Signals

 

Tension, and excitement were building. With each passing moment, more and more people were crowding into Main Mission, each wanting to be present, to see for themselves what the results would be.

Several days ago Moonbase Alpha began to receive signals that were not quite readable. They seemed vaguely familiar but could not be easily identified. A team was assembled and they began to work on trying to make sense of what they were receiving. It was learned the signals and the moon were on trajectories that would intersect. At that moment of intersection, the signals would be clear and precise, and the inhabitants of the moon would know what information was contained within the signals. That moment was fast approaching.

John Koenig took his eyes from the main screen long enough to glance around Main Mission. It looked as if every Alpha on the base was crowding into the room, anxious for what they were to learn. He looked to his left, where Victor Bergman was tapping a finger nervously against his lower lip, his eyes fixed on the main screen. To his right, Sandra Benes was busy fine tuning the signal. He watched a moment as her fingers danced over the control buttons.

"Look!." Bergman whispered as the sound of the static changed and an image struggled to be displayed on the big screen.

John looked back at the large screen mounted at the front of the room and silently urged Sandra to lock onto the signal. The image on the screen flickered and faded, almost focused and fuzzed out. The accompanying sound fluctuated in volume and clarity. Victor looked down and checked his calculations. The moon and the signal were now almost! almost intersecting. Now, it was happening now.

All eyes locked on the main screen as the static and snow slowly became a glowing darkness. Everyone in the room held their breath. The darkness became colors, the sound music. They gaped as, on the screen, they realized the signals were from Earth. By some fluke of cosmic destiny, they were intercepting signals from Earth, perhaps signals sent to contact them specifically.

The words and music began to make sense and the hopeful Alphans heard:

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

 A tale of fateful trip

That started from this tropic port

Aboard this tiny ship!."

"Gilligan's Island! Transmissions from Earth and we get Gilligan's Island!" Koenig's voice held a mixture of incredulity, disbelief and amusement as they all watched the opening credits of that classic television series unfold. He shook his head as he met Sandra Benes' gaze. "Turn it off, Sandra."

The dark haired woman nodded and reached out to sever the connection when Victor's hand shot out to stop her. John looked at him with a questioning gaze.

Bergman shrugged one shoulder as he grinned sheepishly. "At least wait to see which episode it is. It may be one we don't have on tape!"

The End

 

By Patsy Anonymous

August, 2006