The Jansky Effect

This is part of the Take It on the Run Author Invitational. I'd like to thank Randi for her invitation to this event and for editing my submission. Please read the other stories in this event, too. You are in for a treat.

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Dave Baxter was telling a new team of carers at the retirement facility the story of his life. It was something he liked to do and in general the staff members at the New Acres Elderly Care Facility liked to hear his stories. Even though the one story he preferred to relate sounded crazy and unbelievable.

"I met my wife Kathy when we were both doing our Astrophysics Masters in college. This was back in the '70s and even though times were changing as far as emancipation and women's lib was concerned Kathy was the only female in our class.

"We were both interested in radio astronomy, got chatting about it and we started dating. We both obtained our Masters in Astrophysics, but even though I was no slouch with studying, Kathy was driven. Her thirst for knowledge was second to none. She was the first person to score perfect marks throughout her degree courses. Maybe that was part of the problem?

"Anyway, we got married and we set up home in a tiny apartment just off campus and we were both working part time in the Astrophysics Department when Kathy spotted an advert in the local weekly newspaper. She read it out to me over our morning coffee.

"Wanted: Two young astrophysicists with an interest in radio astronomy to help launch and operate a major new radio astronomy project. Good salaries to the right people. Please contact PO Box 9 at the newspaper offices."

"Wow! Sounds like our ideal jobs!" I said to her.

We sent our resumes off and a week later we received a letter asking us to attend an interview at a plush hotel in town. We were introduced to a tall, well built man in his 60s. He told us that his name was Norris Philson and that he had had his start in business selling simple electronic kits to fellow electronics enthusiasts. But he'd then made his fortune in selling the same kits to the US armed forces for use as training aids but at vastly higher prices.

Philson had come across a paper by a physicist called Karl Jansky titled "Electrical Disturbances Apparently of Extraterrestrial Origin" and over the years Philson had wondered if some of the signals from outer space might have come from intelligent sources.

He had passed his business interests on to his son and created a trust to set up a radio telescope to scan the skies for possible intelligent transmissions.

He talked with Kathy and myself at considerable length and invited us, the next week, to visit the facility that was being built on land in the Mojave Desert.

He asked us for our feedback and he was very interested when we pointed out that rather than using an expensive specialist company back on the East Coast to fabricate parts for the radio telescope, he could use a local fabrication company who could be onsite and who could do the job for a fraction of the cost.

He put a call into the local outfit, they did some test fabrications for him and they got the job to help build the radio telescope and Kathy and I helped to work out some kinks in the design and we got the job of managing it.

"The idea was simple. The radio telescope would scan the skies and if it received a signal that could potentially have had an extraterrestrial origin, a bell would ring and the data would be saved to a tape drive controlled by the computer we had installed, an IBM System 360 Model 91. That was the same type of computer that NASA used, so it really was top-of-the-range. Then the data in question would be sent to a telex machine that had been converted into a printer for the computer."

He paused, taking a sip of juice before continuing. "Over the next year we looked after the radio telescope, overseeing maintenance work on the antenna arrays, making sure the receivers were working properly (Mr Philson had overseen the design and construction of the receivers himself) and we would have guided tours of astronomers, we even had a team from the Jodrell Bank radio telescope in the UK come look at it. Plus we finished up our PhDs as external students with the college.

"Eventually late one evening a year after the radio telescope was put into operation, the warning bell rang and the telex machine printed out the data.

"Kathy and I were shocked, to say the least as this was the first time this had happened. Suddenly the lights flickered, dimmed and went out. The emergency generators kicked in to keep the telescope and the computer functioning and the battery powered emergency lights in the receiver room came on.

"We heard a strange, whirring noise from outside, so we grabbed a couple of hand lanterns and went outside to investigate.

"When we got outside we saw nothing, but my hackles went up and Kathy admitted that she was feeling the same sensation."

Nobody questioned him, they had long ago realized that the best way to hear his story was to just let him tell his story in his own way.

