‘When we were first briefed on the task I thought it was some kind of joke, as did most of my co-workers. But the boss didn’t let it up if it had been. We ran through a quick refresher of our job - if it was true then this was the biggest job of our lives and I don’t think mistakes would have been appreciated. The day before we were scheduled to start I kissed my wife and baby girl goodbye and was then flown to the Arctic in a military plane - that’s when I started to realise how real the situation was. I slipped into my orange jumpsuit, along with my buff, goggles and a wooly hat.

I’ll never forget the moment when I first saw it. I’d read conspiracy theories about them, I always thought they were real, but I never expected to see a real UFO in my life. It was a hunk of metal, with the disk around its equator and a bulb on top, partially covered in snow and ice - implying it had been there for a while. There was also a giant split in the side of it, with mechanisms spewing from it, I supposed that’s where the alien devices we were meant to recover were.

The truck couldn’t get there fast enough. Childish excitement and curiosity whizzed through me. Our team leader addressed us and told us that we were going to start surveying the outside - taking samples of everything - then slowly make our way inside. I could survey the ship’s outside from the van, while the metal was surely extraterrestrial what I was desperate to see was the inside of it. I wouldn’t wait for anyone.

We hopped out of the van and gathered our equipment. Being closer to the craft, I could see the plowed snow and the man-made holes in the hull - we weren’t the first people to inspect it. Everyone spread around the ship, none of them appeared as awestruck as I was. I made sure to station myself by the crack, which at a closer look appeared to have seared edges, like it was trying to contain something and broke in the process. I spent some time examining the material, it felt like regular metal found on Earth, but it had clearly already been partially stripped of its interesting pieces by some previous group. The differences in lighting blocked me from grazing inside, so I waited for the right moment, when people were absorbed by themselves, to sneak in.

It was surprisingly warm, given that the Arctic was on its doorstep. I entered into a dark corridor, again I noticed how depleted the inside looked. Picking a direction I walked towards what I presumed to be the cockpit. My torch partially lit up the room’s darkness, it appeared a charred black, but what I didn’t need illuminated was the neon green tubes scattered along the walls. I stepped towards them, whatever team came to search the ship previously clearly didn’t get this far. Inside the tube was an orange creature animated in suspension. I couldn’t make out any eyes or mouth, only gill-like features in the area which looked like a head. Sprouting off that head were three limbs, but no sign of muscles, hands or feet.

I didn’t know what to do, I was staring at an alien. An actual alien from outer space. I didn’t want to take it, what if it died? Or killed me? All I could do was stare in awe. It may have been small, but it was incredible. I just looked and took in the moment. And that was when I saw it. The writing. In English. It was plastered on some kind of warhead. All it said was “Beware! Explosive!” But it was definitely English.’

The Director stands from his chair opposite me and walks to the one-way glass, where I’m sure others are watching us from. ‘Is that all?’

‘Yes, sir.’

Two days after my discovery I’ve been brought to a room in a city and country I don’t know. The Director has done his best in cloaking himself in darkness, the most I’ve seen is his brown hair, maybe black, potentially dirty blonde. He turns back to me and tells me, ‘Thank you, you’ve been very helpful to my organisation.’

I am about to thank him for his kind words. But before I can register what’s happening he draws a gun and pulls the trigger.