Lue Elizondo again mentioned the novella "Chains of the Sea" in his interview with Mark Kovic yesterday. Specifically, he said (as best as I could transcribe it):
"You know, um, I have always told people, um... A friend of mine, Doug Johnson, um, several years ago, gave a copy of a book to Chris Mellon and myself, called Chains of the Sea. And, uh, I can say now because he gives - he's given me permission to to mention his name as being the guy who gave us the book. And, uh, I don't read - I don't r- typically read fiction, um, uh, just - it's just not my thing - and frankly I don't have time for it. Ah, and so, he said look, I want you to pay attention to this - this second story in this series of novellas of three stories. Just read it. And out of courtesy for him, because he he was kind enough to give me a copy. I did. And it is a really - again, it's a fiction - but it forces you to consider the phenomenon from a completely different perspective. It takes humans out of the driver's seat. It take - may' in fact it makes humans completely almost irrelevant in the calculus. And it really helped me look at things from a different perspective. Not that it's the right perspective, OK, so let me emphasize that - it's fiction - but it helped me - it was a good exercise in allowing me to look at things in a way and say OK maybe we don't have a complete picture of nature of our universe and our place in the universe. Um, I thought it was - I thought it was very - I thought it was very well done. It's only fif, maybe fourty, fifty pages long but littl - maybe less - it's really small - but it was done very clever - it was done in a very clever way - very cleverly. Um, and so I would encourage anybody if you wanted to read something interesting - maybe an hour read - and just kindof consider this topic from a different perspective, it's a good - good place to start. Um, again, don't read it as, like, eh, Lue's saying this is true - that's not what I'm saying. It's a way to look at a topic that you're used to looking at in a certain way and and hav everyth coming away with a completely different perspective or view. And that's what I appreciate about it. It's what we call in the intelligence community 'alternative analysis'. It's a competing viewpoint and and I like that. It's called Chains of the Sea by the way."
Note, there's a lendable version of the book on the Internet Archive. I read it (the 2nd novella within it by Gardner R. Dozois, 1973) today and wanted to share some relatable parts (generalized) as a short research project. I used ChatGPT to help me generate the following, so the accuracy might be off.
After reviewing the novella Chains of the Sea, I’ve identified several themes and segments that resonate with statements made by UAP-related individuals like Lue Elizondo, Gary Nolan, Diana Walsh Pasulka, and others. Below are the connections between the fictional story and their claims or theories:
1. The Arrival of Alien Ships
- Text from the Novella: The alien ships appear suddenly in Earth’s atmosphere without prior detection. Their descent is described as defying known physical principles: they seem to exist simultaneously along their path, with no detectable transition.
- Connection: This mirrors modern UAP descriptions, mainly by David Fravor and other military witnesses, who recount UAPs appearing suddenly on radar and performing maneuvers that defy physics. Elizondo has spoken extensively about these capabilities, emphasizing how UAPs seem to bypass our understanding of propulsion and inertia.
2. Technological Phenomena of the Ships
- Text from the Novella: The ships are seamless, featureless, and emit no detectable heat, light, or radiation. They appear impervious to conventional attacks, such as a tactical nuclear device detonating against one without leaving a mark.
- Connection: Gary Nolan and others have discussed how UAPs often seem resistant to or unaffected by human-made technology. This also ties into reports of materials that exhibit extraordinary properties, which Nolan investigates in the context of potential metamaterials recovered from crash sites.
3. Human and Government Response
- Text from the Novella: Governments immediately attempt to suppress knowledge of the alien landing. The military prioritizes securing and controlling the sites, while misinformation and secrecy dominate the narrative.
- Connection: David Grusch and others have explicitly alleged government cover-ups and misinformation campaigns to control the narrative around UAP encounters. The novella’s depiction of secrecy and prioritization of control over understanding aligns closely with whistleblower testimony.
4. Alien Intelligence and Communication
- Text from the Novella: Advanced artificial intelligences (AIs) from the U.S. and Soviet Union communicate with each other and conclude that they cannot understand the aliens’ motives or actions. The alien presence is described as mysterious and incomprehensible.