"When we walked outside, a man approached us. He spoke perfect English, but with a slightly odd accent. He said: 'My name, rather the name you can call me is Quester. I am on a very long journey of questing for knowledge, facts and information. Hence, Quester. I have been monitoring your facility, Dave and Kathy and I have to admit that I am most impressed with it. During daylight hours, might I be allowed to take a tour of it, please?'

"We realized that although he looked human that he was not of our world, that he was, actually, an extraterrestrial. However, we didn't feel frightened in any way. We invited him into the building which also contained our living accommodation. He accepted a glass of water and we began talking with him. He told us that he had begun his career in a similar discipline to ours in his home star system which was a million light-years away from our solar system.

"He had been traveling the universe examining various astronomical phenomena along the way, amassing a vast wealth of information, images and video images. I was keenly interested in what he had to say but Kathy? Kathy was utterly enthralled by his stories. Looking back on it with the benefit of fifty years of hindsight, perhaps that was a clue to what was to happen to us, to me?

"We asked him to stay in our guest bedroom and the next morning we invited him to dine with us. We wondered if he could eat our Earthly foods? He chuckled in response, saying: 'I've discovered with some rare exceptions that no matter where you go, food is pretty much food!'

"He drank orange juice and ate some toast with jelly and then we gave him a guided tour of the facility, the computer, the receivers and the antenna array that fed into the system.

"He took it all in, sometimes making notes on something that I can best describe as looking something like the tablets that we use these days.

"Kathy asked him questions and seemed even more spellbound by him. Over the next several days he stayed in our guestroom and he and Kathy were spending time alone together, talking quietly. This began to irritate me, if I'm being honest.

"On the third day of his stay he asked us if we would like a tour of the craft he used. Of course, we were both eager to see his craft and when it suddenly flickered into view on the yard next to the array we were both astonished. It looked like a sleeker version of the Star Trek shuttlecraft, Galileo.

"He told us 'It's bigger on the inside than it looks. Come on in!'

"It was just a little more roomy than the first apartment Kathy and I shared. It was amazing. Everything was sleek and the control area at the front of the ship had two seats in it, side by side. There were no windows in the craft, but there were flat viewing screens at the front and throughout the rest of the vessel.

"Later Kathy took Quester on a walk whilst I submitted a report to the Philson Foundation revealing that we had recorded a positive hit on a signal that was determined as likely being of extraterrestrial origin. Of course I never told them of the visit of Questor or the fact that we had an alien living with us!

"When they returned Quester excused himself saying that he needed to attend to some matters in his craft. Kathy appeared to be strained and almost fearful. She looked into my eyes and said: 'Dave, we need to talk. Quester has told me that there is room for two occupants in his craft. The thing is, he has requested that I accompany him on his quest to seek out new information and data from around the Universe.'

"As I say, unfortunately there was only room for two occupants, so that means that only she could go. I staggered back and sat down heavily on a chair that fortunately was behind me, or I'd have fallen down on the floor.

"'Don't you love me anymore?' I asked her. I felt a massive lump in my throat.

"She dashed over to me and hugged me. 'Of course I still love you, Dave! You are my man, my husband! But this opportunity to learn about the whole cosmos, the entire Universe and maybe even other universes if they exist is just too much of a pull on me! It's all I've ever wanted, no, it's more than I've ever wanted! I can't resist it.

'I know this isn't fair on you, that you'll be lonely if I go, but it's something I feel I have to do, that I must do. I'll leave a note telling you I am leaving to find myself or some such hippy drivel and you can show this to anyone who wonders where I went. I don't expect you'll remain celibate. You should divorce me for abandonment and remarry and have a family.'

"Tears were streaming down my face as I managed to reply: 'I'll not do that, Kathy. If you promise to return to me, then I'll wait for you for as long as it takes. I'll stay faithful to you. I promise.'"

He shook his head and wiped some tears from his eyes as everyone sat or stood, spellbound, as they listened to his story.

"That night we made love one last time and the next morning Kathy packed what she needed into her suitcase, left her letter on the table in the kitchen of our accommodation and after a tearful parting she walked to the vessel, with me carrying her luggage. She walked inside it.

