by Brandon Hale
“You just realized what that answer was, didn’t you,” Lauren said. “You think you know why.”
Jerry nodded. “I think so, yes.”
“When they were looking for a new planet for us,” Lauren said, “they had to know certain things about our physiology. So they could match us up.”
“Yeah,” Jerry said. “Now that I think about it, the President mentioned something like that, but I was only half-listening. That kid also said they were waiting for us to learn how to communicate. Apparently, while they were waiting, they--”
“Were doing the research necessary to find us a home,” Lauren finished.
“I think these guys might be for real,” Jerry said as he stood up. “I’m going to go smoke a cigarette now. Thanks for the talk, Shirley. And you’re pretty hot when you’re naked. That should be against the rules for preachers.”
Lauren laughed as he walked toward the door.
Just before he left, he stopped and looked back. “Oh, and sorry you’re going through all that religious bullshit. I‘m sure it‘ll work itself out. I’m smoking, then I have to make a phone call.”
As he left the room, Lauren just shook her head, smiling. After a few seconds, she began to look around the room for her clothes.
Jerry walked through the living room, toward the front door.
“Is she okay?” Alice asked. Arthur was sitting beside her.
“Yeah,” Jerry said, not looking at either of them. “She’s fine. I gotta’ make a phone call. Be right back. Sorry about the shitty husband comment, Art.”
“It’s okay,” Arthur said as Jerry stepped outside.
Jerry walked to his car, opened the passenger side door, and began to fumble through all the little papers in the passenger seat. Most were just receipts from gas stations or fast food restaurants. They weren‘t there intentionally. He just had a habit of throwing them in the passenger seat when he got them.
“Dammit,” he mumbled as he rummaged through the papers. He checked the glove compartment. Nothing. “Shit,” he mumbled, trying to think. “My wallet?” he asked himself. He took out his wallet, doubting he would find it there. That would be too thoughtful and logical. He never put important numbers in his wallet.
“I’ll be damned,” he said with a smile. “Randall, you must have made a bigger impression on me than I thought.”
He shut the car door and leaned against the car, lighting up a cigarette. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number scribbled on the slip of paper.
“Hello?” a man’s voice said.
“Hello,” Jerry said. “Randall?”
“Yes?” the voice said.
“Randall, this is Jerry. The angry guy from the support group.”
“I’ll be damned,” Randall said with a laugh. “I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought about you in the past week.”
“Yeah,” Jerry said. “I’m calling to check on your wife. How’s she doing?”
“Some government guy came to see us yesterday,” Randall said. “Scared the shit out of both of us, but otherwise, she’s doing well. Remarkably well, considering what’s going on.”
“I’d say,” Jerry said, “she’s doing remarkably well because of what’s going on. Do you remember our conversation?”
“Every word,” Randall said. “And I think you’re right. It is because of what’s going on. Now that she thinks she knows why they did those things to her, she feels…” he paused, looking for the right word.
“Sane,” Jerry said.
Randall laughed. “Yeah. Sane.”
“I need to ask you something,” Jerry said. “If they do more interviews and find more evidence that what these guys are saying is true--”
“Are we going to go with them,” Randall guessed.
“Yeah,” Jerry said. “Are you?”
“I don’t know, buddy,” Randall said. “Just haven’t let ourselves think that far ahead yet.”
“Same here,” Jerry said. “Until five minutes ago, there wasn’t even a question in my mind. The answer was no. Hell no.”
“What changed?” Randall asked.
“I’m not sure, man,” Jerry said. “The answer might still be no. But now, it’ll be a decision based on logic, not an irrational hatred of these things.”
“That’s always good,” Randall said. “You know, we could go have that beer tonight if you want. You could meet my wife.”
“Maybe,” Jerry said. “The way things are going, I’d say by then we’ll have some other piece of monstrous news that changes everything.”
Randall laughed again. “Probably. So, how do you think Vick and Ronnie are handling this?”
“Who’s Vick and Ronnie?” Jerry asked.
“The idiots from the support group,” Randall explained.
“Oh,” Jerry said with a laugh. “I’d say they’re both crying about right now, wondering why the aliens didn’t try to touch them.”
“Or,” Randall said, “they’re in a coma after strolling up to the aliens to share their theories with them.”
“One can only hope,” Jerry said. From the house, he saw Lauren step outside. “I’ll have to call you back,” he said. “I was mainly just checking to see how you and your wife are doing.”
“All in all,” Randall said, “we’re okay. Thanks.”
Jerry put the phone in his pocket. “Ah, you’ve rejoined the world,” he said to Lauren.
“Yeah,” Lauren said. “For now.” She reached out a hand. “Can I have a puff?”
“No,” Jerry said. “No freakin’ way I’m going to get a diabetic hooked on cigarettes.”
“Do you really think it matters now?” she asked.
Jerry handed the cigarette to her and lit another one for himself. “It probably matters more now than ever,” he said. “But whatever. I’m not your daddy.”
