by Dane Bagley
From the moment that Mark approached his school, he could feel that today would be unlike any day he had experienced before. It was both quiet and loud. About half the number of students as usual were visible, yet the noise and chatter was double that of a typical morning. It didn’t take long for news to spread. Mark, who until today was practically invisible at school, was beginning to take on rock star status.
The students that showed up were overall very excited about the new discovery, and that the now-famous Captain’s brother was in their midst. By the time that the bell rang, and school began, Mark was smiling ear to ear. The classroom was less than half full. “Where is everyone?” Mark thought.
The teacher began to address the concern. “The world is in shock this morning. The news of another world with intelligent and alien life has caught many people off-guard. For generations, we have been reading and watching fiction on the topic, but, for most people, it was just that: fiction. Even when we began to travel in space, to the far reaches of our galaxy and beyond, the constant reports of no life outside of our planet made this possibility seem so remote. Today, it is no longer fiction, or theoretical; it is real. Most of you, here today, come from families that are excited about the news. You have been intellectually and emotionally prepared for this event. But, many people in our community are paralyzed with fear this morning. They think that since we traveled to them and captured them, they, or perhaps another alien race, could do the same to us.
Even if that is true, it is irrational to react as though it will happen today. But, that is what is happening; people have now awakened to a new reality and are fearful because of it. When people become fearful, they respond in a variety of ways. My biggest concern is that they will make choices that could ruin our community, like buying up all of the supplies at grocery stores, or all of the gas. They may run on the banks, or not go to work or school. People may run around like chickens with their heads cut off. The internet is already filled with the most irrational ideas, and people are latching on to so much of it. Today, the President will address everyone, and we will all watch his address here at school. We have to hope that everyone will listen, and that he can bring comfort to this nation, and to the world.”
Mark wanted to comfort everyone, too. He wanted to stand up and say, “My brother has got this under control. Everyone will be fine.” But he knew that he couldn’t say that. The students in the classroom were hushed, and Mark could see that they were becoming fearful. The teacher’s speech was not making things better. Now everyone had both aliens and each other to fear. If the aliens didn’t get them, then they would get each other. The teacher didn’t bring lesson materials for the day. After she got off of her soap box, she went to her desk. Slowly the whispers turned into a hum of chatter. The rock star status was already giving way. Mark heard and saw some stares. Some were looking at him as though to say, “His brother brought this on us.” Still many others wanted to talk with him about how cool it was that his brother had captured the alien.
Mark was relieved when the bell rang, and he could go to another class. The next period would be the President’s speech, and he was looking forward to hearing more news. In the next period, he was still in rock star status. Apparently, not all of the teachers brought the same speech to their classrooms, and most of the students were still, overall, excited about the events of the previous day. The teacher was busy getting the audio and video ready, and the class was filled with the chatter of excited students.
“When the speech starts, everyone has to quiet down,” said the teacher.
Mark could hear the news reporter talking, while they showed the microphone and stand that the President would speak from. He wanted to hear what the reporter was saying, but it was not possible amidst the noise. Then, the President walked in and approached the microphone. “Shhh,” called out the teacher. The class hushed and listened.
“We have been living in extraordinary times for many years now. Science and technology have brought to us, and to our world, advancements that we could never have imagined, just a short while ago. Yesterday, we announced the most profound scientific discovery of all. We have discovered a world, far from ours, filled with life. On this world is an alien species that is intelligent. It possesses technology. This species lives in houses, in towns, villages, and cities. It has a complex language, both written and spoken.
“Captain Jenners, as reported yesterday, has secured one member of this species and it is currently living on his Galaxy Charger that is orbiting this alien world. We have been orbiting this world for one month, and have had the alien on board for several weeks. We have completed several biological and psychological studies of this alien creature. I am pleased to report that Captain Jenners, his crew, and our civilian scientist on board, Tammy Rogers, have completed this mission and all studies with the utmost valor.
“We are in full control of this mission, and we have detected nothing of a threatening or of an alarming nature. I understand that this news has alarmed many of our citizens and much of the population of the world. It is historic, and unfathomable to many people. I understand that many of our citizens have become concerned. This is natural; as I have received the reports, I, too, have felt like the rug under my feet has been pulled away at times. Still, the level to which the Space Force and Captain Jenners have handled this is highly commendable. This situation is under such control, that the Space Force has seen no need to send in reinforcements to this planet. This mission is being fully run by Captain Jenners. The remaining of the ZX-120’s are continuing their own separate missions. Should any need arise, they could be sent there in short order. We have no concern for either the safety of the earth, or the safety of Captain Jenners and his crew.
