The mysterious Utah monolith: beings from another world?
Science fiction, now science fact: a curious metal structure has appeared in the Utah desert. No one knows how it got there. Except for one Reddit user. And maybe the government.
It's not an everyday find. Nor even for the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS). Even the local helicopter crew was just on an ordinary sheep counting expedition. Bighorn sheep, mainly found in deserts, mountains or other arid areas. But these unknowing explorers discovered something else.
A monolith.
Origin: Unknown. Location: Secret. All we know is that the mysterious object is about 3.5 metres high, is made of metal and is stuck in a remote canyon in the middle of the red, mountainous deserts of Utah. As reported by KSL TV. The local television station picked up on the monolith a week after it was found. Maybe thanks to insiders. Or government whistleblowers.
Could there be something going on that we're better off not knowing about?
The search is afoot
We don't know why the DPS of Utah is keeping silent about the structure's exact location. Their official explanation: «The area is very remote. If individuals try to get there, there's a considerable chance that they'll be lost and require rescue.»
Lost. Rescue. Sounds like the government doesn't want anyone to approach this thing.
One intrepid Reddit user, a certain Bear_Fucker, couldn't stand the secrecy any longer. Which is why he published the exact coordinates of the find on a subreddit specifically dedicated to unsolved mysteries.
Bear_Fucker doesn't appear to be an internal government official: he found the coordinates himself. On Google Maps, through meticulous research. He described his method in as much detail as possible.
First of all he examined the type of rock. «Sandstone. Red and white sandstone. No black stripes typical to the higher cliffs in Utah's mountain deserts», Bear_Fucker explains.
Then the shape. «The rocks in the images are round. A tell-tale sign of erosion. Typical for exposed areas», the Utah government rebel claims. The texture of the canyon floor is also inclined and photos show a larger mesa cliff in the upper background. Indicating a mostly dry watershed.
And then? Bear_Fucker compares all this with the flight time and the flight path of a helicopter. According to reports, the crew allegedly took off from Monticello, Utah, early in the morning and flew directly north before disappearing from the radar – this being when the helicopter landed and flew below radar scan height. Or inside an intergalactic wavelength suppressor. Presumably caused by the monolith.
«From there, I know I am looking for a south/east facing canyon with rounded red/white rock, most likely close to the base of a larger cliff/mesa, most likely closer to the top of a watershed, and with a suitable flat area for an AS350 helicopter to land.»
He continues: «Took about 30 minutes of random checks around the Green River/Colorado River junction before finding similar terrain. From there it took another 15 minutes to find the exact canyon.»
But BearFucker warns: «I can confirm that the place is highly inhospitable. In all seriousness: Please do not search for the monolith.» Does the government have something on BearFucker after all? Why else would he warn against investigating further?
A shrouded origin
No one knows who built or flew in the monolith – not even its purpose. Officially, at least. Some news agencies, certainly close to the government, have suggested avant-garde artists as possible culprits.
The Art Newspaper, for instance, compared the monolith with the «Plank» sculptures of minimalist artist John McCracken, forgetting, however, that McCracken died in 2011: according to Google Maps images, the monolith has only been around since 2016.
Even McCracken gallery owner David Zwirner doesn't seem to have the best memory. Speaking to the New York Times he said: «I believe this is definitely by John. Let’s go see it.»
Source: davidzwirner.com
But then a spokesman for David Zwirner spoke to the Guardian. The updated official Zwirner statement: The monolith could be an homage, a loving imitation by a fellow artist who admires John McCracken. Petecia Le Fawnhawk, for example, who recently destroyed a huge mirror in some desert.
Or maybe it was just a rather enthusiastic «2001: A Space Odyssey» fan.
Be that as it may. The construct of lies surrounding the origin of the monolith is crumbling. After all, neither John McCracken nor Petecia Le Fawnhawk are aliens. Meanwhile, the Utah Department of Public Security has published more pictures. Including some featuring bighorn sheep. The monolith, however, is to be extracted soon.
A singular fact remains in these times of doubt: the truth is out there.
I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»