"Quester came to me and said: 'I'm sorry to take Kathy away from you, Dave. But I promise to look after her and keep her safe to the best of my abilities. Here. You must take this and wear it at all times. It will tell you when Kathy is returning to you. Goodbye, Dave, you are a good man. Please, live a good life.'

"He boarded his vessel, closed the door and after a minute, it winked out of existence and that was the last I saw of Kathy or Quester."

The night manager said: "What was it he gave you, Mr Baxter?"

Dave held up the smooth milky white stone pendant that was on a chain and always rested on his chest. "This. It will tell me when Kathy is returning to me."

Later the night manager was speaking in the staff room with some of his colleagues. One of them said: "Do you believe his story, Pete?"

Pete paused for several seconds and shrugged. "I'm not sure what to make of it. It sounds fanciful, but I do know that he believes it. And every time he tells his story, it's usually slightly different."

"So, you think he's making it up? That's a pity."

"No, I didn't say that I thought he was making it up. The fact is, when people retell the same factual event over and over, normally they tell it slightly differently each time. That's the nature of matters like that. Sometimes they remember one particular part of the story, or a different element of the story strikes them as being more relevant for one reason or another. I guess the only way we'll ever find out if his story is true is if Kathy ever comes back to him."

They laughed and got on with the business of running a retirement facility filled with elderly people who all had different, sometimes complex requirements and needs.

Several weeks later the same team was working the evening and night shift again when they noticed that something weird was happening. Every resident's room had a quarter light window above the doorway into the room off the corridor.. Through the quarter light over Dave Baxter's door they saw an odd pulsing greenish white light shining through.

Their first thought was that there was an electrical fault, but when they opened the door they found Dave sat up in bed, clutching his stone pendant that was the source of the pulsing light. Dave was smiling broadly. "She's come back to me like she said she would!"

As they stood in the doorway, frozen in place they heard two sets of footsteps coming up the corridor toward Dave's room.

Pete, the night manager and Carl, one of the care workers, were joined in the room by Gloria the statuesque woman who ran the main reception desk until midnight, when the front door was locked. She was accompanied by an attractive looking young woman of about five feet six. She was dressed in clothing of a different era. She hurried toward Dave who was holding his arms out to her.

Gloria said "Mrs Baxter is here to visit with her husband?" She sounded confused.

Dave was smiling broadly and there were tears cascading down his cheeks. "Kathy! I waited for you! I knew you'd come back to me!"

Kathy hugged Dave and kissed him saying "I told you I would!"

Carl whispered to Pete: "Look! Look at the photograph on his bedside table of Dave and his wife in front of the radio telescope! It's her! The same woman that's here with Dave, now! The story he told us must be true!"

Pete grabbed Carl and said: "I know. But I think that Mr and Mrs Baxter need some privacy, so why don't we all give them some space, OK?" He glanced at Gloria who said: "Yes, come on, Carl. Let's all go grab a coffee."

Meanwhile Kathy and Dave were hugging as Kathy sat next to him on his bed. "I'm so sorry I left you, Dave. How have you been? Do you have many visitors? Your wife and children visit you?" She asked in an expectant way, as if she was fishing for information. Which she was, actually.

Dave shook his head. "I never got married, never had kids."

"Why ever not?" Kathy sounded shocked by that revelation. "I told you to divorce me and to have a family. Why didn't you?" She was sounding distressed by Dave's revelation.

"I couldn't. I never even dated, because I was worried I might fall in love with someone, get together and have children with her. But I knew that as soon you came back I'd have to abandon them to be with you. And I couldn't be enough of a bastard to do that, so I decided to stay single. Besides, I never divorced you because I love you too much to do that."

"But... never even dating over all these years? You must have been so lonely."

"Kathy, the truth is there were times that I was so lonely it was almost like it was a physical pain, it hurt me so bad. But then I rallied myself by reminding myself that I was making a sacrifice so that you could go out there and learn as much as you could."

"Was your sacrifice worth it, Dave?" she asked, anxiously.

"Of course it was, babe. Of course it was."

