When I was a kid, I used to tell people straight up — if a spaceship ever landed on Earth, I’d go. No hesitation. I wanted to see what else was out there. Different worlds. Different skies. Something beyond all this.
Now folks are talking about something called 3i Atlas. I don’t even know what it is — maybe a signal, maybe an invitation, maybe nothing at all. But when I hear that name, that same old spark lights up inside me. The curiosity. The wonder. The voice of that little boy from Bed-Stuy who used to stare at the stars and whisper, “I’d go.”
The weird part? I’m still not scared.
But life’s different now. I’m a father. I’ve got kids who look to me to keep the monsters away — not chase ‘em into the sky. Still, that part of me that wants to know… he ain’t gone. He’s just quieter. More cautious.
And maybe that caution’s a good thing. Because I remember watching The Twilight Zone — that old black-and-white episode called “To Serve Man.”
Aliens show up promising peace, ending hunger, sharing their technology. They hand humanity a book titled To Serve Man. Sounds holy, right? Until someone finally translates it and realizes it’s not a message of love — it’s a cookbook. They weren’t here to serve us dinner… they were here to serve us as dinner.
That twist hit me hard, even as a kid. It said something real: not every invitation from the stars is meant for your benefit.
Years later, I saw another one — “The Space Traders.” That one hit even harder. The aliens came offering unlimited gold, clean energy, and a better world… but only if America handed over every melanated person in the country. And the wild part? The debate wasn’t even about if they’d do it — it was how fast.
That story still haunts me, because it didn’t feel like science fiction. It felt like a warning.
So when I hear talk about 3i Atlas, I don’t feel fear — I feel awareness. The kid in me wants to go. The man in me wants to read the fine print. The father in me? He’s just trying to make sure nobody trades our souls for comfort again.
Maybe 3i Atlas is nothing more than static in the wind. Or maybe it’s another open door to something the human race ain’t ready for. Either way, I’m not afraid. I’m just awake.
And while part of me will always wonder what’s out there, another part knows — sometimes the biggest test isn’t whether you’d go… it’s whether you know when to stay.