作者：邁克爾·亞當(dāng)·羅布森 ? ?翻譯：瓦力
和我們預(yù)期的不同，第一次接觸沒(méi)有任何的征兆。
它們就像天使之光親切得展現(xiàn)在我們的意識(shí)中。
“這將是我們最后一次會(huì)面，這對(duì)于你們的未來(lái)至關(guān)重要?！彼麄冋f(shuō)到。
“最后一次會(huì)面？難道你們之前來(lái)過(guò)？”
他們并非來(lái)自別的星球。他們?cè)谝粋€(gè)完全不同的宇宙建立了一條聯(lián)結(jié)我們的通道。
“很久很久以前我們就是老朋友了，只是你們不知道罷了?！?/p>
“有朋自遠(yuǎn)方來(lái)，不亦樂(lè)乎，但你們想要什么呢？”
“我們想傳授你們知識(shí)，就像當(dāng)年你們傳授我們一樣。我們要找到聯(lián)結(jié)彼此的方法，能讓我們友誼長(zhǎng)存?！?/p>
“這是我們第一次見到你們，為什么你們卻說(shuō)這是我們之間最后的一次會(huì)面？”我們問(wèn)到。
“這是我們的最后一次，不是你們的，我們還會(huì)在中途再次相遇?！?/p>
他們說(shuō)的，我們始終沒(méi)能理解，而他們也從沒(méi)解釋過(guò)。也許這是他們的一種幽默吧。
第二次接觸是100年后。我們已經(jīng)擁有了足夠的知識(shí)建立了一條向下通往低層空間的通道。而此時(shí)，他們也建立了一條通往同一層空間的向上通道，并已在那里等候我們多時(shí)。
“我們又見面了。” 我們打招呼到。
“是啊，老朋友!"
此時(shí)此刻，我們已經(jīng)能夠參悟，他們宇宙的自然法則和我們的完全不同。
“你們宇宙時(shí)間的流向和我們是相反的，你們的過(guò)去是我們的未來(lái)，而你們的未來(lái)是我們的過(guò)去。所以，我們的第一次接觸對(duì)于你們卻是最后一次。” 我們說(shuō)到。
“沒(méi)錯(cuò)，而此時(shí)是一個(gè)特別的時(shí)刻，僅有此刻，我們?cè)诒舜说闹型鞠嘤觥！八麄冄a(bǔ)充到。
第三次接觸已是幾百年之后，那是我們之間最后一次相遇。我們已經(jīng)掌握了直接通往他們宇宙，空間和時(shí)間的方法。
為了不驚嚇到他們，我們決定出現(xiàn)在他們的意識(shí)中。
“很高興再次遇到你們?！蔽覀兇蛘泻舻?，帶著一絲憂傷。我們的文明在向前推進(jìn)，而他們的卻在后退，直到消失。這將是我們最后一次會(huì)面。
“你們想要什么呢？” 他們問(wèn)道。
“我們想傳授你們知識(shí)，就像當(dāng)年你們傳授我們一樣。我們要找到聯(lián)結(jié)彼此的方法，能讓我們友誼長(zhǎng)存?！?/p>
“你們是誰(shuí)？來(lái)自何方？”
顯然他們并不知道我們是誰(shuí)，而我們也不想就此點(diǎn)破。
“就像我們之前說(shuō)的，未來(lái)我們?cè)缇褪抢吓笥蚜?，我們?huì)在中途再次相遇”
完
Halfway
by Michael Adam Robson author bio
First contact came without any warning, and wasn't what we expected.
Obligingly, they appeared in our image, magnified into angelic beings of light.
This will be our last meeting, they said. It's important that your history unfolds as it's supposed to.
Last meeting? we asked. Have you been here before? Where do you come from?
That was the strange part. They hadn't come from another world, they'd built a bridge from an entirely different universe.
We're old friends, from far away, they said. You just don't know it yet.
Always good to make a friend, we said, confused, but relieved. What is it you want?
As it turned out, they didn't want anything. They'd come to give us something.
We want to pass on knowledge that's been passed on to us. A way to meet, so we can keep our friendship alive.
We're happy to stay in contact, we said. But you said this was our last meeting?
We didn't understand then, and they didn't explain. Like us, they had a sense of humour.
The last for us, they said. But not for you. You just need to meet us halfway.
Second contact came a hundred years later, when we'd learned enough to build a bridge of our own, to a lower layer of space.
As it turned out, they had built a bridge upward to the same layer, and were waiting for us, in their true, strange forms.
We meet again, we said.
Old friends, they agreed.
By then, of course, the implications of the alien science were clear. The laws of their universe were very different from ours.
That's why our first contact was your last, we said. Time runs backward in your world. Our future is your past, your future is our past.
This is a special time, they said. Right now is the only time we'll be able to meet like this. As equals.
Third contact took another hundred years, and it was the last contact.
By then, we knew how to make the bridge all the way to their universe, their native space and time. So as not to startle them, we decided to appear in their image.
It's good to see you again, we said, sadly. As our civilization went forward, theirs would go backward, until it disappeared. This was the last time we would be able to meet.
What do you want? they asked.
Of course, we didn't want anything. We'd come to give them a gift.
We only want to share some knowledge, we said. A way to keep in touch.
Who are you? they asked. Where did you come from?
They didn't know us yet--and we didn't want to spoil the surprise.
We're old friends, was all we said. Or we will be. You just need to meet us halfway.
The End
