And What of Earth

Chapter 1

July 17, 2018 The day everything changed.

4:55am #19 Thorn Road, Jewel Nebraska

The alarm buzzed just before her imaginary Adonis had joined her in bed. "Damn you, Marco!" she mumbled angrily. "I had told you to hurry." Unbidden, her left hand slapped the clock and the buzzing stopped. "Why is it I can never get him into my arms before the alarm goes off?"

She grunted, and rolled herself upright in a long-practiced move. "If it's Tuesday, this must be Jewel." She opened one eye then closed it again. "Yep, it's Tuesday."

Jennifer slept-walked her way through her morning ministrations, until the cold water from the shower head hit her square in the chest. "Oh crap!" she cursed, suddenly desperate to get done and get out from under the chilly water. Once again, practice helped her bathe and get out in just over 5 minutes. "I've got to fix that solar water heater" she said for at least the hundredth time. Hair up into a long ponytail, then into her red and white floral scrubs, and she stepped out of the bathroom and into the tiny kitchenette.

"Mornin' Tiger."

"Good morning, Dad. Did I wake you with my bitching?"

He trundled over and hugged his daughter. "No honey. Just a little excited this morning. Eager."

Jennifer slipped out of his embrace and pulled out the fry pan, and the last egg from the fridge. "Excited about what?" The propane burner poofed into life, and the egg was cracked and cooking in seconds.

"I ran into Henry Stevens yesterday. He offered me some work on his farm today. He's picking me up at the abandoned Chevron station at 7:15 this morning." He noticed there was only one egg cooking. "You have it, honey."

"I'll be okay, Dad. Besides, you'll need the food in you for doing the farm work. He normally pays with food, doesn't he?"

Gerry Hodges eased himself into one of the two kitchen chairs. "Yep. We should be nicely stocked after today. A couple dozen eggs, some milk, maybe even some meat."

Jennifer moved the fry pan off the burner and slid the pot of water onto the flame. "You'll have to drink your chicory naked, Dad. I ended up finishing off the milk last night when I got back from my walk." Another moment or two, and a plate with a fried egg and cup of hot brown liquid sat in front of her dad. She slid into the other chair across from him.

"You sure you won't need this?" he asked her, pointing to the egg.

"It's okay Dad. We normally get someone come into the clinic who has no money, and they pay by giving me a sandwich or some soup. I'll be fine."

Sadness crossed his face, and his shoulders slumped. "I'm so sorry, Tiger. I should never have forced you back here after your mom left me. You had a job at that VA hospital in South Dakota, and you had friends, that rock band that you played drums for. Here, you have nothing."

Jennifer wanted to agree with what he said, but loved him too much to do so. "That's not true. I have you, Daddy." She smiled her little girl smile at the shell of a man who was her father. "You best eat up before it gets cold."

"Things will get better Tiger. I know they will. They'll reopen the factory. I'll get my QA job back, and we'll actually get to buy our food instead of looking for handouts."

She stood, leaned over the table, and kissed him on his head. "I know they will too. Now, don't overdo it today. I don't want to see someone carry you into the clinic because of an injury, okay?"

"I'll be careful, honey. Don't worry about me."

"Okay," she said and headed to the door. As she always did before opening the door, she looked back at him and said, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Tiger. Have a great day."

The twelve hour shift at the tiny county clinic was quiet and uneventful. Barb had the log ready for her to initial for the shift change, and 11 hours and 57 minutes later came back to sign in to relieve her. Five patients -- mostly scrapes and bruises. One 11 year old with an arm fracture from falling off The Rock. Jennifer made a point of chastising him, confessing that she didn't make her first attempt at scaling the 17 foot boulder until she had turned 14. And that she, too, had fallen. The boy's mother paid cash for the examination. If the county failed to pay the staff again this week, at least Barb, Bethy and Jennifer would be able to split the twelve dollars. For the Hodges, it would mean propane for the stove for almost a month.

