by Clyde Key
* * *
News coverage confirmed their fears. That evening, aliens and their appetites dominated the news. It started out not so badly. A restaurant in Boulder, Colorado reported that aliens opened their garbage bins and ate all the trash and spoiled food. The restaurant’s patrons all left because of the odor, but the aliens left when all the garbage was gone.
But other reports were more serious. Several cows were reduced to piles of bones at dairies in New Mexico and there were reports of unusual numbers of animal skeletons in wildlife refuges. Aliens apparently were devouring wild animals without regard to ecological status. Also troubling were the reports of missing pets in cities where aliens had gathered.
Following a long series of dire pronouncements, Eastern VidChannels reporter Anthony Cleaver hosted Arlene Sisk in a program aimed at educating Americans into accepting Veezee presence with a minimum of conflict. The program started with Cleaver’s introduction of Sisk (who was already becoming familiar to most households anyway by this time) followed by a prepared message from AABC about how all must sacrifice—contribute—to the goal of integrating Veezee into our society so that we might all profit from their vast experience. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with Cleaver asking the questions.
“Excuse me, Ms. Sisk, but doesn’t your message sound like what we always heard before the aliens—Veezee—arrived? It seems as if we should have learned a bit more now, so the message could reflect reality.”
“Of course we learn all the time!” snapped Sisk. “But the basics of interface with a different civilization doesn’t change! We’ve studied them for years before they arrived!”
Cleaver appeared uncomfortable in his role, but continued. “Certainly that’s true, but it’s my assignment to take the adversarial position here—be the devil’s advocate, as the old saying goes.”
Sisk nodded. “That’s a quaint way of putting it, I think. But whether or not you or anybody else agrees, it doesn’t change our basic responsibilities as citizens to take Veezee in and make this all work. After all, they are our guests.”
“There are some who maintain that Veezee are not welcome guests, that they weren’t invited, and that we’d be better off if they left.”
“That is an antiquated, nationalistic, reactionary, bigoted way of thinking. If there is any substantial segment of the population who honestly feels that way, then we in government haven’t done our job well enough. We’ll have to redouble our training efforts, until there is no longer a citizen unwilling to take on the responsibilities required by our society.”
“There are others who say it isn’t the government’s place to push this on the public, but instead to be ruled by the public.”
“Of course that’s the basic concept,” said Sisk. “But the majority has already decided to accommodate Veezee in their quest for freedom.”
“Was there a referendum?”
“Not in the formal sense but, yes, there has been a referendum. We in government know how to take the pulse of the public in order to lead where the nation wants to go.”
“Well, let’s get off that,” said Cleaver, glancing down at his notes. “I’m sure much of that is moot, now that Veezee have diffused into the nation. It’s pretty well agreed that we couldn’t put it back the way it was if we wanted to.”
“That’s very perceptive.”
“Now, Ms. Sisk, let’s go over some basic points. First, that citizens should not react at all, except to give a moderate clearance, if Veezee around them don’t happen to be wearing a translator disk.”
“That’s true. However, we are recommending that people speak to Veezee who are equipped. They should avoid saying anything that is demeaning or has a negative connotation, especially about any unusual aroma they might notice. And above all, they should avoid saying anything that could be construed as specist.”
“Certainly. Now it is also obvious that Veezee have to eat just like humans.” Cleaver had a thought and giggled. “Well, maybe not just exactly like humans. But they do have to eat something. Now I hate to bring this up, but they seem to have some trouble identifying what is a proper food source.”
“Yes. This is an area where we’ll have to be more helpful in the future,” said Sisk. “They have just spent equivalent to a century and a half of Earth years in space, and they must have had a very limited diet. We’ll just have to help them. Perhaps we’ll need to set up an infrastructure supported by a government agency to help them get started.”
“And to keep them from eating our livestock and pets,” said Cleaver. “One thing another AABC administrator recommended today is that people keep their pets safely maintained in their homes for the present. Particularly small animals like cats and dogs.”
“That’s true. It’s probably a completely unnecessary precaution, but there have been a couple of unconfirmed instances where Veezee were suspected of having, uh... unwittingly eaten someone’s pets. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that this is most likely a completely erroneous conclusion, but we are recommending that pets be kept away from Veezee for the present.”
“I must stress that this thought is entirely my own and doesn’t represent any position of this station or AABC, but it seems likely to me that if Veezee eat pets because they don’t know better, then there might also be great danger for human children. Parents should watch their children closely and keep them away from aliens.”
Arlene Sisk was livid. “Mr. Cleaver! That was demeaning, specist, and absolutely uncalled for! There has never been any evidence that these peaceful beings pose any danger at all to children. You have just provoked totally unnecessary fear among the public, and you owe an apology to Veezee and the American people!”
“What! I didn’t say they eat children! All I said was that parents should be careful!”
“Nevertheless, it’s apparent to me that you owe us all an apology and also that you need sensitivity training,” said Sisk.
“No way. I don’t work for you, the aliens, or the government!”
“But your station is licensed,” said Sisk. “They may be worried about how this little episode will look on review.”
35
Oct. 26, 2113
Ed slept fitfully, only dozing for a few minutes at a time when his exhaustion reached its limit. It had been this way most nights since the aliens first came to Earth, and he was particularly wearied after his capture. And sometimes sleeping was worse than insomnia, when he dreamed of being caught in the alien globe.
