.................................
"Now. We want you you to remember some numbers." That same green and yellow faced critter had spoken, who had nearly coughed and spluttered when Archy had used the acronym 'TED' on them for the first time.
This was several nights later, mind.
"Numbers. Oh dear. Can't even remember my own mobile."
"Now, snap out of that kind of attitude! That's nothing at all to be proud of, especially in your forties. Strewth! You want to be sitting shaking in your own room, frightened of the lights of traffic like Tom Cruise in 'Interview with the Vampire'? Lost it in the modern world? If you remember these numbers now, I tell you you will never ever forget your mobile number again. Deal? "
The yellow-green being jabbed a fairly fat and assured finger towards him, fingernails short, perfect. Archy supposed they stayed like that, never growing or needing cutting.
Archy loved the assurance of the humanoid. Life would not be extinguished, mobile phone numbers required remembering and one had to keep one's mind in shape for the daily rigmarole and run-of-the-mill of things.
"OK. Shoot."
"Right Ascension: 06h 45m 08.11s Declination: -16 degrees 42 minutes 59 seconds."
"What? I'll never remember that. And anyway, if I do wake up like some lunatic, grabbing a pen, dream inspired, how do I know I have remembered the right numbers not made up another set?"
The group considered this, looking across at one another.
"I have a better idea!" A purplish faced being in the little group piped up...and then withdrew in shyness as if not sure of his sudden impulse being quite acceptable to others and especially to Salad-face. But everyone nodded after a little while, Salad-face lastly, and with a little grimace.
"OK. Let's leave philosophy and psychology out of it, Archy. We are giving you a position very close to Sirius, the bright star. All you have to remember is 11 and 59 because the other numbers you can look up in Wiki as the position of Sirius. The numbers on the end now, they are the only ones which are different and only slightly different Our little white ball is coming fairly inexplicably out of that quarter, a wanderer."
Salad-face looked pleased despite him/herself, returning to the briefing role: "Now, you have to get this through to Dr. McMillan of Spaceguard. They have two good telescopes at Kitt Peak, Arizona. Despite your gibes at Americans, they are the best bet to find it quickly."
"I thought you said there was no Omniscience?"
Oh. All this is pretty public information. Google Spaceguard and you get a contact number. But, since you keep a pen and pad on your bedside table we have taken the liberty of having you write the numbers eleven and fifty nine down, just now, in your sleep, so when you wake you will find them there. Remember Sirius and Spaceguard."
"What?"
Archy was shocked and a little worried. Were they making him dance the conga on the ceiling? It's bad enough the ordinary kind of worries that you have in semi-lucid dreams. (Is your heart still beating? Are you all perfectly alright?) without worrying about sleepwalking or sleep-note-taking.
"You tell them to look there...just give the numbers and don't be drawn on anything else. Say you are an amateur. Say think there is something there coming in fast. That's it. Don't refuse to give your name, and don't withhold your number; but say nothing else."
"Oh. OK then. OK, TED. But tell me who are you, really?"
"We are the machinations of your mind. You are dreaming us up, aren't you?"
"If I am, maybe I should start to be worried. And if I am not..."
"You should start to be worried too," the aliens chorused, smiling and giggling.
And Archy woke up to September sunlight mellow and warm beyond the blinds; and he had slept in till nine thirty. AND... he had written those bloody numbers on his pad!
.............................
So. 11 and 59 and look up Sirius and Spaceguard.
But thank something or other, he got an answerphone and so he just gave his message, landline to landline in the old fashioned way and then went for a swim.