After wishing Barb a great night and a quiet shift, she stepped out of the tiny clinic out onto the corner of Twin Elm and Main, and turned left, heading to the south end of town. To her right, the late afternoon sun hovered over the western hills, ceasing its baking of the air and the streets of Jewel.

She took in the emptiness of the town. If hope was nourishment, then Jewel was gaunt with starvation. Ignored or forgotten by three levels of government, its people struggled to survive in the absence of money, employment, or support. They were fellow travellers on a long march to nowhere -- each step bringing them individually and collectively that much closer to whatever destiny had in store. As she passed the houses, she waved and smiled at each one that had people sitting on the front stoops. Waved and smiled and recognized their emptiness as being the same as her own.

"Crap, Jenn!" she swore at herself. "You're getting too fricking maudlin. Things will get better before much longer. Some company will swoop in, buy the abandoned electronics factory and bring jobs and comparative prosperity back to this forlorn little hick town." Then she added, "Yeah, and maybe we'll finally send men back to the moon. Dream on, Cupcake."

Past Amethyst Road, then Turquoise, then Ruby. Coming up to her turn towards home.

"That's what you're here for Jenn," she told herself. "You're here to rebuild your father -- get him able to hope again. To smile at everyone you come across. To brighten their days, if only for a moment." She sadly shook her head. "How do I spread hope to others when I don't have any for myself? 'Physician, heal thyself!' Like I'll ever be able to become a doctor--."

Left on Emerald. Three blocks ahead lay the football field, then a seemingly precipitous drop of the road to the high school. Then the creek, and The Rock -- the one place where kids and teens would hang out. She walked diagonally across Emerald, now heading southeast. Past Briar, then Thicket, and approaching Thorn.

As she turned the corner from Emerald onto Thorn, she smelled something wonderful cooking. Seconds later, she saw that her dad was cooking something on the Stone's barbecue. He almost looked like his old self.

"Smells wonderful, Dad," she commented, hugging him from the side.

"They were really generous this time -- three dozen eggs, two quarts of milk and two pounds of ground beef. I traded a dozen eggs at the store for a loaf of bread, some day-old buns and some honest-to-goodness relish. I harvested one of our tomatoes to add to the burgers. And we have enough meat for at least another 4 meals, I figure." In another moment or two, the meat was cooked, the burgers assembled, and they went down the slope to their backyard to eat.

Jennifer made a point of looking attentive while her father related the work he had done on the Stevens' farm. The story of her day was, of a necessity, much briefer and with no highlights to speak of. They sat quietly on the two beat-up garden chairs for awhile after eating.

"Do you want any help with cleanup, Dad?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"No honey. Go for your walk. You need some fresh air. You may run into someone you know from high school."

Jennifer hoped not, but didn't say so. "I won't be out late. Think I'll hop the fence and wander around the grounds of the school. I'll be back before dark." With that, she stood, kissed him on his head and side-vaulted over the backyard fence onto the pile of compacted gravel that sat behind their backyard.

She walked down the scrub-covered gravel slope that emptied into the southern endzone of the dilapidated little high school stadium. To her left, the sun was easing itself behind the rooflines of the houses on Thorn. Ahead, a group of three boys stood around midfield, looking eastward up into the sky. Up on Emerald, above and behind the north endzone, two more people were staring up in an easterly direction, one of whom was pointing.

Jennifer looked up in that direction. In the distance, she could make out some sort of black dot. Not something that should attract any attention. She almost stumbled after her toes hit a divot in the slope. "Crap!" she said under her breath, and took her eyes off the dot and looked where she was walking. Once she got down to field level, her gaze went skyward again.

The dot was bigger. It was descending, seemingly heading straight for the stadium. She quickly glanced over at the boys at midfield. One of them had started backing away. With her attention once again placed on the object, she saw that it had acquired a definite shape. Triangular. Like a lifting-body type of aircraft, except it was descending almost straight down. One of the boys let loose a barrage of expletives. Jennifer winced at the curse words. Looking in their direction, she saw that they were running for the stairs that ran from field level up the 100 feet to Emerald Street. The two people on Emerald had started slowly backing away.

