Blorb by Jon Moray

Blorb by Jon Moray

          Author’s Note: This story was inspired by a real-life event that happened in 1974, where a family found a sphere on their property. The sphere in this story, unlike the event fifty years ago, has constant question and answer communication with the person who discovered it on his property.

I was enjoying a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich at my dining room table when a ground shaking thump in my backyard alerted my attention. I dropped the sandwich on the plate and went to investigate the nature of the listening invasion. I pulled open the sliding glass door into my covered back porch, and through the screen door and with my head on a swivel, I investigated each inch of my humble backyard.

I saw a shiny metallic blue object lodged in the grass that glistened with the midmorning sun. I approached the object and observed it was about eight inches in diameter and lodged halfway in the sod. I carefully dug it out and was taken aback by its weight, as I lifted it out, and placed it on top of undisturbed grass. It had to be about twenty pounds. I decided to leave it where it was, retreat inside, and finish my breakfast, only to discover it was rolling along and following me into my home.

I sat down and tried to compose myself at my kitchen table as the round orb floated and situated itself on the table, making a soft landing that did not disturb the juice in my cup. I couldn’t focus on my sandwich and just pushed it aside. I stared at the object while formulating a plan on how to communicate with it.

“Can you understand any words I am saying?” The object vibrated once.

“Does that mean yes?” The object vibrated once.

“Are you square in shape?” The object vibrated twice, about one second between vibrations.

“Does one vibration mean yes, and two vibrations mean no?” The object vibrated once. I now established a system to communicate with the sphere, to my satisfaction.

“Are you from a planet not from Earth?” The object vibrated once. I excused myself and located my cellphone to try to ascertain where this object was from. After many back and forth questions and vibrating answers using images from my cell, I learned the round alien was from the planet Pluto.

“Is your mission of peace?” The object vibrated once. “Was your landing in my backyard by accident?” The object vibrated twice. This response had me backing away from the table, pondering the nature of the proximity. I reminded myself that the object only answered yes or no questions. “Is your mission to observe Earth and report your findings?” The object vibrated once.

“I write about alien stories on my website, and their peaceful nature. Is that the reason you chose my property for your landing, so I may not initially judge you as threatening?” The object vibrated once. The Plutonians had the technology to monitor Earth.

I wished this object had a name I could identify him with. “Since you cannot express to me your name, if you have one, can I give you a name?” The orb vibrated once.

“How about Blorb?” The orb vibrated once. I figured it was an otherworldly name that seemed to fit.

The object respected my privacy when I needed to use the bathroom, but it followed me out and rolled along side of me when I went on my jogging runs, which caught my neighbor’s attention. Before long, the news media was knocking on my door.

To my surprise, the object would not respond to any questions from the microphone holding journalists. The orb did give them a visual worthy of headlines by floating over them high enough that had nearby birds scattering.

The media alerted the government, and the next loud knock on my door was from homeland security. Before I answered the summons, I asked Blorb, “Can anything or anyone on this planet harm you?” Blorb vibrated twice. “If you were put in danger, are you able to escape?” Blorb vibrated once.

I let the officials in and Blorb remained mum in their presence, and upon constant pressure, they had me ask Blorb one question.

“Blorb, will you allow these people to take you to a place for tests to ensure national security,” I asked. The orb remained still a few moments but finally rendered one vibration.

I saw the agents produce a square metal box that locked after Blorb was placed in it. The agents left without any information if it would ever be returned. Unceremoniously, Blorb was gone. I felt like a pet owner who had just lost his furry little friend.

In the weeks that passed, I was interviewed, interrogated, and casted off as a crazy lunatic writer who let his out-of-this world stories cloud reality. The government was also pressured for a response and concluded the object was a military experiment gone awry, but I knew better. I had met an alien or alien drone from Pluto, even if no one believed me. Still, whatever became of my interplanetary, round friend? That answer would haunt me in my waking hours and kept me up at night, especially since the object would only communicate with me.

A few months passed, and I was preparing to tend to my lawn by changing the line on my trimmer when something appeared out of my periphery in the backyard behind my shed.

“Blorb,” I whispered loud enough to encroach on being audible. The sphere slowly floated towards me at eye level. Blorb now had several long, gashes on it as if it fell victim to knife attacks. I instinctively cupped my hands on it and felt a warm, ongoing vibration akin to a cat purring.

“They didn’t hurt you, and you were able to escape, although it looks like they tried to cut you open.” Blorb vibrated once. “Did the government find you harmless and does not fear any alien attacks?” Blorb vibrated once. “Does Earth pose a threat to the wellbeing of other planets?” Blorb vibrated once.

“But your planet won’t destroy Earth if provoked or does not heed to any warnings?” Blorb vibrated once. “Why not?” I asked, momentarily forgetting it wasn’t a yes-no question. Blorb drew close and rubbed against my head. A prolonged vibration that emanated from the sphere told me it was because of me and the millions of others like me that lead with a welcoming heart on a flawed planet.

I felt a goodbye coming, and I held it as long as it would allow.

Finally, I relented. “You are going home to Pluto?” Blorb vibrated once. I made an attempt at humor to shake the sorrow I felt. “You don’t really abduct humans, do you?” Blorb appeared to rotate to the side a little before vibrating twice.

“This is goodbye?”

Blorb paused as if for effect and vibrated once, rotating slightly down.

I nodded my head and placed my hand back on the sphere one last time with a return warm vibration. “Goodbye, my friend,” I whispered and saw it float up momentarily, circled around gradually, and then vortex out of sight.

* * * * THE END * * * *
Copyright Jon Moray 2024