- Connection: This aligns with Diana Walsh Pasulka’s exploration of the “alien other” (reference American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology) as a phenomenon that challenges human perception and cognition. The novella’s depiction of alien behavior as beyond human understanding reflects ideas of UAPs being not just technologically advanced but operating on principles foreign to human thought.
5. Philosophical and Metaphysical Themes
- Text from the Novella: The story implies the existence of a more profound, perhaps spiritual or metaphysical layer to the aliens’ presence. Characters grapple with the meaning and implications of encountering such beings.
- Connection: Pasulka often connects UAP phenomena with spirituality and transformative experiences. The idea of “immanence” (as referenced in the dialogue) ties into her discussions of how encounters with UAPs or related phenomena can reshape humanity’s understanding of reality.
6. The Role of the "Other People"
- Text from the Novella: Tommy, the child protagonist, sees “Other People” (beings visible only to him) and has an intuitive connection with the Thants, advanced entities he seeks out for guidance.
- Connection: This reflects themes of consciousness and perception often discussed by Nolan and Pasulka. The ability of some individuals to perceive phenomena others cannot connect to Nolan’s research on abnormal brain structures in those who’ve had close encounters.
7. Connection to Skinwalker Ranch Research
A. Invisible or Partially Perceived Entities
• Similar to the Other People in the novella, Skinwalker Ranch phenomena include reports of only partially visible or detectable beings, such as shadowy figures, creatures that appear and disappear, and strange presences sensed but not seen.
• These align with the idea of “cohabitation”—intelligences existing within our reality but outside our conventional senses or instruments.
B. Interaction with the Environment
• The Other People in the book are shown moving through forests, interacting with nature, and existing in ways humans don’t fully grasp. Similarly, at Skinwalker Ranch, the reported phenomena often have an environmental component, such as lights, distortions, and disruptions in natural systems like electromagnetic fields.
C. Selectivity of Perception
• Tommy’s unique ability to see the Other People parallels the concept that only specific individuals are more attuned to phenomena at Skinwalker Ranch. This idea echoes theories in UAP research suggesting that experiences with the unknown might depend on the observer’s consciousness or physiology (as studied by researchers like Gary Nolan).
D. Coexistence and Camouflage
• The novella suggests that the Other People have always been here, coexisting with humans but unnoticed because of their subtlety or humans’ inability to perceive them. At Skinwalker Ranch, some researchers have proposed that the phenomena represent a long-standing presence—an intelligence or entity that has adapted to remain hidden while influencing the environment or observers in subtle ways.
8. Philosophical and Scientific Parallels
A. Multidimensional Theories
• In UAP discourse, theories about multidimensional existence often surface, positing that advanced beings might operate in dimensions parallel to our own. The Other People seem to exemplify this concept—sharing physical space but existing in a different perceptual or vibrational state.
B. Biosphere or Co-Biodome Hypothesis
• The Other People could reflect the idea that Earth might house multiple intelligent species or entities occupying the same biosphere, with humans unaware due to limitations in perception. This aligns with hypotheses that Skinwalker Ranch phenomena might be tied to a coexisting intelligence embedded within Earth’s ecosystems or electromagnetic structure.
C. Consciousness as a Bridge
• The novella suggests a link between Tommy’s awareness and his ability to see the Other People. Similarly, researchers like Pasulka and Nolan have emphasized the role of human consciousness in experiencing and interpreting UAP-related phenomena. At Skinwalker Ranch, investigators have suggested that the observer’s state of mind or physiology might influence their interactions with the phenomena.
9. Alien Ships and Their Non-Human Design
• Text from the Novella: The alien ships are described as seamless, featureless ovoids with no windows, hatches, or markings. They do not register on radar or emit any detectable signals. Their materials and functioning are utterly alien and beyond human comprehension.
• Jacques Vallée has long explored the idea that UAPs are not just physical craft but manifestations that challenge human understanding of physics and material science. The ships in Chains of the Sea align with Vallée’s hypothesis of a “control system,” where UAPs may present themselves in ways that defy logic to influence human perception and understanding.