This night Ed thought he’d have to see his doctor on the next morning. Maybe the doctor could prescribe something to help him sleep. Then he thought maybe he didn’t want to sleep all that badly unless the doctor could also prescribe medication to make the nightmares go away. Like this particular nightmare, he thought. This one seemed especially real. He could smell the stifling stench of an alien presence.
Then suddenly, Ed realized he was awake. The smell was real, in his bedroom. He lunged for the bedside lamp and almost knocked it off the nightstand before he got it turned on. The room, though light, was blurred because Ed couldn’t find his glasses, but he didn’t need the glasses to see the alien that stood at the foot of his bed.
“What’re you doing in here? How did you get in, you filthy slime?” Ed rifled through the nightstand drawer looking for his laser pistol. “I’ll get you, you stinking...” The gun wasn’t there. Ed rolled out of bed and hobbled into the next room when he remembered where he left it. Then he returned to his bedroom with the gun, but the alien was gone. The smell wasn’t gone, though.
Then Ed was wide awake. He wasn’t a bit sleepy, but his heart pounded much too hard. Ed found his glasses on the other side of the nightstand where he’d knocked them off, and then he went to the bathroom to find his heart medicine. He took a couple of the pills and within seconds his pulse rate was getting back to normal.
As Ed’s nerves calmed, he began to think clearly again. He picked up a comphone and called the base headquar
ters office, where he knew someone would be on duty. When a corporal answered, he asked for the lieutenant in charge. Then when the lieutenant answered, Ed ordered him to get an armed squad over to Ed’s quarters.
Ed put on his pants and shoes then and, with the pistol in hand, began searching through the house. It wasn’t hard to see where the alien had been, because it had left a slimy trail on the floor—like a garden slug, Ed thought. The trail led from a window that had been left open a few inches. There wasn’t enough room for a human to get in, but there obviously was enough room for an alien minus its body fluids to squeeze through. It was clear to Ed that the alien had come in at the window because there was a large green stain on the carpet where the alien had squirted its body fluids in. It seemed to have gone back out at the same window.
As Ed stood looking at the stain, he heard the door chime sound. The squad had come. Ed greeted them at the door, ordered the privates to search around the outside of the house, and invited Lieutenant Beran inside. While Ed was showing the lieutenant the alien trail through the house, they heard the privates yelling outside. Beran raced to the door and Ed followed as quickly as a man his age could.
Out on the back lawn, the soldiers had surrounded an alien. Moonlight gave the alien a ghastly pallor, and when it reflected off the translator disk, it made the alien look like the mythical Cyclops. “Shall we shoot it, sir?” asked a young soldier.
“Not just yet. I want to question that fungus first.” Ed turned to the nearest private. “Bring me a chair from the house. I’m too tired to stand up out here.”
In a minute, the soldier returned with a chair. Ed put the chair in front of the alien, assuming the voice disk side was front. Then he dropped heavily into the chair. “Okay now. We’re going to get some answers here!
“First: who are you? What is your name?”
“I am Veezee. We are Veezee.”
“Don’t give me that crap! What is your individual name?”
“I am common Veezee.”
“No better!” shouted Ed. “There are millions of common Veezee! What is your individual name? How can I tell you from the rest of them?”
The alien was silent.
“Huh! Tough question, I guess,” said Ed. “But I’m sure we can get that later. Why were you in my house?”
“Veezee wish to help humans. The Eldest Veezee commands it.”
“Listen to me, you stinking manure pile! You don’t come into my house—ever! I don’t even want you close to my house and this is a United States Army base! No alien can come here without my explicit authorization and you’re not going to get it!”
“You are Colonel Halloran, are you not?”
“I’m asking the questions here! This is my base! You will be held in detention until you answer my questions! Now, who are you and what are you doing in my house?”
“Veezee have not names. I am second oldest common Veezee. Eldest Veezee commands me to assist Colonel Halloran, who I believe you are.”
“Listen! You go back and tell that old boy big chief Veezee that I don’t want your help and I don’t want you in my house and I don’t want you on my army base! I don’t even want you in the same world with me!”
“Veezee must obey The Eldest. I will assist you.”
Ed started muttering obscenities under his breath, while his heart began to race again. “If I can’t get rid of you any other way, I guess I’ll just have to let the troops shoot you. They already wanted to.”
Lieutenant Beran stepped up almost between Ed and the alien. “Is that wise, sir? Do you want to contact Washington first?”
“This is the army, Lieutenant,” said Ed. “You don’t question a superior officer, ever.”
“No, sir,” said Beran. “Whatever you order, sir.”
“Well, it happens that I haven’t completely decided to kill this thing,” said Ed. “And I haven’t decided not to, either, but I’m definitely not going to ask Washington about it.”
Ed thought about it for a minute, then he said, “Throw it in the brig. Maybe it’ll be good for ransom or something.”
“Uh... Sir? How do we detain this alien? It’s not safe or acceptable to physically grab it, is it?”
“No. If it doesn’t want to go willingly, then throw a net or a tarp around it or something. Don’t worry about being gentle.”
Since Ed was up and already wide awake, and it was nearly morning anyway, he decided to go on to work. If aliens were going to be coming around the base, he would have to have a plan for dealing with them, and he thought he should get started on it before Major Baines and the junior officers got to headquarters.
