The Bowman Transcript

Thank you, http://w3r3.blogspot.co.uk for the idea (writer's borrow).  This was fun.

The following is a now declassified transcript from a June 9, 1959 audio recording. The interviewee is Colonel Frank Bowman, only recently realized as truly the first human to pass Earth's atmosphere into orbital space. The interviewer, whose name has been voluntarily redacted by this publisher in the interest of protecting both her and her family, was a high ranking member of the CDC. The location of the interview has also been redacted, though in this case, not by choice of this, or any, publisher.

June 9, 1959. Mrs. *redacted, level 5 administrator for the *redacted Center for Disease Control. 456*redacted, Chesnut *redacted. Would the subject please state his name for the record.

Am I suppose to--

Yes, sir.

Frank Bowman, Colonel in the Unite--

The name will do just fine. Do you understand what this interview is all about, Mr. Bowman.

Colonel.

Colonel Bowman?

Yes?

Do you--

Yes, I understand.

Then, we will proceed without further delay. If you would, again merely for the record, please explain the nature of your most recent mission.

My most recent mission was to travel beyond the our Earth's atmosphere. Further, in a manned spacecraft, than any have previously traveled. I was to observe and collect data from my station aboard the rocket. Then, shortly thereafter, I was to jettison in the attached shuttle, splashing down in the mid-Atlantic ocean.

The data.

Yes?

What was the data you were meant to collect on your mission?

Simple atmospheric readings. Pressures, weights, elemental components.

Anything out of the ordinary?

In what regard? (silence) Look, the readings were all standard. They met any and all expectations.

And then?

This is all pointless.

I can assure you Mr. Bowm--

Colonel.

Colonel Bowman. This is all standard protocol. If we are to get to the bottom of your (extensive pause. Sound of chair scraping the floor.) condition, we need to understand any and all of the environmental conditions.

This is pointless.

As I have already stated, Mr. Bowman, protocol dictates--

No. You don't get it Mrs. *redacted. This, this is all pointless. Not just this goddamn farce of a bureaucratic interview. This is all protocol. And protocol, if nothing else, is something I have come to understand from my years of military service ma'am. But this. All this is pointless.

Okay then.

Okay then.

Let's have it. (silence.) Mr. Bowman?

You know my rank, Mrs. *redacted, why is it you continue to fail to recognize it. And furthermore, am I not to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise?

Of course--

So, what is your question?

(13 seconds of silence)

What, or who did this to you?

If you are refering to the marks upon my body, I do not know. The blue glow, which I assume you are refering to? The one highlighting my veins? The glow was a new revelation to even myself upon my regaining consiousness. After what I have only recently come to understand was over 14 hours after my shuttle splashed down, I roused myself to the feeling of a (silence) tingling flowing through my entire body. As my eyes focused in the dim flourescents of your quarantine bay, I noticed the veins.

The blue.

Yes, the blue glow. What do you suppose it is?

We're not sure, that's why we're conducting this interview. I thought you understood.

No, I do. Just wondering if there were any (silence) leads.

What is the last thing you remember from before?

Before launch?

No Colonel. The last--

I know what you meant. Just playing the semantics game. Maybe a signifier of my returning sense of humor.

Perhaps. (silence) Well?

The last thing I remember?

Yes.

Them.

I'm sorry?

Them. The (silence) creatures (silence) no, beings, entities, forms.

Colonel, I remind you that this is all on record. Any and all statements will be subject to purjury laws if you are ever put to trial.

Have I done something wrong?

Have you?

Not to my recollection, no. No I haven't. But this talk of trials. I'm not sure why such things would even be--

We just want to cover all the bases Mr., er, Colonel.

(12 seconds of silence)

Where is my crew?

What is the last thing you remember?

The beings. There, encircling my crew, the beings watched us. Our weightless forms floating there in the main bay, our muscles motionless from the shock of what we were seeing and hearing.

Hearing?

Yes. Their voices.

They spoke to you?

Yes, of course.

In English?

Well, yes. I assume. They didn't have mouths.

I'm sorry?

Mouths, there were no mouths.

Could you explain what the creatures, the beings looked like?

No.

Pardon?

I don't know what they looked like. I was just aware of their presence.

Just aware?

I just knew that they were there.

And they spoke to you?

Yes. Well, in my head they spoke to me. There was some sort of (silence) link, I suppose. They were on my neural pathways, or the like.

(15 seconds of silence)

Colonel, are you aware of your crew's whereabouts?

My crew. Yes of course, where is my crew?

That is what I just asked, sir. Where is your crew?

(laughing) My God. They chose option one.

Option one, sir?

(laughing) Why in the hell would anyone choose option one? I thought they were so much brighter than that. Perhaps I had just been giving them too much credit.

Sir, if I may be so forward as to assert: I am genuinely concerned about your mental wellbeing.

My what? Oh my, no. I'm just fine. Listen, you want to know what happened? Here it is, cut and dried. The beings appeared, or made themselves known at least, to myself and my crewmates. They told us who and what they were and gave us the information that unlocked the nature of our very existence.

(Cough from Mrs. *redacted)

Are you okay ma'am?

Please continue, Colonel.

They told us everything we could have ever wanted to know. Filled our heads with all the known, and previously unknown history of any and all existence in the universe. There was so much information entering our minds, it felt as though our physical forms might expand to the point of actually bursting. Answered the questions philosophers have been asking since the dawn of man's time. Simultaneously proved and debunked every thought, theory, and religious doctrine.

Colone--

They told us everything in the span of a millisecond. Then, they gave us three options, with less than millisecond to respond. All a part of the show. They wanted us to understand just how truly relative time actually is.

Three options?

I took option three.

Option three, sir?

(laughing) And those poor hapless sons of bitches took option one.

Sir?

(Sound of chair smashing to the ground, screams from *redacted.)

Option three. Do you see, now?

Guards!

(Sounds of boots against cement. Struggling. Heavy breathing. Colonel Bowman's laughter.)

You will see!

My God! My arm! My veins! What have you done, Colonel? What is God's name have you done?

(A gunshot. Silence. A gunshot.)

End of Recording.