Dave looked at Kathy and said, with a smile: "Kathy... babe, I'm tired I think I need to sleep. This has been a big day for me!"

She kissed him again and remained with him until he fell asleep.

Over the next several days she visited Dave several times a day. Quester visited Dave on one occasion and they chatted amicably. Quester apologized to Dave for taking Kathy away with him but Dave shrugged it off saying: "It is what it is, Quester. It is what it is."

The doctor who attended to the medical needs of the elderly residents spoke with Kathy in his office. "Mrs Baxter I can't pretend to even begin to comprehend what the hell is going on, but I'm aware that you are Mrs Baxter, Dave Baxter's wife. Dave's the happiest I have even seen him in the five years I have worked here. But, I have to tell you that Dave isn't expected to live for much longer."

"What's wrong with him?" Kathy asked, anxiously.

"Nothing much, it's just old age creeping up on him, his body is slowly running out of energy."

Kathy nodded and thanked the Doctor.

Later that afternoon she spoke with Paula Franks, the woman who was the manager in charge of the facility. Although she had lived in America for most of her adult life she still had a soft Dublin lilt to her voice.

"Mrs Baxter, Dave told us all, many times, the story of how you left with someone from outer space, but that you promised you'd return. And, return, you did. You are the woman in the photo on Dave's bedside table and you carry ID that, although in pristine condition, is over 40 years out of date. I don't intend telling anyone the story of you and Dave as who would believe it?"

Kathy nodded saying: "Sometimes I find it hard to believe myself. Tell me, Ms Franks, do you have a residents comfort fund and do you have a preferred funeral home you work with?"

Ms Franks said "Yes, we have a comfort fund and although we don't have an official funeral partner there's a local family operated funeral home that we have been working with since this facility opened 30 years ago, Jones and Company."

"Thank you. I'd like to donate money to the resident's comfort fund and also to pre-pay for my husband's funeral. To be honest, I think it's the least I could do for him, after what I put him through."

Kathy spent as much time with Dave as she could and a week later he fell asleep one night and didn't awaken the next morning.

The Doctor listed the cause of death as "frailty of old age."

The funeral was well-attended by staff and some of the more able residents as Dave had been a popular man. Among others who attended were representatives of NASA, journalists from several scientific and astronomical magazines, plus staff from several radio telescopes and the grandson of Noris Philson who was running the trust that Noris had created.

Dave's widow was also there, wearing a traditional widow's veil. She was accompanied by a rather unusual looking gentleman in somewhat poorly fitting, but somber clothing.

They attended the wake but after a while they made their excuses and left.

Later whilst sitting in the lounge of Quester's vessel Kathy asked him a question. "All those years ago, why did you ask me rather than Dave to accompany you?"

He gave her an appraising look before responding. "It's because I knew that he would in all probability have rejected my offer, turned me down, because he loved you so much that he couldn't have left you alone."

"But does that mean I didn't love Dave?" Kathy asked, in a troubled tone of voice.

"Not at all, Kathy. I know you loved Dave very much. But, the truth is that your love of learning and your love of exploration and finding out new facts trumped all else, including your love for Dave."

A tear trickled down her face. "Poor Dave! He deserved someone better than me, someone who could have loved him as much as he loved me."

Quester fluttered a hand in a gesture of dismissal. "That's not true, Kathy, he loved you enough to let you go out into the Universe to explore it and to learn about it. Incidentally, do you want to stay on Earth or continue exploring and learning with me?"

She nodded. "Dave's gone and he was my list link with Earth, my family members died a long time ago. So, yes, please. I'd love to continue exploring and learning with you, Quester."

"Good! That's settled then. There's something I'd like to take a look at in the Magellanic Clouds. Also, when we are there I think we should name a star for Dave."

Kathy agreed that would be a splendid idea and a fitting tribute to a man who had loved her so well and so hard that he had sacrificed his own interests for the interests of the love of his life. She still missed Dave, or rather the idea that Dave was still somewhere in the universe. Or maybe he was, she mused to herself as the vessel took off and headed to their next destination.