Zeke didn't believe in aliens. His crazy father in law did....well back before the accident with the train. He was just a good ol boy trying to make his way in the world. He was born in this small town. He always thought that he'd grow old and die there too. After his wife and father in law had died...it just seemed so peaceful.
He walked out of the five and dime with his weekend supplies. He had about a case of Miller Highlife, a carton of Luckies, some black jack gum, a couple bags of Lays potato chips, and a few other things. It looked like it would be a good weekend.
Zeke was about 5'10 although he tried to convince people he'd made it to 6'0. He was a lanky man. Not skinny. Not weak. He was one of those men who looked thin, but had toned muscles like wire. He'd worked all his life. Little of it was not physical, although he'd been to college and graduated. There was something about office politics he could never stomach, sales jobs just seemed like robbery by pen, and banks that used to pay interest now nickle and dimed people so much that it might as well be theft. Nope. He preferred the feeling of building a shed, or feeding his neighbor's livestock. It made sense. It didn't make him feel dirty this kind of work. Well, morally dirty. He liked the feeling of a good sweat from honest labour.
As he made his way to the old ford pick up. His steel-tipped workman's boots were worn and mud splattered, but that had not stopped him from flirting with Becky behind the counter. He was thinking about going back in ta ask her if she wanted to get something to eat later when IT happened.
"IT" was the big flash of white light that half-blinded him. At first he thought it was the legacy from some youthful experiments with chemicals. Then he found himself on the ship.