One day I decided to roam the science chat rooms to see what was going on in the more “intellectual” internet forums. I came across a room with about 25 people in it. It was called Alien something or other. I entered the room in the midst of a woman giving an address over the microphone for all in the room to hear. I thought it odd as such a move could surely prove extremely dangerous. The internet is the new Wild West, after all, and potential danger lurks behind each and every door. I didn’t think people would take a chance at doing something like this. I listened and yes, she was announcing her address and phone number in the open chat room!
I decided to stay a while to see what this was all about. As soon as this first woman released the microphone another was on it and she too was not only giving her address but also spelling it so there would be no mistake. She repeated her telephone number twice and then texted all the information into the chat room for all to see. I wondered what in the world could be going on.
As I watched and listened I heard a small monotone male voice begin to speak. He sounded as if he were standing too far from his microphone. He had a very slight hint of an accent. I could not distinguish what kind of accent he had but the hint of it was there. I adjusted my own headphones to hear him. He sounded distant and bland. He started to talk about “being there within the hour” after he drops offline. The others were asking questions in type: Will you be alone? Will you come in your craft? How long will you stay? Questions like that.
I still could not figure out what was going on. I decided to simply ask. I went to the voice option and asked the room, “So room, I just walked in--what is going on today?” I was told we were in the presence of an honored guest and I should wait my turn. Wait my turn? What were they doing? Maybe this man was sending out free books or a CD. I sat back and listened.
The man returned to the microphone and started to tell this room full of people that he picked out only “special” people. He said he could see us all clearly and knew which of us were special. I thought, oh--he must be giving out free readings or some such thing. He then started to talk about the place he supposedly “came from.” He told the room it was dry and cool at his homeland. I thought he must not come from around where I live. I continued to listen, still being a bit dense myself. He then said the big difference between his home and ours is that his sky is green rather than blue. That is when I did my first big HUH? He continued to give a description of this fantasy landscape and talked about hut-like glass houses and sand-powered hover cars. I thought it still had to be a book club or story hour. No adult could think these people were sitting in chat land speaking with an alien. Could they?
Oh yes--the answer is yes, they could! I’m the kind of person who considers all things possible. I have had a few extreme experiences myself in this life. It is not completely impossible such a thing could happen, I supposed. Nevertheless, I sort of sat like a deer caught in headlights for a moment. Even I found this one hard to believe.
I quickly snapped out of my stupor. The alien continued with what could only be described as a sales pitch. He wanted the women in the room wanting to “see a real alien” to give him their names, addresses, and telephone numbers. He then told the room he would visit each woman individually within the hour after he left the chat room. He said the women had to be alone. He would then appear in their driveways to meet them. I started to laugh. I anticipated the room finding this man ridiculous, as I did, and for his scam to fall apart. I at least expected questions. Instead, the people believed him without any questions at all!
I watched in stunned silence as woman after woman started to openly give out her name, address and telephone number in this open public chat room. I did not know what to do. I knew this was a dangerous event but I had no idea how to stop it.
I went on microphone and asked this “alien” man why he wanted to do this and why the women had to be alone.
He answered with a long, meandering speech about being here to meet with special people. He then tried to change the subject. I went back to voice and asked him again, “What does being special have to do with these women being alone?” I also asked him why he did not want to meet any special men. To my shock, a woman chatter came back at me through her microphone and scolded me for attacking this alien visitor. I thought to myself, if I do not stop this, someone might end up murdered or at best robbed.
The room then blocked me from the voice option and so I was forced to type my fears into the chat room discussion thread. I asked if anyone knew anyone else who had actually met this alien. I wanted to know why they thought they would be so special to him. Was there something better about them than the men--or the women who did not give out their information? I tried and tried to make the people in the room approach this man with a more discerning eye but I was getting nowhere. In the meantime the exchange of information continued as the alien collected the addresses and telephone numbers of the women who claimed to be alone.
Finally, the voice option was restored to my microphone and so I could talk once again in the room. I asked for the people to please consider the possibility that this man may not be an alien and maybe was instead just a thief or planning to abuse them in some other way. I asked them to think about why they had to be alone in order to meet this “alien” and asked if they considered the possibility that he may just keep collecting addresses until he comes upon a woman alone in his area. I tried hard to shake some sense into this alarmingly submissive crowd. I even asked them to consider the idea that if he really were an alien it would not be a good idea to have him come to their homes when they were alone. What if he planned to take them?
I was not getting very far. I did stop the remainder of women in the chat room from giving out their information but at least eight had already done so. The alien man at this point tried to salvage the work I was destroying in his address collection scam. He tried to frighten me, in his best scary voice, suggesting that he may just come directly to my house in order for me to see the truth for myself. What a load of crap.
In return I jumped onto the microphone. I used a strong, clear tone. “If you are an alien, sir, you do not need me to give you my address in a chat room. You would have the technology to lock onto my computer and could be in my driveway in five minutes and so I tell you what--I will go out into my driveway and wait for you while the people here wait to hear from me. If you are whom you claim to be you can then come inside and talk to them with me. I see no reason why we shouldn’t clear this up right now.” The room sat silently as they waited for his reply. He said in a very meek voice, “Are you alone?” I replied, “No, my brother is here. He is a scientist and would love to meet you. Are you coming? We will be outside in the driveway waiting.”
The “alien”, all of a sudden, had internet connection problems and claimed he was losing his sound. He made a show of leaving and reentering the chat room a few times until he just no longer reentered. The chat room sat in silence for a few minutes. I simply typed into the room that they really needed to think about what they were doing. I told them it was doubtful this man was an alien. Certainly there may be real aliens out there but they would not have to ask for an address or phone number. I told them I was not sure of this man’s game but I knew his intentions were not for good. Most of the chatters ignored me. I left the room.
The internet is full of all kinds of people. I have met good people, smart people, silly people and downright evil people. Please be careful on the internet. These are not your friends, family or trusted neighbors. Be very sure of those to whom you give your location or other private information. It could be the most important decision you ever make.
I heard long after that night this man was still prowling the chat rooms, still collecting information and still looking for women home alone. To date not one person has ever reported meeting an alien in his or her driveway. Maybe some of them did experience such an encounter but we will simply never know what happened to them. After all, they were home alone.
Copyright © 2008 Chris Holly
