Alien People

by John Coon

  “Shouldn't we try to talk to the aliens before sending drones to shoot the ship down?”

  His suggestion did nothing to soften the general’s stern expression.

  “We've tried the talking approach in the past. Difficult to reason with aliens hell-bent on invading and conquering your planet.”

  “Invading? Conquering?” Collin's voice climbed higher in pitch on each question. “Aren't we jumping the gun here?”

  Sam glanced over his shoulder. He shook his head and held up a finger.

  “I'm ordering a drone strike,” Gen. Daly said after Sam faced the screen again. “End of discussion.”

  The general pressed a button on his laptop and the conference window vanished. Sam cast a wary glance at Collin after the video call ended.

  “Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

  “This is insane,” Collin insisted. “We don't even know who's flying that spacecraft or their agenda.”

  “What do you want me to do about it? You heard what the general said.”

  “Let's find a way to talk to them before unloading a bunch of Hellfire missiles.”

  Sam decided to humor Collin. It did not hurt to open a communication channel if it eased his conscience. He directed the technician to patch into a radio frequency used by the drones.

  “You are in restricted airspace,” the technician said. “Identify yourselves now. If you do not turn back, we will open fire.”

  Heavy static greeted his words. The technician looked up and shrugged. Collin thrust out his hand at the radar monitor.

  “What are you waiting for? Try again.”

  He repeated the message a second time. No response. Only continued static.

  “Either they can't talk, or they won't talk,” Sam concluded. “We're out of options here.”

  Collin pinched his lips together. Concern filled his eyes. Sam could sympathize with his feelings. They had no clue if these aliens harbored peaceful intentions or hostile ones.

  Without warning, the first MQ-9 Reaper fired a Hellfire missile. Their radar screen also started tracking the missile as it neared the spacecraft. Before it could fully close the gap, the alien vessel changed trajectory and shot upward. It turned and dropped into the missile's flight path again. At once, the missile vanished from the radar screen.

  Sam scrunched up his face in disbelief.

  “That spacecraft just toyed with a Hellfire missile. Those drones better get out of there ASAP.”

  It became a moot point. The alien vessel shot away from the drones at lightning speed. Radar continued to track it as the spacecraft traveled east.

  “It's crossing the Bonneville Salt Flats,” Collin said. “Do you think it will land in Utah?”

  Sam's eyes traced the spaceship across the radar screen. Utah stood out as an odd choice among destinations for aliens to visit.

  “Probably not. They're too early for ski season.”

  Sam cracked a smile after delivering his punchline. Collin chuckled. The technician rolled his eyes at the joke and shook his head.

  The alien vessel defied Sam's prediction. Upon reaching the Wasatch Mountains, it dropped in altitude and disappeared from the radar amid those peaks. No one said a word. They all understood the ramifications behind what they witnessed.

  These aliens had landed on Earth.

  Sam dashed back to his office and dialed Gen. Daly a third time. When he told him the news, the bureau director reacted about how Sam expected.

  He slammed a fist on his desk.

  “You're telling me an alien ship shot down a missile and landed in Utah? They were supposed to keep firing!”

  Sam leaned forward in his chair and kept his eyes glued to the webcam.

  “I don't think the drone operators had a choice. That spaceship zipped out of there before they could do anything about it.”

  “Pack your bags and head out to Salt Lake City. Take whoever you need in Houston to assist you.”

  “General? I thought we already had —”

  “Our Utah field office director quit the bureau two weeks ago. I need someone with experience to coordinate our strike team out there.”

  “I'll do my best.”

  “Get out there right away. We need boots on the ground before these aliens do any serious damage.”

  Sam finally let his eyes drift down and glance at Gen. Daly. He saw determination flash in his eyes, but also a hint of fear. It made him wonder if he knew other worrisome details he chose not to share. Sam felt dread gnawing at his insides as his mind filled in the blanks.

