Billy Ogden's Hyperspace Home Run

Poetry - by James P. Roberts

It wasn’t as if he did it intentionally.

Ryan McNamara had just thrown him the fattest

Pitch he’d seen all day and Billy was damned

If he was going to strike out this time!

When the baseball was just ten feet away it…

Well, it seemed to change its shape, be it ever

So slightly.  But not enough to make much

Difference: his bat connected solidly.

There was a yellow-orange flash and a loud bang!

The baseball exploded into tiny bits, barely seen.

The shouts and cheers died into a stunned silence

As scintillating specks floated to the ground.

A mystified discussion took place at home plate

Between the two managers and Mr. Cheevey,

The umpire. After much head-scratching, it was ruled

A ‘no pitch’: Billy had to bat again.

REPORT XO9-IO-44HA TO SUPREME COUNCIL, CYGNUS-X.

SUBJECT: STATUS OF PLANETARY COLONIZATION,

COMMANDER XEETH-SOORA REPORTING.

ATTEMPT TO DISGUISE TRANSPORT SHIP AS POPULAR

CULTURAL OBJECT DEEMED A FAILURE. SHIP TOTALLY DESTROYED 

WITHOUT WARNING BY UNKNOWN WEAPON.

NO SURVIVORS.

CONCLUSION: PLANET ACTIVELY HOSTILE TO COVERT COLONIZATION.

RECOMMENDATION: COMPLETE MILITARY TAKEOVER AND SUBJUGATION.

MUST BREAK EGGS TO MAKE OMELETTE.

END TRANSMISSION.

REPORT: XO9-IO-73BB TO COMMANDER XEETH-SOORA

FROM: SUPREME COUNCIL, CYGNUS-X

SUBJECT: COLONIZATION OF PLANET.

RECOMMENDATION APPROVED. BEGIN OPERATIONS IMMEDIATELY!

Billy Ogden struck out on the next pitch. His team lost.

That evening, millions of baseballs descended from the sky.