The object was clearly making a controlled descent. It wasn't a helicopter, or any sort of VTOL aircraft. No exhaust plumes -- scarcely any noise at all. And it was getting bigger. Much much bigger.

Jennifer backed up to the western sidelines to give the object more room in which to land. The others were now out of sight. And still the vessel, because quite clearly it was some sort of vessel, grew ever larger.

"Oh wow!" she thought. "This is it. This is really it! First contact!" Followed a moment later with a tongue-in-cheek "I wonder if they know Klingon too!"

The vessel was beginning to look like some sort of stealth aircraft, boxy, angular, black, and big. As it cleared the trees at the eastern edge of the stadium, she came to realize that it had to be at least 200 feet long. The descent was now much slower, still with no exhaust to be seen, and almost no sound whatsoever.

Jennifer tried to control her excitement. She felt she had to appear relaxed and calm and unperturbed when whomever was inside came out. Exude friendliness, she told herself. Be open, friendly, and helpful. Why weren't there any courses in first contact procedures in high school? You couldn't hope that everyone who might be part of the first contact group would exhibit any common sense.

The landing pads touched the 8 year old artificial turf, and the vessel gently eased down into its resting posture. Jennifer took two slow steps forward, then stopped and waited for someone to exit the ship. Seconds later, a door opened, and a handful of bipeds dressed head to foot in shiny black and armed with weapons of some kind rushed out to take up defensive positions. "Crap," she said to herself. "Just like a bad 1950s SF movie. 'Klaatu borado nicto'." Another small group of bipeds came out and slowly walked towards her. "Nope. No giant robot." She took another two slow steps forward and waited. "It's showtime, Jenn."

As soon as they got close, she said, "Greetings. I sure hope you know English."

The individual leading this group said in a very slightly accented English, "Yes we do. This is one of the reasons why we chose to land here, rather than elsewhere." He took off the dark helmet that covered his head and handed it to one of the subordinates.

"Welcome to Jewel Nebraska. My name is Jennifer Hodges."

He was about Jennifer's height. His skin was coppery in color. The face looked to be slightly wider than a human's. The upper half of the face looked somewhat squished in and flat. Almost no nose bridge. The lower half of his face was slightly snout-like. Twin nostrils and a narrow almost lipless mouth. His eyes were larger than a human's, with larger irises, grey-black in color. His hair grew in scattered stiff-looking black tufts.

"Are you surprised by our appearance?" he asked her.

"No. You're bipedal, with stereo hearing, and stereo vision. This is what our scientists expected intelligent alien life would look like. Given your musculature, I'd say you're experiencing a little more gravity than you are used to. And the perspiration indicates that your planet is somewhat cooler than this."

"You're very observant, Jenniferhodges." He said the name as if it were one word. "I am the mission commander." He then told her his name. The first two syllables were easy to understand -- Myka. The third was impossible to duplicate and difficult to describe. It sounded like a humming sound with rolling Rs with the sound of crushing rocks mixed in. She didn't even notice the fourth syllable.

"Thank you. I'm afraid that I can't possibly pronounce the last half of your name. Would you mind if I just called you Myka?"

Jennifer thought that she could detect what looked like a slight smile. "That would be acceptable," he told her.

"And you should just call me Jenn or Jennifer. The Hodges part is my family name. How can I help you? Why have you come to visit?" In the distance, Jennifer saw another ship with a different shape approaching.

"We are the Wakira. This star system falls in the territory of the Empire of the Wakira. We have come to do a survey of your people and your culture. Though, we've found that there are a great many different cultures."

Jennifer nodded, then realized that he probably didn't know the significance of the gesture. "Over 200 different countries, probably 500 or so different cultures, and over 1000 different languages and dialects. My species is very diverse." She took her eyes off the alien male and watched as the new ship, different in shape and color, glided to a stop several hundred feet above her and to the south. Suddenly, a black curtain of light emanated from the rim of the circular ship. She looked up at Emerald Street and saw that the light formed a barrier of sorts.

