The Forest for the Trees

No one's ever going to believe this...

The bright spaceship was still half-hidden in the night, nestled among the tall trees of Oregon, glowing in the gathering mist. The strange and powerful engines in its belly hummed just below the range of hearing, causing a person’s sinuses to ache and their teeth vibrate in the sockets.

“We’ve been waiting for this for how long? Remember the lengths we went to in Vegas?”

“That was different—nobody cares what happens in Vegas. Nobody even really believes what happens in Vegas.”

“Argh! WE. ARE. THE. FIRST! Don’t you understand? And they chose us. Look around—trees for miles in every direction, miles! And these…I don’t know, ‘representatives’ just happen to wind up in the exact spot we were going to rest? It's meant to be!”

“That’s what gives me the creeps: we’re the only ones out here. Us and them. There’s no way we’d get a decent signal in here. I’ll agree that we were chosen…but for what? They were chosen at Roswell, too, and look at that mess!”

“I just—”

“Look, I've just got a feeling. I don’t trust them!”

“…such a wasted opportunity… The coincidence is kind of unnerving, though... Alright, fine. But—you know no-one’s going to believe us, right?”

“Yes, I know. Release them from the stasis field, now, and close the hatch. It’s long way back to the Fleet; I could have used some rest, but if we’re going, just engage the Stardrive and get us out of here!”

-----

The two men looked at each other in silence as their sinuses stopped quivering.

“You know no one’s ever going to believe this, right, Lee?”

“I know,” Lee replied tiredly. “But this the spot we marked for our campsite, so let’s just set up the tent. Whatever that was, Fagan…I need some rest!”