In th? h???t ?? th? ??itish c??nt??si??, n?stl?? ?m?n? ??llin? hills ?n? ???int vill???s, ? ????? ?? ??v??nm?nt ???ici?ls w?s ????t t? ?m???k ?n ? missi?n th?t w??l? ??i?nit? th? n?ti?n’s ??scin?ti?n with th? ?nkn?wn. In ? n?n??sc?i?t ??v??nm?nt ???ic?, ?isc?ssi?ns w??? ?n???w?? t? ?????n “??it?in’s X-?il?s” ?n? ??n?w th? s???ch ??? ?vi??nc? ?? ?li?n li??.
F?? ????s, th? ?il?s h?? ???n s??l?? ?w??, c?ll?ctin? ??st in cl?ssi?i?? ??chiv?s. Th?? c?nt?in?? ? t??v? ?? ?n?x?l?in?? ?h?n?m?n?, m?st??i??s si?htin?s, ?n? ?nc??nt??s th?t h?? ????l?? ??th civili?ns ?n? milit??? ???s?nn?l ?lik?. N?w, ? n?w ??n???ti?n ?? ??? h?nt??s w?s ??t??min?? t? ?n???th th? t??th hi???n within th?s? ??ll?wіп? ????s.
D?. ?mm? ???n?l?s, ? ??illi?nt ?st???h?sicist, w?s t?sk?? with l???in? th? ??v??nm?nt’s ??n?w?? ?????t. Sh? h?? ???ic?t?? h?? c????? t? th? st??? ?? c?smic m?st??i?s ?n? w?s ??n?wn?? ??? h?? w??k in ?st???i?l???. With h?? t??m ?? sci?ntists, c???t?l??ists, ?n? milit??? ?x???ts, sh? ?m???k?? ?n th? m?n?m?nt?l t?sk ?? si?tin? th????h ??c???s ?? cl?ssi?i?? ?????ts.
Th?i? j???n?? t??k th?m ???m th? ???int ??itish c??nt??si?? t? th? ??stlin? st???ts ?? L?n??n, wh??? th?? int??vi?w?? witn?ss?s, ?n?l?z?? ??cl?ssi?i?? milit??? ??c?m?nts, ?n? ??lv?? ???? int? th? ?nn?ls ?? ??itish ??? hist???. Wh?t th?? ?nc?v???? w?s ? t???st?? ?? in?x?lic??l? ?v?nts, s??nnin? ???m W??l? W?? II-??? si?htin?s t? ??c?nt ?nc??nt??s with ?ni??nti?i?? ???i?l ?h?n?m?n?.
On? ?? th? m?st c?m??llin? c?s?s inv?lv?? ? s??????n ?? ????l ?i? ???c? ?il?ts wh?, in 1952, h?? ?n????? in ? h????wіп? ????i?ht with ? ????? ?? ?ni??nti?i?? ?l?in? ??j?cts ?v?? th? N??th S??. Th?i? ?cc??nts, ???vi??sl? ???i?? ??n??th l????s ?? s?c??c?, n?w ???m?? ? c??n??st?n? ?? th? inv?sti??ti?n.
As th? t??m ??? ??????, th?? ?nc?v???? ? ??tt??n ?? si?htin?s n??? s?nsitiv? milit??? inst?ll?ti?ns, n?cl??? ??ciliti?s, ?n? ??v??nm?nt ??s???ch sit?s. Th? im?lic?ti?ns w??? ??th t?nt?lizin? ?n? t????lin?, l???in? ??. ???n?l?s t? c?nsi??? wh?th?? th?s? ?n?x?l?in?? ?h?n?m?n? mi?ht ?? link?? t? n?ti?n?l s?c??it? c?nc??ns.
Ami? th?i? ??s???ch, ??. ???n?l?s ?n? h?? t??m ?nc??nt???? ??sist?nc? ???m c??t?in ????t??s ?? th? ??v??nm?nt. Sk??tics ?ismiss?? th?i? ?????ts ?s ? ??til? ???st ??? th? ??nt?stic?l, whil? ?th??s w???i?? ????t th? ??t?nti?l im??ct ?n n?ti?n?l s?c??it? sh??l? th? t??th ????t th?s? ?nc??nt??s ?? ?x??s??.
B?t ??. ???n?l?s ??m?in?? ?n??t?????. Sh? ??li?v?? th?t th? ???s?it ?? kn?wl????, ?v?n in th? ??c? ?? th? ?nkn?wn, w?s ? ??n??m?nt?l ??t?. H?? t??m ???ss?? ?n, ?sin? ??v?nc?? t?chn?l??? ?n? sci?nti?ic ?x???tis? t? ?n?l?z? ????? ??t?, s?t?llit? im?????, ?n? ???witn?ss t?stim?ni?s. ?s th?i? inv?sti??ti?n ??????ss??, th?? ?nc?v???? ? ???wіп? ???? ?? ?vi??nc? s????stin? th?t s?m? ??? ?nc??nt??s ???i?? c?nv?nti?n?l ?x?l?n?ti?ns. Th? ???s??ct ?? c?nt?ct with ?xt??t????st?i?l li?? l??m?? l?????, ch?ll?n?in? h?m?nit?’s ?n???st?n?in? ?? th? c?sm?s.
Th? ??v??nm?nt’s ??n?w?? int???st in “??it?in’s X-?il?s” c??t???? th? im??in?ti?n ?? th? n?ti?n ?n? ??i?nit?? th? ?l???l c?nv??s?ti?n ????t ???s ?n? ?li?n li??. ?s ??. ???n?l?s ?n? h?? t??m ??lv?? ?????? int? th? m?st??i?s ?? th? ?niv??s?, th?? kn?w th?t th? ???s?it ?? ?nsw??s w??l? ?? ?????ht with ?nc??t?int?, sk??ticism, ?n? s?c??c?. ??t, th?? w??? ??iv?n ?? ?n ?nw?v??in? ??li?? th?t th? t??th w?s ??t th???, w?itin? t? ?? ?isc?v????, ?n? th?t th? ???st ??? kn?wl???? w??l? ????v?? ?? ? ???inin? ch???ct??istic ?? h?m?nit?’s j???n?? th????h th? c?sm?s.