"Do not worry. It is merely a protective barrier. Until we are certain that we won't be subjected to any violence."

Jennifer tried to hide her amazement. "Energy barriers. Some sort of gravity-nullification devices for propulsion. You are definitely more technologically advanced than we are."

"You are what we call a Level 6 Technology civilization. Local space travel. Nuclear weapons. You should know that nuclear weapons cannot penetrate our defensive screens."

Jennifer chewed her lower lip briefly. "Myka, I think it would be best if I made contact with the authorities outside the barrier, in order to let them know that everyone inside is safe and unharmed. Failure to do so might lead to unnecessary hostilities."

One of the subordinates spoke a few unintelligible words to his mission commander. Jennifer thought she recognized concern on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"A number of atmospheric craft are approaching at speeds in excess of the speed of sound" he told her.

Once again, Jennifer started to nod, then realized again that he probably did not understand the gesture. "They are probably fighter-bombers. Most likely armed with several nuclear weapons, though I doubt they would use them. Not with 600 or so civilians living just beyond the barrier you've created. This is why I suggested that I speak to the authorities somehow. In order to help prevent any hostile actions from taking place."

"Why would they attack? We have not fired any weapons. Nor have we shown any sign of wishing to do so."

"Humans -- that's what we call our species -- have a reflex action that we call Fight or flee. When we feel threatened, we either will attempt to fight against the perceived threat, or we will attempt to get away unharmed. Since we are incapable of fleeing the planet, we may attempt to attack you. Because you arrived without warning -- and landed without permission -- the authorities probably think that you may be part of an invasion of some sort."

"Are you confident that a message from you transmitted to everyone on the planet would help prevent such an attack?" he asked.

"It definitely would help," she answered. "It would let them know that everyone behind the barrier is unharmed, and would allow you to introduce yourself and your empire to humankind. It is hard to be afraid of something that seems to not be a threat of any kind."

The same subordinate again spoke to Myka in the alien language. The mission commander responded to him. The volume and the tone of the conversation grew harsher, then Myka spoke harshly to him and the conversation stopped. "My assistant has pointed out to me that such a thing has never happened on previous survey missions. We are a species that follows tradition -- fervently? Is that the correct term? We are not given to abandon centuries of policies and procedures. However, you know your species better than we do. If you think that this 'Fight or flee' reaction can be mitigated by speaking to the rest of your species, it is worth breaking with tradition, this one time, to avoid unnecessary hostilities. However, I repeat that your weapons would be ineffectual against us."

Jennifer looked him in the eyes. "A guest should always feel welcome. A guest who promises no harm, that is."

"Then come aboard the ship, and we can broadcast a video message from you to the rest of your species."

Myka turned and headed back towards the ship, Jennifer falling in right behind him. She glanced at the others as they drew into a loose formation but she was unable to discern anything, since they were all still wearing the helmets. The guards standing at the entranceway stiffened in salute as he entered then stared at Jennifer as she stepped aboard. She made a point at looking at each of them and saying "Greetings".

The corridors were relatively narrow, and the ceilings seemed to be slightly lower than found in most houses. Myka gently grasped her left elbow and drew her into a tube that slowly lifted them up another two levels. "Gravity nullification?" she asked him quietly.

"Yes Jennifer."

He stepped off and wended his way through a dozen or so of his crew. All of them stared at Jennifer, making her feel more than a little uneasy. She tried to greet each one of them, but gave up before long. Finally, he led her into a relatively large room and guided her to an open spot on the floor. "I will need to explain to the technicians what I wish to do. Please wait here."