  “What do you mean by serious damage?”

  “I'm sending an expert in first contact situations to supervise the operation,” Gen. Daly said, ignoring his question. “She'll meet you at the field office.”

  After the general ended the call, Sam turned and saw Collin standing in the doorway again. He snapped the laptop shut and scooped it off his desk.

  “Ready for a road trip to Utah?”

  Collin simply answered him with a quick nod. Both men were speechless at the prospect of meeting actual extraterrestrial beings.

  14

  Xttra never expected mountains on a distant planet to feel so familiar and welcoming. Such a sensation permeated his soul now. Many sights and sounds reminded him of the Aurora Mountains back home. Trees towering over the landscape. Singing birds nestled in branches. Tiny long-tailed furry animals scrambling up trunks. Insects buzzing. Cool, fresh air. A river bubbling and churning in the distance.

  This planet teemed with life.

  Calandra seemed enchanted by her surroundings. She let out an excited shout and pointed at the sky when they heard a call from an Earth animal soaring over the meadow. Xttra thought it resembled a Mokai bird in some respects, minus the red plumage. White feathers adorned the creature's head and brown feathers covered its body. The alien bird circled above them before finally landing on a tree branch on the other side of the meadow.

  “I'd love to take one home,” Calandra said.

  A distinct image popped into Xttra's mind of her calla cowering and hiding under Calandra's bed. He could not imagine Bella would welcome sharing living space with such a fearsome looking creature.

  “I suspect Bella doesn't want a new animal roommate,” he said. “Not one like that, anyway.”

  Calandra looked at him and nodded. The bird's hooked yellow beak and sharp yellow talons marked it as a predator. One that would pose a threat to Bella's safety. She retrieved a holocaster from the chest pouch slung around her shoulder and aimed the device at the bird while it perched on the distant branch. Calandra pressed down a crystal panel near the top of the square pad and captured a three-dimensional image of the animal.

  “If I can't take one home with me, this image will have to suffice for now.”

  She examined the alien bird's image on the holocaster. It flickered a bit at first, but otherwise offered a perfect small-scale version of the alien creature Calandra could show to Alayna once she returned home to Lathos down the road.

  Other crew members ambled out of the scout ship one by one and got their first view of Earth from the ground. They were much more subdued than Calandra in their reactions while soaking in the sights and sounds of the mountain forest.

  Lance lowered his head and kneeled near the bottom of the ramp. Xttra dashed over there, sensing something amiss. He reached down to grab Lance's arm when his friend glanced up at him and flashed a grateful smile.

  “I never imagined taking part in such an incredible expedition after what happened on the asteroid. I'm in debt to you for believing me and believing in me.”

  Xttra helped Lance to his feet and gave him a hearty pat on the back.

  “I never stopped believing. Never will.”

  After giving his crew a few minutes to stretch their legs and check out the scenery, Xttra signaled for everyone to return inside for a meeting. They obeyed his order, though Calandra paused on the ramp for a moment and cast a longing gaze at the meadow. The ent
ire crew assembled in the cargo bay between a parked aerorover and the water vapor tanks.

  “Now that we're on Earth, the first question is how do we contact the probe builders?” Xttra said. “That's our greatest priority.”

  “Billions of aliens reside on this planet based on everything we've seen and heard,” Jbali said. “Finding the ones who specifically sent out the probe borders on the impossible.”

  Xttra folded his arms and shrugged.

  “The transmissions helped us narrow things down. We know they live on this specific continent, and we have a decent working knowledge of their language now. I'd say we're off to a good start.

  “We need to embed a team in the city below these mountains.” Jbali gestured at the ramp. “Make a few covert observations and identify city leaders. If they aren't the probe builders, perhaps they can point us in the right direction.”

  "Your recklessness will only get everyone killed."

  All eyes turned to Doni. He leaned against a closed aerorover door. Once he commanded their attention, Doni lifted his chin and thrust an accusing finger at Xttra.

