"So you're telling me the Agency is lying to me about the Aliens in Greensboro?" Fred asked.
"No," Wooley explained, "they're mistaken."
"The Tall Whites aren't Aliens," Steve explained, "Only the Greys are Aliens."
"How do you know?" Sir Geidt asked.
"They told us," Wooley answered.
"When?" Fred asked.
"Where?" Sir Geidt asked.
"Under the city," Steve answered.
"Sometime in the future," Wooley explained.
"The Tall Whites abducted you?" Fred asked.
"No," Wooley and Steve answered.
"Then how did you get under the city?" Sir Geidt questioned.
"We walked," Steve said.
"And crawled," Wooley added.
"Wait a minute," John said, "are you saying there really are Aliens in Greensboro? And if these Tall Whites aren't Aliens then what are they? And why am I hanging out with all these crazy people? Bobbie, are all your friends like this?"
"Most of them," Bobbie mumbled looking down at the floor.
"I think Y'all are just being paranoid," John said. "There's no such thing as Aliens. And ever if there is the time required to travel between the nearest planet capable of sustaining life would make it impossible for them to get here."
"But that's what we're saying," Wooley said, "the Tall Whites aren't Aliens."
"If they're not Aliens then what are they?" Sir Geidt grumbled.
"Interdimensional beings from right here on Earth," Steve answered. Suddenly, the entire room was silent.
______
It's always been with me. No matter how good life gets I always think something bad is about to happen. And it usually does. I look at Bobbie and John and think they're figuratively able to walk between worlds, relate to people far different than themselves and see things I could never see. Donny, Steve, Wooley and myself, we never learned those skills, we spent our lives trapped were we were. Oh sure, we know more about machines and engines than they do but we've had almost 40 years to learn it that they've yet to get. And when it comes to how things work in the real world, they've seen, experienced and understand more about the world than we'll ever know. Why is it we old folks don't do a better job of learning from these bright young kids? Why aren't we letting them run the world?
Back to what's always been with me. It's called paranoia. Part of it's to be expected I guess. When you've almost been killed as many times as I've almost been killed then I guess a certain amount of paranoia can be considered a defense mechanism-- something that keeps me sharp and aware of the circumstances around me. But there's this other paranoia that's really been troubling me of late. I've even had dreams about it. I've talked with my therapist about it on multiple occasions and she assures me it's not a problem I have but I keep thinking there's another Billy Jones who does and says things I would never approve of. Things I have no knowledge of and no control over.
And to be honest, it's scaring me to death.
_______
The Downtown Greensboro Interdimensionals were in a panic. Paranoia was running rampant. Some were announcing their resignations pointing their crooked fingers at the City of Greensboro saying the City was to blame. Others were rolling over on one another trying to save their own behinds as the citizens demanded oversight, seats on the board and an end to public finding of DGI. They actually had the audacity to make the claim they never saw it coming when in-fact, citizens had been complaining before City Council in front of the television cameras for years. I guess you just can't be in every dimension at the same time. Otherwise they would have known about it.
To make matters worse, it was looking as if other groups that networked and did business with the Downtown Greensboro Interdimensionals were going to be caught up in the scandals as well. Most of them shared the same boards of directors, many of their directors were married to one another and years of nepotism and inbreeding became so rampant they couldn't even tell each other apart. Soon, people were accusing Auction Greensboro of selling out the city for pennies on the dollar and the Guilford Partnership economic development agency was considering becoming a sole proprietorship. No one knew which non profit organization might be targeted next.
________
Bobbie made what would have been her first solo trip to a salvage auction to try and buy us some inventory. I had been taking her with me but wanted her to try it on her own. I still remembered the first time my old boss at the junkyard let me buy salvage all alone many years ago. I knew she'd make some mistakes and learn more than I could ever teach her just as I had. Sadly, because of the recent attempt on her life we didn't want her going anywhere alone so I sent John with her. "I can take care of myself," Bobbie said.
"Doesn't matter," I insisted, "if it were any of the rest of us we wouldn't go out alone."
"Be glad you're a girl," Donny laughed, "If it were one of us Billy wouldn't let us go to the bathroom alone."
"Hey," I complained, "that's crossing the line, Little Brother."
"Well I may be your little brother but at least I ain't fat," Donny said.
"Yeah," I countered, "Well at least I still got my hair."
"Guys, enough," Bobbie said, "I'll take John with me just to get away from the two of you."
"Can Steve and I go too?" Wooley asked.
"Yeah," Steve added, "we need a break too."
"I think the four of you need to finish taking down that horrible statue out front before the City of Burlington fines us," Bobbie said. "Tomorrow is the last day, you know."
"How come the new guy gets to have all the fun?" Wooley complained.
"That's alright," I replied, "Bobbie will buy lots of grunt work for John at the auction."
"I was afraid of that," John smiled.
"Oh you're just being paranoid," Donny laughed.
"Can't learn to put 'em together 'til you learn to take 'em apart," Steve said.
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