Project Earth - by Richard Pryor (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Orthians (more commonly called the "Grays") are a highly intelligent alien species. They work hard to ensure their designs, ships, and crews are always fit for interstellar travel. Only two days ago, the High Council of Sentients directed Commander Onhu Elau, the Grays' most senior leader, to reassess Earth's primary inhabitants: --man. Per their order, he and his crew will again travel 11 light-years to an obscure planet circling a G-type main-sequence star (G2V) deep within the Milky Way Galaxy: --Earth.

The Commander and his crew last visited Earth's solar system 203 earth years ago. Although he is fully prepared, he can only do so by evading both the Insectoids of Iberium and the Reptilians of Sheron in getting there. He knows how important it is to give Earth's human inhabitants an objective assessment, but he is unsure about how much (or how little) human development may have occurred since. Indeed, his years of command experience taught him to be very wary and to not underestimate any species. He has seen many and has personally witnessed nature's genius, adaptability and aggression.

Upon the ship's arrival, the Gray Commander is truly impressed by how much human development and advancement has occurred. His advance probe and its 2,000 advance nanobots record an enormous amount of information on mankind and his achievements, including: (1) developing proven vaccines (1796); (2) proposing a theory of evolution (1859); 3) creating the automobile (1885); (4) mastering flight (1903); (5) developing theories of relativity and quantum mechanics (1905); (6) creating digital photography images (1957); (7) traveling to their moon (1969); (8) creating the internet and electronic connection devices (1969); (9) creating electronic writing (1971); (10) creating adaptive digital music (1973). Other examples were present as well.

As part of the visit, the Commander decides to test man in order to present a more balanced view of his progress back to the High Council. He knows that "progress" is a relative term, so he and his command staff administer a sophisticated test to see if man can really overcome his inherent, sapient weaknesses. Specifically, he directs the use of their sixth-dimension portal to record all the outcomes for a group of seven human test subjects. This portal mirrors their lives and captures all of their personal histories, live thoughts and real-time actions, including their personal virtues and vices: --pride, lust, gluttony, envy, wrath, sloth, and greed ('the seven deadly sins'). With this powerful tool, the Grays could certainly alter the destiny of mankind, but would they?

So join Commander Elau's reconnaissance mission to Earth where he finds a species with notable achievements but still trying to overcome its own worst instincts. His interstellar experiment produces mixed results, but they reveal much about man's soul and his future. His wisdom may also show whether Earth's dominant species is worthy enough to join the High Council of Sentients. Put simply, if man passes the test, he will be accepted. If not, he will be left uninvited and totally alone for further development or possible extinction.