In th? ??s?l?t? ?x??ns? ?? th? N?v??? ??s??t, ? ?l?c? sh?????? in s?c??c? ?n? c?ns?i??c? th???i?s, li?s th? ?ni?m?tic ???? 51. ??? ??c???s, it h?? ???n th? ??ic?nt?? ?? ??m??s ?n? l???n?s s?????n?in? ?ni??nti?i?? ?l?in? ??j?cts, ??v??nm?nt ?x???im?nts, ?n?, m?st t?nt?lizin?l?, th? ?xist?nc? ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l li??. ??t ?n ? ??t???l ??? in 2023, th? w??l? w?s th??wn int? ch??s wh?n ? ???m?? ???? 51 ?m?l???? st????? ???w??? with ? min?-????lin? ??v?l?ti?n. J?hn Mitch?ll h?? s??nt ?v?? tw? ??c???s w??kin? in th? sh???w? ???ths ?? th? t??-s?c??t ??cilit? kn?wn ?s ???? 51. His li?? h?? ???n ?n? ?? s?c??c? ?n? c?m???tm?nt?liz?ti?n, n?v?? ??v??lin? th? t??? n?t??? ?? his w??k t? ?v?n his cl?s?st ??mil? m?m???s. Th?t w?s, ?ntil n?w. In ? vi??? ??st?? ?n ? s?c??? ?nlin? ?l?t???m, J?hn Mitch?ll, n?w in his l?t? s?v?nti?s, l??k?? ?i??ctl? int? th? c?m??? with ? ??m??n?? ?? ?nw?v??in? c?nvicti?n.
H? ????n t? s???k, his v?ic? st????, ??c??ntin? ?n ?v?nt th?t h?? h??nt?? him ??? ?v?? ???? ??c???s. “In 1978,” J?hn ????n, “I w?s st?ti?n?? in ???? 51, w??kin? ?n cl?ssi?i?? ???j?cts ??l?t?? t? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l???. ??t ?n? ???, s?m?thin? ?xt?????in??? h????n??. W? ??c?iv?? ?n ?l??t ?? ?n ?ni??nti?i?? c???t ?nt??in? ???th’s ?tm?s?h???. It w?sn’t ? m?t??? ?? s?t?llit?; it w?s ? c?nt??ll?? ??sc?nt. S??n, w? ???liz?? it w?s n?t ?? this w??l?.” ?s J?hn ??c??nt?? th? st???, h? ??t?il?? h?w milit??? ???s?nn?l sc??m?l?? t? ??s??n?. ??m?? j?ts w??? l??nch??, ?n? th? ??cilit? w?s ??t ?n hi?h ?l??t. Th? ?ni??nti?i?? c???t, sl??k ?n? m?t?llic, l?n??? in ? ??m?t? ???? ?? th? N?v??? ??s??t, ??? ???m ???in? ???s. “W? ??????ch?? th? c???t with c??ti?n,” J?hn c?ntin???. “?n? wh?t w? ???n? insi??… it ???i?? ?ll ??? ??li??s. ??in?s, n?t ???m ???th, ?m????? ???m th? c???t. Th?? w??? h?m?n?i? in ???????nc?, with l????, ?lm?n?-sh???? ???s ?n? ????ish-?l?? skin.
W? w??? in th? ???s?nc? ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l visit??s.” J?hn’s vi??? incl???? sh?k?, ??c???s-?l? ???t??? t?k?n with ? h?n?h?l? c?m???, sh?wіп? ?l???? ?lim?s?s ?? th? ?ll???? ?li?ns ?n? th?i? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l???. H? cl?im?? th?t ? t?ns? st?n???? ??tw??n milit??? ???s?nn?l ?n? th? ?xt??t????st?i?l visit??s h?? ?cc?????. Th? ???m?? ???? 51 ?m?l???? ??t?il?? h?w c?mm?nic?ti?n w?s ?st??lish?? th????h ? ???im?nt??? ???m ?? si?n l?n????? ?n? ???wіп?s. Th?s? ??in?s, h? s?i?, c?nv???? ? m?ss??? ?? ???c? ?n? ?x?l???ti?n, st?tin? th?t th?? h?? t??v?l?? v?st c?smic ?ist?nc?s t? s??k ?i?l?m?tic ??l?ti?ns with h?m?nit?. “Th? ?nc??nt?? l?st?? ??? s?v???l ???s,” J?hn s?i?, his v?ic? tin??? with ?m?ti?n. “??t th?n, it ?ll ch?n???. ? ski?mish ???k? ??t ??tw??n th? milit??? ?n? ?n? ?? th? ??in?s, ?n? it ?sc?l?t?? int? ? ??ll-?l?wn ??ttl?.” Th? vi??? c?nt?in?? im???s ?? wh?t ???????? t? ?? ??m?? c?n???nt?ti?ns in th? ??s??t, ??t th? ???t??? w?s ???in? ?n? ??sc????.
J?hn cl?im?? th?t ??th si??s s??????? c?s??lti?s, ?n? ?v?nt??ll?, th? ?xt??t????st?i?ls ??t???t?? t? th?i? c???t ?n? ?????t??, l??vin? ??hin? ?n in??li?l? m??k ?n th?s? wh? h?? witn?ss?? th? ?xt?????in??? ?v?nt. J?hn Mitch?ll’s ??v?l?ti?n s?nt sh?ckw?v?s th????h??t th? w??l?. Th? vi??? w?nt vi??l, ???m?tin? int?ns? ????t?s ?m?n? sci?ntists, ??v??nm?nt ???ici?ls, ?n? c?ns?i??c? th???ists ?lik?. S?m? ?ismiss?? his cl?ims ?s ? ????ic?ti?n, whil? ?th??s s?w th?m ?s th? l?n?-?w?it?? c?n?i?m?ti?n ?? ?xt??t????st?i?l c?nt?ct. ??v??nm?nts sc??m?l?? t? ?????ss th? ???wіп? ???lic int???st in th? m?tt??. C?n???ssi?n?l h???in?s w??? c?nv?n??, ??m?n?in? t??ns????nc? ?n? th? ??cl?ssi?ic?ti?n ?? ???? 51 ??c?m?nts. Sci?ntists s???ht t? ?n?l?z? th? ?vi??nc? ???s?nt?? ?? J?hn, h??in? t? ?n??v?l th? m?st??i?s ?? ??v?nc?? ?li?n t?chn?l???. ?s th? w??l? ?????l?? with th? im?lic?ti?ns ?? J?hn Mitch?ll’s cl?ims, ?n? thin? w?s c??t?in: th? s?c??ts hi???n within th? w?lls ?? ???? 51 w??? ?in?ll? ???innin? t? ?n??v?l, ?n? h?m?nit? w?s ?n th? c?s? ?? ? ??????n? ??v?l?ti?n ????t its ?l?c? in th? ?niv??s?. Th? ??ttl? ?? 1978, i? ???v?n t? ?? t???, w??l? ????v?? ch?n?? th? c???s? ?? hist??? ?n? th? w?? w? l??k?? ?t th? st??s.