  "Why should we enter the alien city and try to speak with these probe builders? These aliens fired on us as soon as they sensed our presence. We were forced to flee and find a hiding spot in these mountains before we even set foot on this planet"

  Calandra planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. An annoyed frown wormed across her lips.

  "How can you assume those vessels belonged to the probe builders? We have no idea how many tribes, clans, or factions inhabit this planet. Our ship's computer has counted dozens of languages and that number is still increasing. There could be thousands. Would you judge every person who lives on Lathos based on the actions of a single Confederation tribe?"

  Doni threw up his hands and groaned.

  "Another nugget of wisdom from the all-knowing and enlightened astronomer." Disdain for Calandra dripped from his words. "You are out of your element here."

  Calandra mashed her lips together and glared at him. Xttra felt the temperature rising under his collar. He also felt a growing urge to gag Doni and dump him inside a hibernation pod for the duration of their expedition.

  "Listen to me carefully, Doni. We're contacting the probe builders." Xttra's tone was equal parts firm and forceful. "That's still our main purpose on this mission. Go be a coward on your own time."

  Doni clenched his teeth. Rage flickered through his blue eyes.

  "Coward?" He spat the word back at Xttra. "Do you know who you're speaking to here? You wouldn't have lasted ten minutes in battles I fought and won."

  Jbali at once stretched out his arm with his palm down and waved his hand at Doni.

  "Settle down. The Stellar Guard code is quite clear in first contact situations. We must take steps to identify planetary leaders and open a communication channel."

  "Forget the code!" Doni slapped a hand down on the aerorover and pushed away from the vehicle. "The code says many contradictory things. Our chief sovereign made our mandate quite clear. We must obey that mandate and use a little common sense."

  "All he said is don't start a war," Lance said. "He didn't order us to run away and hide like a maniogo when it hears a loud noise."

  Xttra pressed his hand over his mouth to conceal a smile creeping onto his lips. Calandra and Atch followed suit. Doni at once turned and stabbed a finger at Lance.

  “You should show a less cavalier attitude. I think you would have learned to appreciate by now how quickly terrible things happen.”

  The smile dropped off Lance's face. He lowered his head and brought his hand to his forehead. Xttra gave him a reassuring pat on the back and took a few steps closer to Doni. His smile also vanished.

  Xttra rested his hands on his hips and stared down his medical officer.

  “I've heard enough from you to last an entire day. Let's get one thing straight here and now. I'm in charge on this expedition. I make the final decisions around here, not you.”

  Doni cocked his head and painted a half-smile on his lips. Xttra refused to look away. They stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time before Doni finally blinked and nodded.

  “I guess we'll see where that gets us.”

  Xttra rolled his eyes and turned to Atch.

  “Did you program the probe builders' language into our translators?”

  Atch nodded.

  “I can't promise you'll understand every single thing the aliens say. Holding conversations shouldn't be a problem though.”

  Xttra gave him a thumbs up.

  “That will work.” He pointed to the bridge. “Go get the translators and pass them out.”

  Once Atch left to carry out the order, Xttra mapped out expedition parameters with the rest of the crew. Lance, Bo'un, and Jbali were assigned to watch the scout ship and work on contacting the probe builders through the ship’s long-range communicator. Doni and Atch were tasked with taking one aerorover to study native plant and animal life. Calandra and Xttra would travel into the alien city in the other one to track down the probe builders and search for their clan rulers.

  Being ordered to stay behind with the scout ship did not sit well with Jbali.

  “I have the most experience in these first contact situations.” He assumed a defiant tone. “I should go with you instead of a civilian consultant.”

  Xttra answered him with an unblinking stare.

  “I want Calandra by my side,” he said. “I need someone without an attack first and ask questions second attitude. It feels like I have better odds of getting that with her than anyone else here.”

  Lance winked and cracked a little grin.