“We do not yet know if additional planets contain life as do ours and this planet. We feel that this discovery, while incredible, does not change the security of our planet. We see no reason to be threatened by this alien race. We will continue to monitor this situation. It has been determined by our top scientists that with two planets containing life, now known, the odds of additional planets filled with life, even intelligent life, is now greater—much greater than what we previously expected. The greatest way to ensure our security on earth is to search out and discover where these other planets are, while continuing to monitor this planet that we now know of.
“Sometimes the fear of the unknown is the greatest fear that we can face. Today, I want to help to clear up the unknown. I cannot disclose the location of this world, but I will try and answer as many questions as I can.” The President finished his introduction and looked out over his audience of reporters, ready to answer their question.
“Mr. President, how does the intelligence of these aliens compare to human intelligence?”
“We have a sample of one right now, but this particular creature exhibits the same intelligence as a highly educated human. In the case of this alien, language IQ is exceptional—genius even; math is somewhat above average.”
“Is it thought that they are a more advanced race than the human race?”
“No. This planet exhibits technology that is similar to technology on earth from two hundred years ago. They have one city, with some surrounding towns, that have electricity. It is used primarily for lighting right now. Other parts of the world are living in a pre-electricity state. They do not currently use motorized vehicles. They do not have any crafts that can fly. We have seen no evidence of wars or military conflicts on the planet’s surface. Now, one month is a short period of time, but still the planet’s inhabitants appear peaceful. They do not show any evidence of radio or television transmissions. The city with electricity does have what appears to be scientific experimentation—but, once again, it appears to be the type of things that our world was discovering in the nineteenth century. We see nothing that would indicate a capacity for the creatures of this world to even leave the surface of their p
lanet, and certainly not multi-dimensional travel. They do not currently have the capacity to travel to earth, peacefully, or otherwise.”
“What is this alien creature like? What does it look like?”
“Way to fit in two questions at once.” The President was hoping to break some of the tension in the room with a light joke—it didn’t work. “We have a female of the species. It appears that they reproduce as we do. They are humanoid. This alien would be best described as very beautiful. The creature is named Aspiria. She has been fully cooperative. She has shown exceptional language ability, and is already communicating with our crew in English. Captain Jenners has made some impressive progress in learning her language, but it is extraordinarily complex. She does not show any signs of hostility. The most telling thing that I can say is that the crew has found her to be enjoyable company.”
“Will we be returning her to her planet, or bringing her here?”
“I will not address that at this time.”
“Will photos and videos be made available soon?”
“That is being looked into right now. Intelligence is determining if we should declassify that. We had not intended on making this discovery public as quickly as we have; so, we are unable to answer that now.”
“Is the planet hospitable to humans?”
“The atmosphere is identical to earth’s atmosphere. It exhibits similar temperatures. The surface gravity is the same as the earth’s gravity. Captain Jenners and crew are living with this alien creature, sharing the same food, air, and living conditions with no signs of problems. At this point we believe that our worlds are mutually compatible in sustaining life.”
“What about the risk of disease spreading from this planet to ours?”
“So far, Aspiria has contracted multiple bacterial infections from our crew, but they have been easily treated with antibiotics. It is not possible for our species to share viral infections. None of the crew has shown any sign of infection from the alien bacteria. In theory, we would be susceptible to infection by it, but our immune systems appear to be more adept at fighting it off, than hers is of fighting off our bacteria. This is very preliminary. It is likely that with further exposure, we will learn a lot more. This particular ZX-120, the Galaxy Charger, and crew will not be returning to earth until this question has been completely addressed.”
“Why are viral infections impossible to share?”
“I am told that this has to do with our genetic structures being completely different. The virus requires human genetics to replicate, and this species genetics are as far removed from human genetics as possible.”
“I understand that the ZX-120’s were equipped to keep any aliens atmospherically isolated from that of the crews. Why are they not carrying out that precaution?”
“This was initially carried out. However, Captain Jenners, after learning what I have told you about the compatibilities of our species, decided to remove the atmospheric isolation. It has allowed for a much better understanding of this species. Much of what we have learned has been via direct communication with Aspiria. During the atmospheric isolation we were able to do some biological tests, and observe the species, but we were not able to easily interact with her. From the time that the isolation was removed, and she was able to move, interact, and communicate with the crew, our understanding has increased tremendously. Captain Jenners has employed one-on-one language sessions with Aspiria, and much progress has been made. Sometimes, risks have to be taken to move things along further. Captain Jenners took that risk, and it is paying off.”
“How does this alien—Aspiria, as you call her—feel about her captivity?”
