The Day After Tomorrow's Yesterday - Two Days Hence

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It was Friday. The little boy ran along the gravel driveway as fast as his legs could go. He was scared and was praying he would reach home before anything else happened. Every once in a while he would glance back over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being chased. Without skipping a step he bounded up the porch steps and bolted through the front door. His mother, startled by the slamming of the door, came from the kitchen to confront him. 

“Chisom Davis!” she scolded him. “How many times have I’ve got to tell you not to run into the house like that? You’re gonna break the door!”

He tried to reply but was too busy gulping air to be able to form any words. His mother noticed the frighten look on his face and rushed over to him. “What’s wrong, Chisom?”

Still heaving he was able to mouthed “Anna.” 

A cold chill spread over his mother as she sensed something terrible had happened to her daughter. Without thinking she shouted for her husband. “Martin, get down here! Something’s happened to Anna!!” 

The tall lanky man scurried down the stairs from the upper bedrooms to find his wife hugging and trying to comfort their son. He was only five years old, but he already was growing tall and gangly like his father.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m trying to find out,” the distraught mother replied.

Still working on his breathing, the young man shouted out, “They took Anna!!”

“Who took her?” his father quickly asked.

“The men,” gushed the boy. “They took her!”

“Now, Chisom, slow down and finish catching your breath,” his father ordered. “What men took Anna?”

The boy swallowed hard and answered, “Two men came down from the clouds and grabbed her!”

“They came from the clouds?!?” his mother mouthed more than she said.

“Where was this?” his father wanted to know.

“It was in the pasture, near the big tree,” the boy replied. 

His father opened the hall closet to find his shotgun. He quickly grabbed a box of shells and turned back to his wife and son. “Let’s go! Son, you show us the exact spot!” 

They searched the entire pasture but never found their daughter. Anna was nine years old with beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair. She was smart and the pride of her parents. Everyone who knew her adored her and Chisom thought the world of his big sister. 

After looking for a while, his father asked in desperation, “Are you sure this is where she disappeared?”

“Yes, it was near that big tree,” Chisom answered.

“Oh no!!” his mother shouted. They rushed over to find her holding one of Anna’s shoes. “It was beside the tree!!” 

They returned to their home and called the sheriff. He and a couple deputies came out to help look for the girl. Word quickly spread and before long the whole community was scouring the area trying to find her. She was not to be found. 

The doctor had to give Chisom’s mother a sedative. It was the first and only time he saw his father weep. Even though he was young, he knew his sister was gone and wouldn’t be coming home. He cried until he could cry no more. 

A few weeks later the sheriff visited the family again and said there was no news on Anna’s disappearance. He questioned Chisom again as to what had happened in the field and the boy never wavered in his details of the abduction. All the sheriff could do was scratch his head and declare it was hard to believe spacemen took Anna. In fact, everyone secretly doubted Chisom’s story, even his parents. They all knew something horrendous had happened and this was probably the boy’s way of accepting things his five-year-old mind could not comprehend.

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It was Sunday. The sky over the nation’s capital was bright blue with a few lazy clouds drifting by. The President’s helicopter, known as Marine One when he is on-board, had just left the South Lawn and was on its way back to its hanger after depositing the First Family back at the White House after a weekend at the Presidential retreat at Camp David. 

Chisom Davis, the President of the United States, settled into his favorite recliner in the Private Sitting Room as he mulled over some paperwork given to him upon his arrival back at the White House. His wife, Mattie, grabbed the TV remote and surfed through some channels without finding anything of interest. 

He sat the papers to the side and asked, “Are you tired?”

She gave a weak smile and replied, “A little, but it’s been a nice weekend.”

He smiled back and offered, “Yes, it has.” After a moment’s hesitation, he declared, “Tomorrow will be the start of some better days.”

She smiled again and slowly shook her head. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

He did his best to feign knowledge of what she was referring to and said, “Why, Mattie, I have no idea what you mean by that.” 

She rose from her chair and came to sit in his lap. They snuggled and he gently kissed his ailing wife. She had fought breast cancer and had been in remission for almost two years when her doctors broke the devastating news that the cancer had returned. Now, she had taken a battery of new tests and was scheduled to learn the results the following morning. They had cried together, and he reassured her that he would be there with her every step of the way. 

Chisom was finishing his second year as President. His election had been a nail biter, but his popularity had soared after taking office. The American people had become comfortable with him as their leader and trusted him more than most of his predecessors. In addition, everyone had fallen in love with the First Lady. He wasn’t surprised as he had fell under her magic when they were just teenagers. She was charming and the American public greatly admired her for her courageous battle against cancer. They had not been told of the cancer’s return. Chisom had decided to wait until after they knew the results before letting the whole world know. 

Despite his popularity, he came very close to resigning two weeks earlier when Mattie learned she was sick again. He was willing to give up the Presidency in order to give all his attention to the care of the woman he loved. They had been married for over thirty years and he wanted to savor every minute they had left together if she became terminal.