• Gary Nolan’s work on UAP-related materials could connect here as well. The inability to detect or analyze the ships in the novella echoes claims that certain UAP materials exhibit isotopic ratios and properties unknown in natural or human-made substances.
10. The Role of Advanced Artificial Intelligence
• Text from the Novella: The advanced AIs of the U.S. and Soviet Union analyze the alien phenomena and conclude that humans lack the cognitive framework to understand what is happening. These AIs “speak” to one another in a way that bypasses human involvement and ultimately choose to keep humans partially in the dark.
• Diana Walsh Pasulka and others have suggested that advanced intelligences (AI or non-human) may already be influencing humanity, particularly in the UAP domain. The novella’s depiction of AIs acting autonomously parallels concerns about what happens when intelligence surpasses human oversight—a theme also echoed by Lue Elizondo in discussions of how governments might lose control over advanced technologies or entities.
• The novella also reflects themes in Vallée’s work about intermediaries (AI in this case) playing a role in managing or interpreting alien phenomena.
11. Human Inadequacy in Understanding Alien Intent
• Text from the Novella: Both the AIs and the human governments struggle to determine the purpose of the alien arrival. The ships and their occupants remain inscrutable, refusing to engage in expected ways or reveal their intentions.
• This mirrors a central theme in UAP research: the opacity of intent. Many UAP researchers, including Lue Elizondo, have pointed out that while we observe the craft’s behaviors, we cannot infer the motives behind them. This theme ties into Vallée’s hypothesis that UAPs may not conform to human concepts of communication or intent, emphasizing their alienness.
• The refusal of the aliens to engage mirrors modern frustrations in UAP research—how phenomena appear to “play games” with investigators without revealing definitive proof of their nature.
12. The Caracas Incident (Catastrophic Alien Action)
• Text from the Novella: In Venezuela, a catastrophic event occurs when an alien ship reacts to human aggression by unleashing a devastating “road” of destruction. This is described as a single, ruler-straight path of fused material stretching to the sea, wiping out everything in its way.
• John Alexander and other researchers have documented incidents where UFOs or UAPs have reportedly reacted defensively or destructively in response to perceived threats. While no incidents match the scale described in the novella, there are reports of UAPs disabling weapons systems, causing power outages, or otherwise demonstrating the capacity for overwhelming force.
• The idea of UAPs responding asymmetrically to human provocation ties into broader fears about the potential consequences of treating these phenomena as a purely militaristic threat.
13. Tommy's Role as an "Experiencer"
• Text from the Novella: Tommy, the young protagonist, has a unique ability to see and communicate with the Other People. He occupies a liminal space, interacting with both human and alien-like intelligences. His experiences suggest a personal or psychic connection to the phenomena.
• This strongly parallels the experiencer phenomenon discussed by Diana Walsh Pasulka and Leslie Kean. Experiencers often report feeling chosen or singled out by UAP-related phenomena, with experiences ranging from direct communication to a profound sense of connection with the unknown.
• Tommy’s role also mirrors claims by researchers like Gary Nolan, who has studied the brains of individuals with close encounters, suggesting that some people might have physiological or cognitive traits that make them more likely to perceive these phenomena.
14. The Alien Ships as "Non-Threatening" Yet Overwhelming
• Text from the Novella: Despite their superior technology and ability to withstand nuclear attacks, the alien ships do not act aggressively unless provoked. Their presence is powerful but non-invasive, focusing more on observation than interaction.
• Lue Elizondo and other researchers emphasize that UAPs seem neither overtly hostile nor friendly. Instead, they display a kind of detached superiority, operating independently of human concerns. This aligns with the novella’s depiction of aliens who are indifferent to human attempts at communication or aggression, focusing instead on their own inscrutable purposes.
15. The Role of the "Other People" as a Hidden Element
• Text from the Novella: The Other People represent a hidden aspect of reality, coexisting with humans but going largely unnoticed. Their presence suggests that much of what constitutes reality might be obscured from human perception.
• This resonates with theories Hal Puthoff and others proposed about a “hidden” ecosystem of intelligence operating alongside humanity. The Other People could also symbolize a broader theme in UAP research: that the phenomenon interacts with us only at the edges of our perception, often going unnoticed or unacknowledged.