  “Sounds like a convenient excuse to spend some time alone together.”

  Xttra raised his finger in the air. Before he could say a word, Atch emerged from the bridge toting a hand-sized case. He opened it to reveal seven translators. Xttra chose to not respond to Lance's joke. No good comeback popped into his head anyway.

  “I finished programming the alien language into the translators,” Atch said. “It should convert their words to Confederation Universal and our words to their language without any glitches.”

  “Excellent.” Xttra snagged a translator and inserted it into his ear. “I hope these ones work better than the others we used on our last trip to the Fengar colonies.”

  Calandra shot him a puzzled look.

  “What happened to you on Fengar?”

  “Nothing worth worrying about.”

  Xttra waved his hand dismissively. She would sleep better being ignorant of what happens on the moon colonies.

  Atch snapped his head toward Calandra and flashed a mischievous grin.

  “So, he never told you about the incident on Fengar? I thought for sure we were cooked.”

  Xttra raised a hand and motioned for his navigator to be silent. Calandra cast a sideways glance at him and turned her attention to Atch again.

  “What happened on Fengar?” she said, repeating her earlier question.

  “Some one-eyed Thetian pirate tried to persuade us to wager on a maniogo race. Xttra took exception to it and let him know exactly what he thought of maniogo racing. Only his words came out jumbled because of a translator malfunction.”

  “How did he react?”

  “How do you think he reacted? That Thetian lost his mind, thinking Xttra insulted him. Promised to beat him to a pulp. Xttra offered to gouge his other eye out, so he'd have a matching pair.”

  Calandra's eyes widened like plates when she heard that last part of Atch's tale. She cast an immediate disapproving glance at Xttra. He shrugged and tossed up his hands.

  “What can I say? I hate maniogo racing. Our family owned pet maniogos when I was a child.”

  Images of both maniogos — Snowy and Twig — popped into his head. Xttra enjoyed watching them chase a small ball attached to a string that hung from the end of a stick while he dragged it across the ground. When they were not playing, he would scratch their f
urry heads and floppy ears while they sat in his arms and cooed.

  Loud noises startled maniogos. Xttra considered it cruel to force those little animals to race through large walled mazes before boisterous crowds for entertainment. The poor creatures always looked and acted terrified.

  Atch shared those feelings.

  “I didn't blame Xttra one bit. I'm not a fan of those races either since I own a pet maniogo named Shift. The Thetian finally backed off and left when Tressek and I came to Xttra's defense.”

  Calandra took her translator from Atch and inserted the device into her ear. She looked over at Xttra again with a wary expression.

  “Hopefully, we won't run across any Thetian pirates in this place.”

  Xttra laughed.

  “Thetians are unpredictable, but I don't think we need to worry about seeing them around these parts. Who knows if these aliens have met any other races outside their solar system?”

  Still, one concern lingered in his mind. It started and ended with Doni. Once Atch distributed every translator, Xttra pulled Lance aside. He leaned in toward his assistant pilot and cupped his hand against his mouth.

  “Keep an eye on Doni,” Xttra instructed him in a hushed tone. “I don't want him left alone with the scout ship under any circumstances.”

  Doni already made his feelings perfectly clear about continuing this expedition. Xttra did not put it past him to try to steal their scout ship and strand everyone else on this alien planet.

  15

  Sam wished his latest visit to Utah came under different circumstances. He longed to drive a car out to the Great Salt Lake and spend an entire afternoon sailing out to a random island in a yacht. Too many years passed since he last carved out enough time to undertake such an adventure. His last such trip in 2019 ended with him camping out on an uninhabited island until a thunderstorm passed.

  Now 12 years later, Sam found himself heading in the opposite direction on I-80. His destination was an Earth Defense Bureau base, a few miles east of Heber City. Collin shared a flight and a government car with Sam. They tuned to a local news radio station to see if evidence of alien activity in the Beehive State had surfaced yet.