“I cannot begin to tell you how Aspiria feels.”
“You say that she communicates in English; does she realize that she is in captivity? What has she said about being in captivity?”
“She does understand her circumstances. She has expressed interest in returning to her world. She is, however, being completely cooperative, and is, in fact, being very helpful in all of our studies and investigations.”
“What promises are we giving to her and her world in exchange for this cooperation?”
“That is a rather bold question. But I have a simple response: nothing. Perhaps she too recognizes the singularity of the circumstances, and the value of understanding between our species. Whatever her reasons may be, she has chosen to be very agreeable. We have not had to put any force or pressure on her, nor have we had to bribe her. She is simply cooperating fully with our crew and our mission.”
“You said that she is humanoid; what are the primary distinguishing features between her species and humans?”
“None.” A hush could be heard over the audio from the reporters in the room. In the classroom, the students, who were listening intently, recognized the impact of that word.
“Would you please clarify, sir?”
“I understand how this news is being received. It was not until we deciphered her DNA that we could say, with certainty, that Aspiria was not human. There was nothing about her appearance that would distinguish her from a human. When I said that she was humanoid, I meant that literally; not a lot like a human, but just like a human—that is, until her genetics are examined.”
“With all due respect, sir, I don’t see how this is possible.”
“It was a surprising finding for all of us.”
“Has it been determined if cross breading is possible? Could we have a Mr. Spock between humans and this alien species?”
“It is categorically impossible. Outwardly, the species looks like a human, but inwardly, genetically that is, it is so different that it is impossible for our species to reproduce together.”
“Is there any reason not to believe that this species could live among us, and that we would be no wiser? In other words, if they came here, would we, not necessarily, know it?”
“The reality is that this species looks like a human, and so, if it were among us, it could blend in. However, this species does not have the ability to travel in space. It does not know where the earth is located. It is possible that we could live among them, but it is not possible for them to live among us without us bringing them here.”
“Are we planning on trying to live among them, secretly or otherwise?”
“We are not. At this point, we would not be capable of living secretly among them. We are a long way from speaking their language. We would be exceptionally foreign—alien to them. We are currently very happy with the progress of our mission. We are learning vast amounts of information daily. We do not see any reason to do anything more at this time.”
“Do the inhabitants of this world, other than this Aspiria, know of our existence yet?
“We don’t believe that they do. We have seen no evidence of them having an awareness of us. Aspiria is from a very small populated area, near the single ‘modern’ city. We are sure that those in her area are aware of her being missing, but we don’t believe that they have even the slightest idea of how or why. Even Aspiria was not initially aware of where she was. She thought that she had been taken by others of her kind, and she thought that she was underground in some facility. It was rather surprising to her when her circumstances became clearer. Last question—”
“Mr. President, this world knows nothing of our world’s technology, since the invention of the light bulb; Aspiria, however, now knows a lot about our technology. Returning her to her world, and her kind, would change that. Are we even considering allowing her to go back to her world with what she now knows?”
“I’m sorry, but I will not address that type of inquiry today. Thank you.”
The conference ended, and the video was turned off by the teacher. The students looked at each other in amazement. The reality was stranger than was their wildest imaginations over the past day. Aliens that were just like humans? They were living in a world like earth, from two hundred years ago. This alie
n is nice, and friendly; it’s cooperating?
As Mark walked to his next class, he was only barely conscious of his surroundings. He was on autopilot, and his mind was light years away.
“Mark! Hey, Mark!…Mark!”
He became partially aware of the sound.
“Mark.”
“Oh, hey, Tess.”
“You look like you just saw an alien,” she said with a smile.
“I feel like I did. Did you see the President?”
“Yeah, I’m glad that it’s not some creepy alien. I’m glad that it doesn’t have a bunch of weapons and stuff.”
“My brother not only captured an alien, but he’s hangin’ with an alien. He’s talking with it and stuff. Man, the President says that he’s doing great! I wish that I could talk with Steve.”
“Do you think that your brother is going to come back to earth with it? I don’t think that we should bring her back here. She might learn our stuff, and somehow communicate it back. Plus, what if she escapes? She could hide out, and do stuff. I don’t know. I just don’t want any aliens on the earth. I really wish that there weren’t any aliens out there at all. I don’t like it. I don’t want them out there. There might be other ones, and they might be worse. I don’t know; I don’t like it. But hey, at least the first one is nice…I guess.”
“Why would they bring the alien back here?”
“Well, they can’t let her go back with all of our secrets, to her world.”
“Yeah, I don’t know. See you later.”
“See you later.”
Chapter 32