Today is February 4th, 2012. It was a Saturday, which meant relax and party for the rest of the world, but for Latin 212 of Barnard College, NY, it was an extra catch up day. At least it was for the advanced of the class who were collectively attempting to translate a particular piece of Latin writing. Written by one of the cruelest emperors to ever live, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, or better known as Caligula during his life. That part of the letter was easy, his signature was clearly posted on the opening lines. The rest of the letter seemed straight forward; a letter explaining some final, frantic thoughts before his death. He knew his time was coming soon, but he was frustrated and paranoid over not knowing who it was and speculating who it could be. He even went so far as to surmise how his grandmother could be a legitimate culprit in the final scheme. And after the populace succeeded in disposing him, the Senate enacted a decree, Damnatio Memoriae, in attempts to wipe this man from memory, from history permanently. It was many decades afterward that those who were historically astute knew the principle “those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it” and thus reverted the decree. Yes, beyond the untrained eye, it just seemed to be a letter, however paranoid, about a man’s last thoughts before his end he knew was coming and most likely would not survive. But to this class body, they had a hypothesis from the beginning, one which they, including the faculty, wished to explore thoroughly; the letter was a cryptic message detailing, if vaguely, Caligula’s return.

There were hints that would support this hypothesis, and the body even got as far as to what the cryptic message was most likely saying. These cryptic details, they surmised, revealed such things like how he’ll arrive, places where he most likely would arrive, potential dates of when he would arrive, etc. Many of the other scholars that translated the letter thought them crazy for this thought. But, even though the earliest date provided by the students and faculty of Bernard College of when Cragula was suppose to arrive was still at least a century out, it was proven today they were all wrong.

The heavens opened up with a bang unlike anything heard before across the world (those immediately present at the entrance point reported becoming deaf), and a nearly divine light streamed out to grace the crust of the earth. It woke everyone across the world, and every channel, radio and other forms of media was tuned to one thing; this unexpected ‘cosmic encounter’. And as the cameras showed a figure in a purple robe descend down the steps of heaven, the students and faculty of Bernard College stared in horror. And as for all who knew who this was that was coming, all they could mutter was; “Dear God help us.”