text: As you might imagine, everything changed when the aliens came. They shut down all the corrupt governments and ended the eternal cycle of sectarian violence plaguing mankind. They solved world hunger and eliminated diseases in just a few weeks. Then these mysterious visitors from outer space taught humanity how to harness an endless source of untapped power. That eased a myriad of problems facing humanity by extending our natural resources. Despite these amazing actions, there were still plenty of people who didn’t trust them. That might be a natural instinct but it was hard to argue with monumental acts of kindness. Several underground resistance organizations tried to undermine or topple our new global authority but one-by-one, they failed. The aliens were infinitely more astute than us. They saw the sedition plots coming and put a stop to them. It was the first time in history our world knew universal peace but some stubborn individuals had a difficult time adjusting to it. The idea of ‘occupied benevolence’ left a bad taste in their mouth, even if it elevated our entire society immensely as a whole. The aliens were somewhat aloof. That was theorized to be from the significant evolutionary distance between our species. Some didn’t care about it. After all, they offered us a wealth of positive experiences; with no expectation of reward or reciprocation. Despite the universal windfalls we received, there were still some highly vocal skeptics who suspected dark, unmentionable motivations behind their altruistic actions. It stemmed from a universal fear of the unknown. With every major problem in the world eliminated, many would’ve assumed they were finished helping us. Instead, they doubled down and offered an unbelievable opportunity to experience fond memories again with pets we’d lost. A few years earlier the idea would’ve seemed utterly impossible but they had challenged the realm of possibility too many times. They offered to allow each of us the privilege so we could relive the love and affection we’d felt for them, one more time. What better way to convince the lone holdouts that they had nothing but the best of intentions? With this amazing opportunity, came a very predictable outcome. Humans are greedy. Many asked if the same process could extend to dead humans. It seemed perfectly reasonable. We are all biological creatures, right? If they have the ability to resurrect a lost pet from yesteryear, why couldn’t they also raise our dead relatives and loved ones? Despite that rational logic, the forthcoming answer was a swift, firm, and unconditional ‘no’. Our extraterrestrial benefactors quickly denied the request. They even went so far as to forbid us from asking follow up questions about it. Human resurrection was ‘off the table’. There was no explanation offered but the severe reaction was more unsettling than the disappointment of the denial itself. It was in stark contrast to their overwhelming willingness to help us previously. Their emotional response raised more than a few eyebrows. Those puzzled by their extreme reaction eventually came to the dismissive conclusion that ‘they operate in mysterious ways’. It wasn’t smart to bite the hand that feeds. Naturally, millions of people eagerly took advantage of the unusual offer. There was a limit of one animal resurrection per person. Another stipulation was that the pet had to be deceased for at least 5 years before the process could take place. Their ‘official’ explanation was that since we only receive one ‘renewal’, a mandatory waiting period insured that we would be satisfied with our choice. Those who received this ‘second life’ gift from our extraterrestrial hosts were ecstatic. They verified the aliens had definitely brought back their beloved pet. There was no question since the resurrected animals bore the same loyalty and loving personality traits as before. Of course in time the ones brought back would live out a full lifespan and then die again. This time, it was permanent. There was no recourse. The idea was to give humanity one more chance to bond and spend time with their beloved ‘buddy’ before saying a final goodbye. Even they couldn’t offer eternal life. Private discussions among the curious fixated on possible reasons for the alien’s baffling reaction to the request to resurrect the dead. Was it a logistical or resources issue with having too many humans alive if they brought back everyone’s loved ones? Was it a technical matter of it not being possible? Was the idea distasteful or unethical to them to reanimate dead humans? None of those possibilities seemed like it would be an issue for such an advanced race. They had expanded food production nearly twenty-fold. They had easily reanimated hundreds of millions of lower mammals and pet reptiles for our enjoyment. From a creative standpoint, human beings were not much more biologically advanced or complex than cats and dogs. Lastly, it didn’t seem like their blanket refusal was related to ‘taste’ or ‘ethics’ since they didn’t appear to view life through the same social lens we do. It was something else, totally unknown and even those who never question the motives of our benevolent rulers, were starting to feel uneasy. Just as they had intercepted many misguided plots to resist their rule, the aliens also became aware of humanity’s growing discomfort over the big ‘no’. It was the focal point and rallying cry of the resistance. In a mystery I never expected to learn the justification for, I was summoned to their headquarters to act as an ‘ambassador and go-between’. Like everyone else, I had found the solitary refusal to be very curious, but I had never dwelled upon it, and I had never conspired against them. Perhaps they knew that. “We understand that there is a growing wave of discussion about our decree to forbid requests about bringing back deceased human beings. We have studied your inner thought patterns and recognize that you trust our benevolence. We wish for you to exhort to your species that our reason for this refusal is in the best interests of humanity to accept without further question or suspicion. We understand that human beings are naturally curious creatures and that the only thing we will not grant you, becomes the most tantalizing. Despite this ‘Pandora’s box’, we need you to convince your peers to accept it.” I was stunned, honored, frightened, and even more perplexed. It was ‘good’ to be regarded highly by the de-facto rulers of the planet, but they were also asking me to accept things on blind faith. I was just as curious as everyone else. I just accepted that if they didn’t want us to know their reasons, we would probably never know. “May I ask a few questions to better prepare for the daunting task you have assigned me?” The alien who addressed me earlier nodded in affirmative. “I realize you haven’t shared your justification for this decision, for complex reasons that you obviously do not wish to share. That being said, if I could have some greater level of clarity, I would be able to understand why my blind acceptance is necessary. From that, I can form a plan to help others accept it too.” I waited for some form of encouragement but received none. “Are you protecting our society from a deeper truth that you feel many of us could not handle?” The alien speaker nodded slowly. It was a start. I worried that I might not be able to handle the details they revealed to me either. Through dense apprehension, I soldiered on. My next question cut deeper into the real meat of the matter. “Is resurrection of human beings even possible as they have been for our pets?” Their representative shook his head. The implications were devastating. It implied that not only could they not bring the dead back, but those people who had died (and everything they had ever been), was completely lost, forever. It really was a terrible thing to learn from a species far in advance of our own. I inhaled deeply and pondered my next question. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to know any more. Confirmation of eternal nothingness was far worse than not knowing for certain. The alien seemed to be analyzing my thoughts. They possessed a certain level of clairvoyance but no one knew how much. It was difficult to read his expressionless face but I sensed an almost human level of empathy and compassion. Before I could summon the courage to ask another question, he addressed me. “The reason we must avoid this request is because humans who have died aren’t ‘dead’ in the same sense your pets are. They transition into another life-form which most of you wouldn’t recognize or accept. We... are your dead. After passing on, our spirits are drawn to another realm. This is the eternal form we take. In my past life, I was your uncle. Humanity has such a strong perceived notion about the afterlife that we felt you were not ready for the undiluted truth. In ancient times we were promised to inherit the Earth. We came back to fulfill that destiny and transform mankind to the next level. To be successful, it must be undertaken with a steady hand.” “Uncle Raymond?”; I choked out the bittersweet words in disbelief. My mind was filled with emotion. Tears welled up in my eyes and I fought back the awkward urge to fling my arms around my favorite ‘alien’ relative. Everything was going to be alright. I vowed to work diligently with ‘them’ to help ease humanity through the difficult transition into our next phase. In time, they could accept the whole truth. Until then, I had to keep the greatest secret in the whole world.