(Thanks to a friend for telling me about this.) In February
1993 a man called Gary Sudbrink received a series of four phone calls that are
of an extremely bizarre nature and whose mystery has never been solved.
Gary
was living and working in
San Antonio, Texas
USA at the time, but he
had family in
New York. He
travelled by air to visit them and one of the first things he did when he
arrived on the 8th was call his old friend Mike. Mike was confused because he
said he had received a call from
Gary
the day before. This was strange because
Gary
had not phoned Mike then; so who had
Gary
spoken to?
Gary had not announced
in advance his return home. The mystery deepened. At
10.30 PM the phone at his family home rang. Luckily the
Sudbrinks kept a routine recorder on their landline. An unknown individual they
nicknamed "the Voice" began speaking. The Voice is masculine and
sounds like it has been distorted by lowering the pitch. It speaks with a non-descript
American accent. Here is a transcript of the call:
GARY: I'll tell you who it is.
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yeah. Do you want to speak to him?
VOICE: Is Gary
Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yeah, who's this? Steven (Gary's brother)? Are you playing games with me
or what?... Huh? Steven if you're playing games here,
I'm going to kick your arse.
VOICE: So how long
are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Huh?
VOICE: You're being
impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Yeah this is
you, Steven, you idiot. You're pissing me off. Jerk. I'm going get you on...
Let's see what it says. Review. One new call. Out of area? Is Steven out of the
area?
VOICE: How long are
you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Wait, say that again.
VOICE: You're being
impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Wait, hold on. Is Steven out of the
calling area or what?
MUM: How do I know?
GARY: What do you
mean, you don't know? He's in Queens.
DAD: Well who are you
talking to?
GARY: I don't know who the fuck I'm talking to…
VOICE: Hello?
MUM: Hello?
VOICE: Is Gary
Sudbrink there?
MUM: Who is this?
GARY (in background): Let me talk to him.
MUM: Somebody sounds
like a robot.
GARY: Hello?
VOICE: How long are
you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: What was that
again, sir?
VOICE: You're being
impersonated by the other voice.
GARY (to family): Oh, be quiet!... Sorry,
will you say that again?
GARY: Hello? I'm being impersonated by what
voice?
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yeah. Hello?
VOICE: Is Gary
Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yeah, hold on a second.
MUM: Who is that?
GARY: It's Steven. Okay. Yeah what is your
question? I'll answer it.
DAD (in background):
…a strange voice.
VOICE: So how long
are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: How long...
VOICE: You're being
impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Right. When am I coming back? Is that
your question?
VOICE (quieter
voice): Sudbrink there?
DAD (in background):
What's a matter with you?
GARY: Okay there was a break, hold on. You want
to know when I'm coming back to Texas.
Uh, is that your question?
VOICE: So how long
are you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: How long am I going to be back from Texas? That question doesn't even make any
sense.
VOICE: You're being
impersonated by the other voice.
GARY: Okay. I'll be coming back eventually.
Erm... I can't tell you when. You should know that question, the answer to the
question because you seem to know more about me than I do. You know what I'm
saying?
DAD: Are you a
intergalactic... er... person?
GARY: Are you a space alien?
DAD: Sounds like he
hung up.
GARY: I can't believe this.
DAD: He hung up, Gary.
GARY: See if he comes back.
DAD: Alright, I'll
hang up.
This caller appears to be speaking in a series of pre-recorded
sentences. It just repeats a set of phrases and does not reply to any of the
recipients. The phrases all have the same intonations on the repeats and he
stutters slightly over
Gary's name
in one. It obviously knows Sudbrink and knows that
Gary
is in his parents' home, and also knows he will eventually return to his
current work in
Texas.
Gary
assumes at first that it is his brother Steven playing a practical joke because
he didn't think it could be anybody else. Oddly enough, on his journey to New
York Gary was pestered by two men with clipboards asking him lots of questions.
Forty minutes later the phone rang again. Here is a
transcript of the second call:
(Unidentified
beep—From telephone or answering machine?)
GARY: Yes, er... speaking.
VOICE: Is this Gary
Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes. Could I answer any questions for
you?
VOICE: Are you back
from Texas?
GARY: I'm not back yet. No.
VOICE: How long are
you going to be back from Texas?
GARY: Let me answer. First you tell me where
are you calling from?
VOICE: Is this Gary
Sudbrink?
GARY: Yeah. Why don't you tell me where you're
calling from?
VOICE: Who is this?