“You seem to have had a complete reversal of attitude,” she said. “You’re welcome.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” Jerry said. “I still don’t trust them, and I still don’t know that’s why they did what they did to me.”
“A minute ago, you sure seemed convinced,” Lauren said.
“Well,” Jerry said, “I overstated a bit on the specifics. It‘s not that I know what the reason is as much as the fact that I know there is a reason. Their arrival is proof that the abductions were preambles to something else. That makes all the difference in the world.”
“Before they ever came here, you knew that,” Lauren said. “Surely. Even if it was just idle curiosity.”
“You added the ‘surely’ on purpose that time,” Jerry said. “So I can’t ask you to stop calling me Shirley. Too forced. And I didn’t know it before. Idle curiosity isn’t a reason. At best, it’s a reason there is no reason.”
“That’s stupid,” Lauren said.
“It’s the best I got,” Jerry said. “I know that these abductions happened as a preparation for their arrival. What that arrival is about, we don’t know yet. But we know the abductions were done to prepare us. Or them. Anyway, everything still sucks, but it sucks a little bit less now.”
“Fair enough,” Lauren said. “You know, I think Alice and Arthur are a little jealous of the friendship we’re developing.”
Jerry looked at the house. Alice and Arthur were watching them from the living room window.
“Good,” Jerry said.
“Revenge isn’t a part of my system of beliefs,” Lauren said.
“All due respect, preacher,” Jerry said, “you just spent the last hour hiding naked in your bedroom because you think your system of beliefs is about to crumble.”
“You’re a bastard,” Lauren said, trying to stop the smile that was threatening to crawl onto her face.
“I’m just saying,” Jerry said, “that maybe now is a good time to try new things. Like letting yourself enjoy their discomfort, if only for a moment.”
Lauren kissed him on the cheek. Jerry looked at her, surprised.
“O
kay,” she said. “I admit it. That was for them.”
“And?” Jerry asked. “How does it feel to know they’re in there, being very uncomfortable about right now.”
“I feel petty,” Lauren said. “Yeah, revenge just ain’t my thing, heathen.”
Jerry laughed. “Heathen,” he said. “That’s new.”
“I needed something to put up against you calling me ‘preacher’ all the time,” Lauren said as she began to walk back to the house.
“So,” Jerry said, “leaving revenge out of it entirely, how did it feel to kiss me on the cheek? And remember, lying is against your system of beliefs as well.”
“My system of beliefs,” Lauren said, “has no rule against refusing to answer pointless questions. So I think I’ll just deal with your question that way.”
“Asshole,” Jerry said. “So how did you reconcile the inconsistencies in the Bible?”
“I took the simple approach,” Lauren said. “They’re fables that teach life lessons. And when you filter out the fact that the fables were written by men during a time when women were considered property, you discover the lessons are actually pretty good.”
“I need to go to your church sometime,” Jerry said.
Lauren laughed. “I don’t really go into that stuff much during my sermons. I stick to the lessons the fables teach.”
“Probably a good idea,” Jerry said. “Why did you come out here?”
“I’m not sure,” Lauren said. “I think I just wanted to hang out with you. You’ve kind of become a comfort friend to me. And, yeah, it’s okay for you to make fun of that. I’ll understand.”
“Nah,” Jerry said. “I know it‘s out of character for me, but I think I‘ll just enjoy the fact that you said it.”
Arthur stood by the window, watching Jerry and Lauren walk toward the house. “You know,” he said, “that kiss was just to annoy us.”
“You know what else,” Alice said as she plopped herself down onto the couch, “aliens came to Earth.”
“I’m not annoyed, though,” Arthur said. “Surprisingly.”
“Yeah,” Alice said. “There are millions of extra-terrestrial life forms on our planet right now.”
“I find myself almost hoping they’re starting to develop a connection,” Arthur said.
“The aliens,” Alice said, “said there’s an asteroid coming.”
“I really do want her to be happy,” Arthur said. “And the more I get to know Jerry, the more I like him.”
“And the asteroid,” Alice said, “is going to destroy the entire planet. Billions of life forms are going to die. Really, it’s more like trillions, if you count all the fish, birds, bugs, mammals, and even the plant life. Even if humanity escapes, all those other animals are going to die. Trillions of them. Hell, I don’t know. Maybe it’s quadrillions. But yeah, don’t let that get in the way of the important stuff. Like whether or not your wife is developing a crush on my boyfriend. That’s what really matters right now.”
Arthur turned around and looked at Alice. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Aliens have come to Earth!” she screamed. “And an asteroid is going to destroy the planet! And the people closest to me still haven’t really discussed the implications of all of this. They’re too busy acting like teenagers. So, no. I’m not fucking alright!”
“Calm down,” Arthur said. “We’re just processing things.”
“What’s with the yelling,” Jerry said as he walked in the door.
“I think we need to talk about the aliens,” Arthur said.
“We’ll get there,” Jerry said. “More importantly, did you see Lauren kiss me outside? That was awesome.”
“Oh my God!” Alice screamed. She jumped up, walked to Jerry and said, “Give me a cigarette.”
