“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 low
er 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 antigravity 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.
&nbs
p; “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.
And What of Earth? Page 2