"Okay," she said, feeling extremely self-conscious. Nearby, two Wakira sat behind consoles of some kind, staring right at her. She tried to ignore the stares, but failed utterly within moments. She turned and stared right back at them. "My guess is that you are security or perhaps intelligence. You're concerned that I might be a Terran spy who will pass on valuable information to the authorities." Both heads jerked back. "We are Level 6 technology, according to your mission commander. Do you honestly think that I can determine the functions of this ship and the science behind the technology just by looking at the controls? Does that not seem illogical?" She raised an eyebrow, in tribute to her favorite fictional alien. The two aliens blinked twice then sat back in their chairs. "I understand the need for security. I also understand that inviting an alien on board a ship is highly unusual. But this break with tradition is for a good purpose -- the furtherance of your mission, and the avoidance of unnecessary violence. Is that not a good thing?" The Wakira didn't respond, and pretended to shift their attention to the consoles they sat behind. "I'll take that as a yes," she said finally, then turned back towards where Myka was gesturing with a subordinate.

A moment later, two displays sprang into existence in thin air, about 8 feet in front of her. The one of the left showed the late evening sky looking towards the northwest it seemed. The one on the right showed several twin-engined aircraft flying in formation. While Jennifer watched, Myka returned along with the subordinate. Myka's eyes followed where Jennifer was looking -- the display with the planes. "FA-22s I think," she commented without being asked.

"Female?" the subordinate said. She turned to look at him. "Are you ready for the transmission?"

"You may call me Jennifer. And I believe that I am. When I dip my head," she nodded to show him, "you may begin. When I bring my right hand across my hips, you should terminate the transmission". The subordinate lifted a hand to shoulder-level and rotated it from side-to-side then returned to his post. "Where do I look, Myka?"

"In between the displays, at the top. There is a audio-video pickup there."

"Are you going to be standing beside me?"

"No. I think it would be best if we Wakira did not appear in the transmission."

"Okay. I promise to not reveal anything that might cause a security problem for you," she glanced at the two males who were both listening intensely. "I may need clarification. Please don't hesitate to correct any mistakes that I make".

He assured her that he would do so, then moved off to the side. Jennifer looked at the spot Myka had indicated, swallowed hard, then nodded.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Jennifer Hodges. I'm a nursing assistant in the county clinic here in Jewel Nebraska. No doubt, some of you have heard reports and rumors about alien spacecraft having been seen flying around the country, and perhaps even alien spacecraft having landed here in the United States. I'm here to tell you that those rumors are actually quite true.

"Around 7:15 this evening, local time, an alien spacecraft landed in the high school football field here in Jewel Nebraska. Moments later, a larger spacecraft of a different shape and design arrived and is now hovering over the landing site. A black energy curtain is currently emanating from this larger ship, surrounding the landing site, and several blocks around.

"Now, I'm sure that somewhere, some guy who has had a few too many to drink is telling everyone willing to listen that he's heard that the aliens are orange, have tentacles, and are raping the women and eating babies. The thing to ask him is -- how would he know? Communications to the outside world have been cut off, so there is no way anyone would know what is going on behind the barrier. That is the purpose of this broadcast.

"I had the privilege to be the point of first contact with the aliens. They are humanoid -- two arms, two legs, two eyes, two ears -- not significantly different from what we look like, except for the size of the face and its features. Definitely no tentacles. They're about my height -- I'm a little over 5 feet 11. They have learned English and are well-spoken. They have been civil and polite and have been forthcoming with answers to the questions I have posed to them."

She paused a moment, realizing that she had started rambling. "You can tell I didn't write a speech here, I'm sort of winging it. I'm speaking from what I think is the bridge or control room of the spaceship that landed. It was decided that I should speak to the American people and to the authorities in order to prevent conflict and confrontation. They have come to visit us -- to learn more about us. Their empire has planets in a number of star systems --."

"Around 260," Myka said from off-camera.

She smiled at him then turned her gaze forward again. "They have planets in about 260 star systems. Our solar system lies within their territory. So, they want to know more about us. I guess it's kind of like when a new family moves into the neighborhood. You want to know if the daughter plays loud music all night long, or the son plays his electric guitar with the amplifiers set to '11'. Or if the parents like plinking tin cans off the fences that they share with their neighbors. They want to see what we're like.

