Novel Synopsis

Set in the near future, 2015, Extraterrestrial Visitors from Beta Ursae Majoris, portrays a visit by aliens from a planet they call Trigor in a solar system formed by a star they call Zanus. Astronomers on Earth know this star as Beta Ursae Majoris as well as Merak, the name given the star by Arab astronomers in the 19th century. Merak is the lower left star in the Big Dipper, one of the pointer stars to Polaris, the North Star. The Trigorians have arrived via matter transportation from almost 80 light years away and initially are parked in orbit behind Jupiter on their starship, the Zanus Zarriz. They reach out initially not to world leaders but to six scientists, including a famous Scottish astronomer, Earl McCabe. After a week’s discussion with the scientists, the British Prime Minister, Robert Bishop, is chosen as the spokesperson and announces the Trigorian presence to the world.

The beings from Merak are very different from humans. They have no visual or auditory capabilities, relying instead on telepathic communication and touch. Physically, the Trigorians resemble amoebas or simple manatees but have existed for many thousands of years and have evolved to have a sophisticated, highly civilized existence with technological capabilities far surpassing anything on Earth. Another major distinction between the Trigorians and humans is that these beings feature three genders. Thus, there is no male and female as such; a Trigorian may be a Ti, To or Tu. Each gender has a distinctive physiology and differs as well on more subtle dimensions. Procreation among the Trigorians occurs as part of an elaborate ritual called a gerosis. Trigorians live in collective enclaves, called a borzita, which to humans would resemble a hive. A

Council of Elders, drawn from an extended ruling family that has been in power for more than 10,000 years, governs the entire planet.

The Trigorians come with peaceful intentions although wary of the violent nature of life on Earth and the likelihood that people on Earth will expect hostile behavior from any visit by aliens. The visit also threatens to exacerbate tensions between the leading nations on Earth, exacerbated by Trigorian expectations based on a previous visit to the Solar System in the mid-19^th century by an unmanned probe. The information gathered from the probe heavily influenced mission planners and seems to have resulted in a level of comfort with the UK rather than the US, China, Japan or Russia. Tension also arises for religious reasons. The Trigorians have no apparent religious beliefs. This alone creates suspicion on Earth and it also helps to explain the Trigorians woeful underestimate of the importance of religion on Earth and its role in strife in the past and present. The choice of a former colonial power as the “chosen” nation also is irritating in many quarters of the planet.

The story culminates in exchanges of information and a conference. The exchange occurs between an earth delegation and the Trigorians, in which the latter’s interest in products, artifacts and human physiology and biochemistry as well as what they are willing to share is revealed. The conference takes place on the moon in which the first actual encounter between humans and the aliens occurs. The events leading up to this momentous meeting also are crucial. Conflict on Earth breaks out, perpetrated by a strange alliance of terrorist groups, which must be quelled before the conference can occur. The story concludes with a decision to leave a Trigorian delegation on Earth and the star ship departs with several humans on board for the return voyage to Trigor. A sequel novel will explore the outcomes of these decisions.

c, Dennis R. DeLong May 2, 2008