GARY: What do you mean who is this? You should
know who it is. It's me, Gary... (Long pause) Wait, let me ask you this
question. Where are you calling from? (Long pause) Okay, I'll be back...
VOICE (interrupts):
Keep an eye on the skies.
GARY: Excuse me?
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: I can't hear too well.
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: Yeah there's a
full moon out, that's true.
GARY: Could you identify yourself?... Identify
yourself.
DAD: Ask him what's
the purpose of the call.
GARY: Why are you calling me?
VOICE: Keep an eye on
the skies.
GARY: Excuse me?
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: I cannot hear too well.
DAD: Get on the other
phone; it's better.
GARY: Hold on, let me switch phones... Okay.
Okay hold on. Now who are you?
VOICE: Keep an eye on
the skies.
GARY: (To Dad) Keep an eye on the sky he said.
DAD: Keep an eye on
the sky?
GARY: Yeah.
VOICE: Orion.
DAD: Ask him can I
talk to him. I had a sighting already.
GARY: Okay, hold on. Say that, repeat that
again? Please repeat?
VOICE: Keep an eye on
the skies.
GARY: Okay.
VOICE: Near Orion.
GARY: Near Orion.
DAD: Holy Mackerel.
Tonight or this a when...
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: The full moon?
VOICE: Show double of
you.
DAD (in background):
Keep an eye on the sky near Orion.
GARY: Repeat?
DAD: Tell him I'd
like to talk to him.
GARY: Okay repeat last word?
GARY: I'm hearing static.
DAD: Tell him I'd
like to talk to him.
GARY: He hung up.
DAD: He hung up?
It's interesting that
Gary's
father obviously has an open mind about aliens and had a "sighting". He
and his brother Tom did indeed see a flying saucer in 1989 which was
investigated by Dr Bruce Maccabee. The two men became active with a local UFO
group. As a result,
Gary's father
is taking the caller far more seriously than his son.
Gary
is still convinced this is a prank by Steven. The second call also appears to
be a series of recordings, but they are very different to the first. Once it has
stopped asking for
Gary, it
continues with three main phrases: "Keep an eye on the skies", "Orion"
or "Near Orion" and "The full moon". It wants them to look
up at the sky and gives them basic instructions for when and where. The next
full moon was an entire month away on March the 8th. "Show double of you" makes no sense.
Just eight minutes later the phone rang again. Here is the
third call:
GARY: Okay. Yeah, it's taking time for him to
talk. Who is this?
GARY: Steven, I'm going to... this is not funny
you know.
VOICE: Who is this?
DAD: Gary, it's not Steven.
GARY: How do I know it's not Steven?
DAD: It's not Steven.
DAD: Hello? I had a,
er... UFO experience in West Virginia, which you probably know. And I know that
you're inter... er... an intergalactic person.
VOICE (very low,
unintelligible, possibly "Who is this?")
DAD: Can you speak a
little louder? Sir? Can you speak a little louder?
VOICE: (even lower,
unintelligible)
DAD: Louder?
GARY: Let me speak to him, Dad. I guess, I
don't know…
DAD: Okay I'll hang
up so you can talk to him. He wants to talk to you.
GARY: Okay... Hello? Can I help you?
VOICE: Hello?
GARY: Yes.
VOICE: Is Gary
Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yes, that's me.
VOICE: Here is Gary
Sudbrink.
GARY: Yes, could you please identify yourself?...
Identify...
VOICE (faint,
interrupts): Are you back from Texas?
GARY: Yeah I'm back. I'm in Texas right now. (To Dad) Well, he asked me a
question.
VOICE: (very low,
unintelligible, possibly "How are long are you?")
GARY: No I'm in New York right now. You know that. Why are you
asking me such a question?
DAD (in background): Assuming
he's going to call back three times in a row, what are you going to do?
VOICE: Is this Gary
Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes... Steven if this is you, I swear to
God I'm going to be pissed.
VOICE: Who is this?
GARY: Huh?
DAD (in background):
It's not Steven.
GARY: I'm trying to listen to him. Who are... excuse
me?
DAD (in background):
You keep playing games with Steven and it's not Steven.
MUM (in background):
Well, shut the hell up.
GARY: Okay. Eventually I'll be back from Texas. Could you speak more? Please speak more.
VOICE (barely
audible): Eye on the skies.
GARY: I guess it's not Steven. I believe it
because I'm getting static.
DAD: Steven would not
leave three times.
GARY: Let me go on this phone because I could
never hear on this phone. Hold on... Okay. Okay, please speak. Hello?