"I'm sure that some of you are thinking that it must be some sort of hoax. I can tell you that it is no hoax. That energy barrier is real. I was on the football field when this ship landed. It made no sound and there was no exhaust. They have anti-gravity technology, and undoubtedly are capable of faster-than-light travel. You can't fake that.

"Some of you probably think that they are here to steal our water. That they have travelled quadrillions of miles to empty out our oceans. Why would they do that? There are thousands of water-ice comets sitting at the edge of our solar system that would provide them with more than enough water, if that's what they were here for. No doubt, most star systems have similar cometary clouds. They're not here for our water.

"Still others are probably thinking that they are here to steal our resources -- our metals and other minerals. Why? Why come to an inhabited planet to forcibly take minerals, when there are millions of asteroids that are mineral-rich? There for the taking, without having to worry about the indigenous population. And, I feel pretty confident that other star systems have similar asteroid belts." She looked in Myka's direction.

"Yes. Most star systems have debris left over from planet formation."

She turned back to the camera. "Are they here to make us their slaves? Would a civilization as advanced as theirs NEED slaves? And if they did, why wouldn't they have come hundreds of years ago to enslave us? The notion that we are to become slaves is ridiculous."

She took a deep breath and continued. "Is this an invasion? Do they want to turn our planet into some sort of forward base against one of their enemies? Why seize an inhabited planet? If they wanted a base in our solar system, why wouldn't they build it on Ganymede or Callisto or even Mars. At the rate we're going, it'll take us a hundred years or more to finally send a manned mission there. And if they were invading, why only one ship? Why in a place as small and nondescript as Jewel Nebraska? Why not blast the defenses around Washington DC and seize the President and Congress and hold them for whatever ransom? Though why anyone would be willing to ransom the members of Congress is beyond me. No. They came here. They haven't fired a shot. They want what they have told us they want -- to learn more about us.

"Now, I'm looking at a viewscreen of some kind or another, and I can see a couple of squadrons of fighter planes, or fighter-bombers circling the area. Some of them are making feints like they are making an attack run. I urge the President and the Joint Chiefs to have them stop and to withdraw some distance. They know all about our weapons capabilities -- nuclear weapons and supersonic aircraft. Do you think they would land and make themselves vulnerable to any weapon system? Their energy barrier must be capable of successfully resisting direct hits from nuclear weapons. Why provoke our guests? Why risk pissing them off?"

Jennifer gasped, covered her mouth and started to blush. "I sure hope my pastor isn't listening to this," she said sheepishly.

Her gaze moved to the display on her left. The sun was quite low in the sky now, barely above the hills in the west. She could see a number of helicopters approaching. "I can see dozens of helicopters approaching from the northwest. Some of them look to be gunships -- missile pods sticking out from the sides and ugly-looking machine guns in the nose. The others must be troop carriers." Her gaze moved back to the camera.

"All of those powerful weapons cannot penetrate the barrier. It would be like shooting a dollar-store watergun at a tank. When the ammo has run out, the only effect will be that a patch of the tank's armor would be slightly cleaner. Don't put a threatening cordon around the landing site! Put a cordon around the town and the surrounding area!

"Think for a moment. Half of the nutcases in North America will be rushing to Jewel Nebraska as soon as they can find it on a map. Good luck with that, by the way. At its peak, the town only had 860 people. Within hours, thousands if not hundreds of thousands of crazies will be here. You need to point your weapons outward, not inward. Declare the area around the town a restricted zone. Keep the crazies out. The last thing we need to have the Wakira see is thousands of people banging on the barrier insisting that they get to see their alien daddy.