“Why is everyone suddenly becoming smokers?” Jerry asked.
“Cigarette!” Alice screamed.
“Here,” Jerry said, handing her the pack and the lighter. “Take as many as you need.”
Alice snatched the cigarettes from his hand and stormed outside.
“Damn,” Jerry said. “She really didn’t take that kiss very well.”
Rosetta Children
After seeing the video of the President’s son, people became much more courageous when dealing with the aliens. News reports showed crowds of people surrounding the ships. Many people brought their children with them, just so they could talk to the aliens.
Jerry watched one video in which a man in Mexico had constructed a pair of sun glasses that would fit the aliens‘ heads, in the hopes that the filter might lead to better communication. Amazingly, the alien accepted the gift and--after much prompting from the people in the area--put the sun glasses on. The experiment ended with seven people in comas.
In other areas, similar tactics were used. Some people tried putting mesh over their heads. Others tried using mirrors. Some tried communicating through web cams. The results were invariably the same. Nothing was able to filter enough to prevent a coma. The web cams and mirrors gave no results at all. It was becoming apparent that the only way to successfully communicate involved looking them directly in the eyes. And the only people that were able to survive those communications were children.
Through it all, the aliens seemed overwhelming patient. They usually just spent the days standing by their ships, apparently waiting. Dozens of reporters conducted interviews with the aliens, using their own children as translators. Mostly, the interviews produced little new information. The children invariably talked about builders, gods, and giant rocks in space. Whenever the reporters tried to delve into something deeper, the most significant roadblock was always the fact that the translator was six years old or less.
For two days, the world was put on hold while everyone on Earth tried to get more information about the asteroid first mentioned by the son of the President of the United States of America.
During this time, Arthur was always in one of three places. Mostly he was in front of the television, watching the news and talk shows. When he wasn’t watching television, he was on the internet, reading the updates on the government’s website about the aliens. If Arthur wasn’t on the internet or in front of the television, it meant he was in the bathroom.
Alice had calmed down significantly, but she was still annoyed by the lack of communication in the house. Mostly, she watched the news with Arthur. Occasionally, she would help clean up the house or go to the grocery store, but most days were spent on the couch beside Arthur, waiting for the next big breakthrough.
Alice regularly went outside to look at the ship on the street. She avoided getting too close to the aliens, but she enjoyed watching them from the end of the driveway. More than once, she went outside with the full intention of getting close enough to the aliens to smell them. For reasons she couldn’t explain, she was very curious about what they might smell like. So far, she had lost nerve every time, turning back shortly after stepping onto the street.
On multiple occasions over the past two days, Alice had tried to talk Jerry into walking up to the aliens. Just to see if they tried to touch him again. Every time she suggested it, Jerry refused, not surprising anyone.
Lauren spent most of her time reading books and documents she had collected about religion. When Arthur wasn’t browsing the internet, she was. After her conversation with Jerry, she had decided to face down her new questions with the same zeal she used for every other question she had ever asked about her religion. She didn’t have a choice. Lauren’s ministry and life were based entirely on a single principle: Never fear the truth. She wasn’t going to walk away from that now, when it was more important than ever before.
Jerry had picked up more art supplies and spent much of his days drawing again. Mostly he drew pictures he suspected were memories. He drew pictures of himself, lying on a table, surrounded by aliens. He drew pictures of himself in a room, staring at empty walls. He found that he was now drawing all the things he couldn’t bring himself to dr
aw after the abduction. He often looked at the pictures, hoping they would give some new insight that might help him decide how he felt about the aliens. None of them caused him to feel anything but renewed fear.
For reasons none of them could explain, Arthur, Alice, Lauren, and Jerry stayed near each other at all times, almost never separating. An undeniable bond had formed between them, and they didn‘t question it. They didn‘t discuss why it might have formed. Perhaps it was because of the unusual interpersonal relationships that were forming before the aliens arrived. Perhaps it was because the aliens arrived when they were all together, and when they were all extremely emotional. Ultimately they didn’t care why.
A bond had formed that could only be described as family.
“Yes, mom,” Lauren said into the phone. “We’re all fine. I’m with friends. How are you guys?”
While Lauren talked to her mother, Alice and Arthur were again watching the news. “Why haven’t you contacted any family?” Alice asked. “The rest of us have called all our family members a dozen times over the last few days. Even Jerry. You haven’t made a single phone call.”
“Don’t really have any family,” Arthur said. “My mother died when I was seven. All four of my grandparents were dead by the time I was twenty.”
“What about your dad?” Alice asked. “Did you have a falling out? Because if you did, now might be the time to make up.”
“We didn’t, really,” Arthur said. “We were never really close. When I moved out, we talked occasionally, but we eventually drifted apart. We haven’t spoken in over four years.”
“That’s terrible,” Alice said.
“Not all families are like the ones you see on TV,” Arthur said. “It’s not always a black and white thing. It’s not always about love or hate. Sometimes, you just don’t care. Sometimes, your parents are just the people that gave you some DNA.”
