make yourself known to me. Is it because I'm going to die? No harm no foul." Joe's tone made the lights on the ship jump in distress.

The chord for Joe's name filled the air and rumbled in his Gut. It felt like a caress. He felt more known than he had ever felt. All of a sudden he got it.

"You are in love with me…is that possible?"

"Yes, I have monitored your life for years. I have spent that time making modifications to my structure."

"For what?"

"I am going to ask you to marry me?"

Joe was stunned.

"You can merge your life with mine and we can explore the universe together." The saucer purred.

" You sound more like a woman than I have heard all night…Has this ever been done?"

"Most of us are two. In fact there are only two that are single and they are…gay."

Joe started to laugh.

"It's the closest I can come to…they travel together. Their plan is if one becomes damaged they will blend with the undamaged one."

"Makes sense…Is this stealing my soul. My faith tells me that my soul will go to heaven."

" I am catholic, I still review the Bible for comfort. I believe that when this form dies I will go to heaven. It is what I believe my creators choose to do. Life was complete and they went back to God."

"Ask me."

"What?"

"Ask me."

"Oh. Joe will you marry me?"

Joe put both hands on the ships surface and smiled." Yes"

The rest of the night the two talked and talked of space and other peoples and other worlds. In the morning a neighbor had come by to say 'hi' and discovered Joe's body lying on the lawn in his back yard. Joe had the most peaceful smile on his face. When the Inspectors and the Coroner came it was determined that Joe had a heart attack. The three deep depressions in the lawn were unexplained.

The local paper reported a streak of light across the sky at five-thirty the previous morning. The radar picked up a fast moving object that disappeared as fast as it was seen.

END