"Crap, we need to show them our best. This is a tremendous opportunity for all of mankind -- not just Americans -- everyone! This is the day that everything changes -- but only if we welcome them. If we behave. If we show them our potential, not what we are now, but what we can become when we're finally able to head out into the stars. They are not only newly discovered neighbors, but they can be our mentors too. Instead of being afraid of the unknown, we need to embrace it. Embrace this fabulous awe-inspiring opportunity. So, please Mr. President, turn the helicopters away. We cannot risk displeasing the Wakira. We can't risk making them wish that they had never come. We will need them in order to mature and grow and develop. Don't blow this opportunity because of baseless fear. If their intention had been to attack and destroy, our planet would undoubtedly be ashes by now. Think! Use your minds! Envisage the impossible. Work towards making it so."

Jennifer took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "My apologies for being so strident. IQ of 174. Certified wackadoodle and space freak. I should try and control my feelings." She took a few more deep breaths. "The commander of the mission has been very considerate. I seem to have been able to convince him to do things that aren't in their procedures manual -- this broadcast being one of them."

She ran fingers through her hair as she tried to think of what else she needed to say. "Some of you might be thinking that I don't really exist -- that I'm some sort of computer simulation. The people here in Jewel know that I'm real. Here in Jewel everybody knows everybody. You could try calling, but I suspect that all the phone lines into town are jammed. The regulars at Arnie's Pub and Pizza in Brookings South Dakota would know me. I played the drums for the house retro band there for almost 20 months. Best pizza in the northern tier states." She smiled mischievously. "You owe me an extra large meat lovers next time I'm in town, Arnie." She blushed again. "I can't believe I just did that. I'm on national television, and I plugged my old watering hole."

She cleared her throat and prepared to finish her speech. "To everyone out there, I say to you, do not be afraid. Don't lay in bed tonight, sleepless due to fear. This isn't the time to fear; this is the time to be excited. The coming dawn is not the dawn to just another day; it's the dawn of a new era. The dawn of a bright future. This is not the time to despair, this is the time to hope. A time of great expectations. Let's embrace the future together. And to my fellow nerds and nerdettes out there -- ", she paused then made guttural noises. "To everyone I say, God bless and good night." She gave the conclusion signal and the displays disappeared.

Another deep breath, a roll of the eyes and a sigh. Looking at Myka she asked "How did I do?"

“There were many references that I didn't understand, but you were certainly forceful at times." Alien words came from someone behind him. "Apparently, it has worked. The planes have withdrawn, and many of the -- helicopters? -- have moved away from the town. I believe you were very convincing."

"I'm glad. I really want you to see the best of us, not the worst of us. We may not be the best of neighbors yet, but give us time, and we will be."



The rowdy complaints about the Diamondbacks pre-game show having disappeared from the screens at the roadside sports bar ended when Big Jim Ferguson told everyone in the room to "shut the F up", and "she's talking about aliens having landed". They listened to what the blonde girl said -- what did she call herself again? -- and tried to figure out what the news that we weren't alone after all meant. Whenever someone was dumb enough to make a comment that interfered with hearing what she was saying, a glare from Ferguson caused an immediate cessation. You didn't piss off Big Jim and hope to leave the bar with all your teeth.

They watched the replay that the networks ran, and continued to try to understand what it all meant. By the time the second replay was over, word came that all Major League Baseball games had been suspended, pending further instructions. Instead of going home, the unhappy men wandered from table to table talking about what they had just seen and heard.

"I can't bear to think what they must've been doing to that poor girl to make her say all those things. It must've been something horrible, to get her to say that everything was going to be alright and that they weren't going to do anything to us," one man said.

"The army better go do something to get them folks out from behind that barrier thing that's there. You can't let innocent civilians suffer like that!" another exclaimed.

A third interjected. "Didn't you hear what the news guy said? The president has ordered the bombers to pull back, and the soldiers to set up a perimeter to keep people out. They're not gonna to attack. They're surrendering to these creatures!"

"Now, that's just not right," the first one commented. "You don't leave your countrymen behind like that. You just don't. I'm willing to bet that the retreat is a ploy. We'll send in some special forces type of soldiers. Maybe they can sneak into the area by way of the sewers. Gain access to that big ship that's overhead, then blast the ones down on the ground with their own weapons. Ain't no way that the army is just gonna leave those people helpless like that. No way. You just wait. They'll attack in a day or two, and send them aliens packing. They'll know that you don't mess with us humans. You mark my words."