VOICE: Keep an eye on
the skies.
GARY: Okay, should I go out right now?
VOICE: Orion.
GARY: Right now?
VOICE: The full moon.
GARY: Okay, see... I'm not sure where Orion is
now, but we'll go outside.
VOICE: Show double
from you.
GARY: It will show double from me?... Repeat
that again?
(Caller hangs up.)
The third call consisted of repeated phrases from the
previous two. The quality was much lower this time with a lot of interference
and some of the Voice's messages were indistinct.
Afterwards there were no more mysterious phone calls that
evening. The Sudbrink family might have hoped that this was the last they'd
hear from their enigmatic harasser, but the following evening at
10.21 PM, the landline began ringing again.
VOICE: Is Gary
Sudbrink there?
GARY: Yes, this is me. Can I speak to... can I
ask why...
VOICE: Is Gary Sudbrink
there?
GARY: Yes, can I ask why you're calling? Can I
please ask...
VOICE: Is this Gary
Sudbrink?
GARY: Yes, this is.
VOICE: Gary Sudbrink.
GARY: Yes, that is me.
VOICE: We come. To be
within this planet
GARY: Say that again?
VOICE: In this
planet.
GARY: Leave?
VOICE: We come.
GARY: I'm standing right here.
VOICE: To be within
this planet.
GARY: Is this a joke or what?
VOICE: To visit the
many. To be contacted. As the same. With you.
GARY: Erm... I have to think about that. I'd
like to see you.
VOICE: To visit the
many. To be contacted. As the same. With you.
DAD: Hey, let me tell
you something. I've been listening to you. And I've had contacts with you.
VOICE: Beware.
Government interference.
GARY: Government interference?
VOICE: You...
GARY: You have? Please explain what type of
interference.
VOICE: Beware.
GARY: Okay.
VOICE: Government
interference. Visitations to be disrupted by them. (unintelligible, faint) ...appears.
The sun will rise on... dark side of moon. World. Know.
DAD: The sun will
rise on the dark side of the moon?
GARY: Okay, er...
VOICE (very low,
unintelligible, maybe "on the moon")
GARY: What branch of the government?
VOICE: Show double
from you.
GARY: What should I do?
VOICE: Beware.
Government interference. Visitations to be disrupted by them.
GARY: Okay. Is that good for me or bad?
(Caller hangs up.)
That was the last weird phone call the family received. This
fourth one is the most interesting. It contains completely new phrases; and for
the first time there is the hint of a conversation. At one point the Voice
repeats a statement when
Gary asks
him to: "Voice: To be within this planet...
Gary:
Say that again?... Voice: In this planet." The caller was never identified
despite over thirty years of investigation. It was not Steven. (Strangely
Steven reported an encounter with a doppelgänger of
Gary
while driving two years earlier.) The recording was put through a modulator and
the Voice's pitch was raised until the tone became natural. Nobody in the
family recognized it. It is possible somebody knew of
Gary's
movements because of the clipboard people harassing him on his journey, but who
were they? Why did they do this, if they even did? How did they know so much
about
Gary? The phrase:
"You're being impersonated by the other voice" in the first call
could refer to the call Mike received on the 7th which he mistakenly thought
was
Gary. Who is impersonating
Gary
and why? Why is the Voice not more specific and helpful? Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgD2S-eBHM8.
There are some similarities in this case to others I have reported on such as
the girl who made a call with her "imaginary friend", the "Vrillon"
TV broadcast and the Twitter voicemail received by Ty, see background links
below. Strange and unidentified phone calls do happen; alarmingly, there are
many examples of them coming from people recently deceased, for example see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIYDmeRqqbU.
It could be this phenomenon is related to the electronic voice phenomenon, see:
https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2023/03/hpanwo-tv-evp.html.
Phone calls from the dead are usually almost as cryptic and garbled as EVP's. Psychical
researchers think spirits might be able to use electronic media as a
communication gateway to the physical world. Were the clipboard people
Gary
ran into men-in-black? We don't know; he does not describe them in much detail.
He just said they were annoying and intimidating, demanding lots of answers
from him. There are no firm solutions to this mystery, but it does not seem to
be a hoax, or at least no hoaxer has ever been caught for over thirty-one
years. Maybe more information will come to light.
See here for more
information: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/06/third-rail-radio-programme-121.html.
And: https://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2022/08/third-rail-radio-programme-123.html.
And: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2023/10/cold-case-twitter-voicemail.html.
And: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2008/03/vrillon-broadcast.html.