For thousands of years people from many countries have described strange visitations from small creatures with large, dark eyes. Reports from many people who claim to have been abducted by these "grays" as they are called seem to indicate that these creatures are searching for something from us. Further, our species, our world appears to be involved in some kind of meta event which seems to be just out of reach of our perception. Real, and yet wholly surreal. If all these reports have any merit, then it begs the question what do these creatures want with us? Our tiny, insignificant world is located in the galactic boondocks of the milky way. What possible value would these creatures find in our obscure planet? What if these creatures are not aliens at all?

Patrick Morris is a veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Brenda, and lives in Ramona, CA. In 1992 Patrick was diagnosed with cancer, and during treatment needed an outlet, and writing science fiction helped to keep his mind off his disease. "The Culling" is one of those stories.