"They'd better," the third man said. "If they don't, then someone is gonna hafta do it. I ain't gonna wait too long --."



Jennifer took Myka on a walking tour of the part of the town that was behind the barrier, starting with the adjacent high school (which he kept referring to as the "second level educational facility"). After climbing the steep hill on Emerald, they wandered down the streets that were behind the barrier, stopping at each house to let the people inside know what was going on. Many of the people were anywhere from anxious to terrified when they saw the Wakiran male, but were greatly relieved when they saw Jennifer. She gave quick 30 second synopses of what was happening, and tried to reassure each one that dared to answer their door.

She spent extra time at the Stone residence. Mr. Stone hesitated briefly before coming out, but engaged in a short but friendly conversation with Myka. Jennifer made a point of explaining to Myka that David Stone was a friend and confidant for most of her life, and that he had been one of her teachers. Explaining what a school principal was took a few sentences, and eventually was described as being the academic administrator of the second level educational facility.

Next door, Jennifer coaxed her father out onto the front step of their house. Myka seemed to take a genuine liking to Gerry Hodges, and their conversation was slightly longer than the one with Mr. Stone. Jennifer promised her dad that she'd be back home as soon as she could. Her dad reminded her how early her alarm clock would go off.

As they continued down Thorn towards Sapphire Street, Myka asked why she had to rouse so early in the day.

"I have to get to my job, Myka. I'm a nursing assistant. Umm, I provide medical care for people who fall sick or get injured. Because of a lack of funding, there's only three of us at the clinic. I work 12 hours a day, 5 days a week -- that is 5 consecutive days out of a 7 day period. I work the daytime shift, and either Barb or Bethy work the night shift, and the two of them split the shifts on the weekends -- the remaining 2 days of each week." She suddenly stopped, catching him by surprise. "How am I going to get to work tomorrow? Am I going to be able to get through the barrier? If so, how?"

Myka was silent for a moment. "Normally, those natives located behind the barrier are not allowed to exit the area. I don't remember hearing of any instances in previous surveys where the natives were allowed to leave."

Jennifer looked him in the eyes. "Myka, I have to be there. There's no way they could find a replacement -- there aren't any. It's my duty to be there, to provide whatever aid or assistance is needed. I am obligated to be there."

Myka blinked twice, much the same way the two Wakiran males did back on the ship. "The Empire is built on three pillars. Honor, duty and obedience. To one another, to our commanders and leaders, to the Empire itself, and to the Provider, our god." He blinked twice again. "It would not be right for us to prevent you from fulfilling your duties and obligations. But there is no precedence."

"I will come back, Myka. I have to. I have to look after my father. I would be gone slightly more than half a Terran day, each time." She intensified her gaze into his eyes. "I won't betray you or your mission. I look upon myself as a kind of a liaison between us humans and you Wakira. I'm not asking you for permission to let everyone flee, though I'm willing to bet that most of the people we have met tonight would like very much to flee. But I have to be there. If there are things you don't want me to talk about while I'm outside, let me know, and I'll make sure I won't put your people at risk of any kind. But I must go. Please."

His lower jaw dropped slightly, and his eyes looked upward. Clearly, he was trying to determine what the correct course of action would be. In English, he mumbled, "Why are my missions never straightforward?" His lower jaw returned to its normal position, his eyes dropped to look into Jennifer's. Once again, he blinked twice. "This is highly unusual. It has probably never happened before. My security subordinates will be upset. They are already difficult to deal with. Still, you managed to convince your species to discontinue their belligerent behavior. That should allow us to perform our duties much more readily. The least we can do is to do the same. I will instruct my males that they are to allow you in and out. All you will need to do is tell them your name. Please, Jennifer, do not do anything foolish, like bring a weapon or another person through the barrier with you."

"I give you my word of honor, Myka. I thank you for this. I will never knowingly betray you."