The Truth
The story starts long ago when an alien space probe reaches the Solar System. There is no biological life inside the probe, just a type of nanodevice artificial life. Upon finding Earth, the nanoscale life form establishes observations of Earth's ecosystem and starts a project to reincarnate life forms from its world of origin. This is the mode of space travel used by the nanodevice's creators. The nanodevices are sent across the depths of space to find worlds with biological organisms. The nanodevices are programmed to adapt to the life they find and engineer it to become similar to the creators of the nanodevices.
At this point in the story Fox asks, "How long ago did this alien ship reach Earth?"
One of the clones replies, "Over a billion years ago."
Byers says, "What is this crap? You expect us to believe that these alien nanobots have waited a billion years to start genetically morphing humans into aliens?"
"Not at all. The first intervention into earth's biosphere caused a radiation of multi-cellular life forms on Earth. Most died out, but some survived. There have been countless other genetic interventions, leading towards- us. Humans. Yes, my brothers and I are as human as you are. Me and my brothers were produced by isolating the first 8 cells of a normal human embryo and letting them each grow and develop. One of us died many years ago and Doggett killed one of us yesterday."
Reyes feels a sudden rush of panic and demands, "What happened to John?"
"Skinner has placed him in a military hospital. He is fine and he is out of our reach, for now. Now there are only six of us left. We four here and two still on Earth. We were created to work as a team to go to Earth when needed. Rarely do we go to Earth; it has become too dangerous for us. Usually only two of us go at once, agent and backup. Dana's abduction was a special situation. We only learned of Mulder's ploy at the last minute and so we all went to Earth. We were unable to find Dana until she reached the conference hall and then we had to act en mass in order to get her out fast. Mostly we work from here on the Moon, monitoring, but in this case we felt the need to act decisively."
Dana asks, "Monitoring what?"
Langly replies, "The production of alien-human hybrids."
"No, you are wrong. That effort was completed long ago." The clones explain that some 10 million years previously a gene combination was found in Africa that resulted in apes with a form of conscious awareness that the alien nanodevices has been working to develop on earth. Some of the most promising variants of those highly conscious apes were taken from Earth and extensively studied on the Moon. After 15,000 years of experiments, the alien nanodevices were able to genetically engineer those apes into a life form very similar to the original aliens who had sent out the nanodevices. From the Moon base, those alien-like Earth-derived creatures were able to establish contact with other worlds of the galactic empire. They built their own nanodevices and eventually sent their own space craft out from the Solar System to continue the billions of years old process of finding new worlds.
"This was all millions of years ago, but I can show you what the outcome was." Images of various alien-looking creatures flash on the walls. "By the rules of alien intervention, none of these genetically engineered Earth-Alien hybrids is allowed to reside on Earth. Most of them have died off, many built colony ships and migrated to nearby star systems. A few maintain well hidden space bases here in the solar system."
Mulder asks, "These Earth-Alien hybrids are what people on Earth call aliens?"
"Unfortunately, sometimes the Earth-Alien hybrids are occasionally seen on Earth, yes. Such events have been rare and are generally illegal. According to the rules of alien contact, only minimally modified biological agents such as me and my brothers are allowed to visit Earth."
The clones continue their story explaining that Earth is still a rich biological incubator and the monitoring of Earth's evolving life forms continues. It was of interest to see how consciousness would develop on Earth without the massive genetic intervention that produced the Earth-Alien hybrids. But the situation is complex. Over the past billion years the original alien nanodevices diverged and now there are several different alien-derived nanodevice factions in the Solar System. They do not agree on policy in terms of how much intervention should be allowed on Earth. This is a critical time for humans, having entered the technological spiral.
The clones explain that some nanodevice factions favor minimal intervention into the affairs of Earth while others insist that Earth's ecosystem must be protected from damage due to human technology. Each of these different nanodevice factions has their own biological agents. "We are agents for a faction that is mostly in favor of a hands-off policy with respect to Earth. There is another faction that has been engaged in a project that we would like to thwart. This other faction, we call them the 'interventionists', believes that the only way to protect Earth's biosphere is to genetically modify the human population of Earth and turn humans into an environmentally responsible species. Dana is an example of their human test subjects…..a human who has been genetically engineered to be environmentally friendly."
Dana says. "You are lying. I have not suddenly become a 'green' following my infection with the branched DNA vector."
"No, of course not. You were selected for the gene engineering because you naturally have the mental disposition of one who would never harm the Earth or its web of life. The brain structures in you -and others like you- that give you an instinct for respecting all life, those brain structures and the key neuronal networks they form were mapped long ago. All that remains now is to find a way to make sure that the growth of those key neuronal networks can be engineered into all humans on Earth. It is a race against the ticking clock of technological progress and human population growth. The branched DNA vector that you were infected with had previously been tested and shown to be effective, converting environmentally insensitive humans into tree huggers. You were part of a control group. What would happen to the people of Earth who already have those 'green' neuronal networks? The answer was death by uncontrolled brain cell growth. This was bad news for the interventionist program. Even they are not willing to kill off millions of humans in order to save the baby seals."
Reyes asks, "So how do you come into this? Why is your "hands-off" faction abducting people like us?"
"The branched DNA vectors developed by the Interventionists are an example of technology that will be made possible on Earth by nanodevices that are still decades in your future. Our faction always acts to prevent the introduction of such technological advances before humans on Earth are ready for it. The nations of Earth are only slowly learning how to regulate genetic engineering. Letting this branched DNA technology out of the bag now would be like supplying atomic weapons to the armies of Europe in 1915."
Dana asks, "Why are you telling this to us?"
"I think we have the situation contained on Earth. We are now into the phase of making the facts of your branched DNA disappear from the memory of Earth. The cover story will be that the branched DNA you detected was the remnants of a special diagnostics test performed during your treatments for cancer. Everyone who now knows the truth will be made to forget the truth and learn the cover story."
Byers asks, "What do you do, flash your magic Men In Black light?"
"It is almost that simple. Memory is chemical. We will inject you with certain chemicals and then have you watch a multimedia extravaganza all about branched DNA and your little vacation here on the Moon. As your neuronal circuits that hold your memories of branched DNA are stimulated by the information about branched DNA, the chemicals will deflate the critical synapses of those circuits resulting in selective memory ablation. The next day, you will watch a second multimedia extravaganza all about our cover story and a new set of chemicals will stimulate the formation of new memories. When we return you to Earth, you will have only patchy and rapidly fading memories of what really happened to you."
Dana says, "But you want something else from me besides my memories."
"Yes, Dana, you are special. You were the only test subject in your group to survive. You now have an unusual brain structure that was reported at a scientific meeting by one of the U. of M. Medical Center doctors working with Westlake on your case. If you go back, neurologists will want to study your brain. Rather than risk that they will again discover and start studying the branched DNA that is now a part of you, it would be safer if you stayed with us. Frankly, we would like you to help us monitor the activity of the Interventionists. They are sure to be working on a new branched DNA vector that will not cause cancer and you have the skills to help us watch for the eventual use of that new vector on Earth."
Reyes is outraged and asks, "How can you ask Dana to give up her life on Earth?"
"It is up to her. If she stays here she will join our faction and have access to medical technology far beyond what exists on Earth. She will not be bored. We have a colony of over six million humans here at our lunar base. And if she stays she will be doing important work, helping us protect Earth from possible harm at the hands of the interventionists. Now, we have had our say. Tomorrow we will start our memory microsurgery."
