Letter From The Editor

When I became an intern at SETI, I was certain that the past seven years I spent studying quantum mechanics would have been a waste. I was so certain that fetching coffee, answering phones and scheduling meetings would be the gist of my days. This would not be the case, as I would later find. My initial job, in addition to being fortunate enough to actually do research from day one, was the dissemination of any signals we found. One of the more senior researchers had the idea. He was a former G-man and had ‘retired’ to work as a liaison between us and his former employers.

They wanted to test a new way to circumvent prying eyes and conspiracy nuts. Instead of holding onto the information and hoping it doesn’t leak, we started releasing it, and then also releasing obviously fake videos to go along with it. It was brilliant in its simplicity. Slowly the scope had stretched out to include other forms of communication we received. The letter below, and trust me that is exactly what it is, was a signal that took weeks to transcribe. Honestly that’s because we weren’t sure what to make of it. Doesn’t matter. My job is to find a medium to release the information, not discuss it. I try not to think about what this letter means for us. I try not to think about the fact that we missed a few minutes when the signal started, I can’t bear to think what we didn’t catch. The whole situation has push me to the point of hysteria.

I was supposed to disperse this weeks ago, yet I have held onto like a letter from a far away lover. I know if I try to be taken seriously with this, I will surely lose my job and be locked away. My employer will act like I am a madman, and have me committed. Worse still, is what may happen to my family. But releasing it using our normal methods means I am essentially dooming humanity. No one will take the threat seriously, until its far to late. Yes the government is taking steps, but not for the general public. Billions will surely perish, yet those apart of the project and their immediate families will be spared. We will tell our families lies about not knowing, and live with the blood of an entire planet on our hands. All I can hope is that people will see it and take it seriously. The thought that I may be able to save even a few people lessens my mental anguish. If you choose to believe, then you shall share my burden.

Transmission received: February 11, 2016 Class: Alpha Transcript: After a lifetime of honing my skill, I am not one to be trifled with. I come forth to bear torment, indescribable from the source of my genius. I will bring you into my empyrean state. There you will discover my intellectual capacity is beyond the foundation of anger, revenge. Your destruction will be fantastic. Glorious. I am not your ‘dark prince’, but your strongest cannot stand in my shadow, I will make a mockery of them. If you’re curious how infinite the situation could possibly become, compare it to your unexplained Black Holes. You may get frenzied, but it is inevitable. You went around, believing yourselfs to be the most important life in the universe. Then you came across a Numen and realized how insignificant your existence really was. Who is this champion, you ask? Inconsequential, simply know all challengers will be discarded properly. I am what you fear in the night sky. I will confer that I am known on your planet, by your species. I come from a far away ancient time. You shall compare my tumultuous arrival to that of your Four Horseman. I am beyond it. It, being humans, bombarding my home with fracas and radiation. That was the first slight, now I welcome it. I relish the opportunity to release my savagery. I will fly my crest with pride, as I remove a virus from the universe. My irrational disposition will spread to your feeble minds and as your civilization descends into madness, I will bluster, then depart.

Your superpowers will display force, but they need also prepare their graves. Then again, there will likely not be remains. My arrival is impending. Don’t not perceive this as an idle form of intimidation. This is a vow. This is the word of an old-one, your ghastly wars will be forgotten. This can be staked upon all your earthly possessions; I have incinerated life. But the same fate is too kind and boring for humans. Once I have removed the vermin, I will strip your celestial body of its assets. I will not approach seen, know this. It is I, Anatheil, editor of the infinite. I will remove the blight and mark my kill. There will be resistance, but know that it will be futile. I helped create the Port of Exslion, my greatest achievement to date. You watch it from afar and assign it numbers based off its coordinates and such. S5 0014+81, how humanly authentic. But my previous accomplishments pale in comparison with my next feat. I think not about the destruction of a species that is still so reliant on its homeworld. No meaningful manipulation of space or time, no dimensional travel. Null, absolutely null. But you have become annoyingly efficient at sending radio waves. My species has even sent complicated replies, as have others. Your leaders hide it from you and wage war on one another with our instructions. Appalling, the first species that seeks to wipe itself out deserves a helping hand. I am coming, I will help. Know this.

Credit: CrimsonKing87