Challenge 100

Please read “Cross Contact” first.

Double Story

“Cross Contact” is a late 20th-century miracle play. It has all the elements of its medieval counterparts: the Devil, a sinner, a saint, redemption and miracles in the form of futuristic technology. The boy Peter plays the role of the sinner, although in his case it’s more a matter of demon possession. His father, Daniel, is the saint whose love and concern lead him inadvertently to blurt out the words that exorcise the demon.

The themes may be archetypal, but “Cross Contact” is written in terms of modern culture, not that of the Middle Ages. We don’t believe in demons any more; we prefer more rational explanations, although their names may sometimes sound like those of ancient spectres: drug addiction, neurophysiology, social alienation, not to mention space aliens. And today’s rationalism has led Greg himself to suggest this issue’s official Challenge:

Granted, the primary action is the father’s rescuing the son from possession by an evil spirit, as it were. But what is that “evil spirit,” exactly? Unbeknownst to everyone, the space aliens have been taking over the personalities of many teenagers and generally wreaking havoc. And that suggests a sub-plot, one that would explain the aliens’ motivation. Now, the aliens don’t appear to be pure evil; they may be no more than bumbling bureaucrats who are very inept at recruiting undercover agents to spy on Earthlings. And that’s only one possibility; surely you can think of many more.

What might be the sub-plot in “Cross Contact”? What are the space aliens doing here in the first place? And what causes their agents to be such socially “alienated aliens” when they take on the guise of Earthlings?