Mattie had begged him to not resign. She held out hope for the future and didn’t want anything to interfere with his presidency. Her heart told her he was destined for great things and she insisted he not even think of resigning. He listened to her but secretly set things in motion for a smooth transition of power to the Vice President. That way he could quickly and easily walk away when and if the time came. He would tell her when it was too late for her to talk him out of it again. 

The flash of blue sped by the President’s helicopter before anyone could react. No one would have noticed if the copter hadn’t yawed back and forth in the wake made by the alien craft.

“What was that?” asked the pilot.

“I’m not sure, Major,” replied his co-pilot. “It was moving too fast to get a good read.”

“Was it a meteor?” the pilot wondered.

“It probably was,” answered the co-pilot. “I don’t think anything man-made could move that fast.”

“Let’s call it in,” ordered the pilot. 

The streak of blue slowed as it approached the White House. Once over the South Lawn it hovered over the landing pad recently vacated by the helicopter. Now, it was visible for all to see. The alien disc was as large as a good sized two-story house and glowed with a blue tint almost the color of a cloudless sky. As it lowered toward the pad, six landing legs emerged from the bottom and locked into place. With a gentle thud it came to rest on the pad. 

The White House detail immediately went into a protective mode. F-15 fighter jets were dispatched from the US Air Force 11th Wing at Andrews Air Force base, the Secret Service hastily escorted the President and First Lady to a safe bunker in the basement, and a contingent of armed agents and soldiers descended onto the South Lawn. 

An army of soldiers and federal agents surrounded the craft with weapons drawn and ready for use. A gentle hum emitted from the craft as an outer hatch broke its seal and slowly opened. Everyone clutched their guns a little tighter and some double checked to make sure the safety was off. When the door had fully descended creating a small stairway, the alien stepped out. No one was prepared for what came next. 

“Hello, Earthlings!” he shouted through a big grin on his face. The alien looked human except for his light blue complexion. It almost matched the blue of his ship. He had shiny blonde hair and wore a seamless dark blue flight suit. “I wasn’t expecting such a hearty reception,” he declared as he laughed. No one moved. 

He looked around at all the agents and weaponry. It surprised him and he became perplexed over such a reception.

Without turning around, he yelled back to the inside of his craft, “Honey! Can you come out here?” 

A female alien emerged from the ship and stood by the male. She was dressed the same as he, but her skin was a light teal color. Her hair was coal black. 

“Did we do something to make these Earthlings mad at us?” he asked.

“You didn’t assimilate the data on this world did you?”

“Well, no,” he admitted. “I mean, I glanced at it, you know how it’s been, deadlines and all. I didn’t think I needed to.”

“Well, if you had, you would’ve realized they’ve never seen us before,” she declared.

“Oh,” he said. “Oh-h, you mean this is our first formal contact?”

“Yes, it is, dear.”

“I see,” he said. “Let me start again.” 

He took a small step forward and cleared his throat. Taking a deep breath, he declared, “Take—me—to—your—leader.” Without looking, he whispered, “How was that?”

“Outstanding as always,” she replied. 

He glanced around at the army as no one replied or made a move. Throwing his hands up in frustration he asked, “Does anyone around here speak English? Don’t tell me I studied the wrong language.”

“No, this is what they call North America,” she answered. “English is the predominate language.”

“Well, then they’re just being rude,” he declared.

“Allow me,” she offered as she slipped her arm between his. Slowly looking out over the crowd, she smiled a most beautiful smile. All the men felt their hearts melting and their willpower eroding. Only their stringent military training kept them from abandoning their posts and rushing to be by her side. 

Finally, a Captain stepped forward and asked, “What is it you want?”

“Is he talking to me or you?” the alien male whispered.

“You, of course,” she replied.

“Then, why is he looking at you?” he asked.

“I’ll go back inside if you want,” she offered.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” he declared. “Good, I’m glad you found your voice. Come on up closer so we can talk.”

“This is close enough,” the Captain offered. “Where are you from?”

The alien cleared his throat again and answered, “From a galaxy far, far away.” He whispered to the female beside him, “I saw that on one of their, what they call ‘movies.’”

She nodded her head and whispered back, “Star Wars.”

Without batting an eye the Captain asked, “Why did you come here?”

He glanced at the female and then replied, “To boldly go where no one has gone before.” He whispered, “I saw that on a movie, too.”

“I know, dear. It was from Star Trek.”

The Captain was not amused. He sternly asked, “Are you going to give me a straight answer or not?”

“I think you need to tone it down a bit,” the female whispered. “I believe they’re too scared to appreciate your humor.”

“Yeah, it appears you’re right,” he agreed. Addressing the Captain he said, “I apologize, but I was just trying to ‘break the ice’ as you people say.”

“Okay, you’ve broken it, now tell me who you are and what you want,” the Captain shot back.

“Testy, isn’t he?” the female whispered.

“I come bearing peace and goodwill and a business proposition to the good inhabitants of Earth,” he declared. “We come from a star system far beyond what your telescopes can see. Our world is called Molko. We are known as Molkovites. My name is Alusdikcomrhyvxcoepwaumbbnzmropiqfjgtvcnlntrsdqaxztjrkmuadwrmkdgtxpvmzdokrwviqacmeysfpgzaokdlbmqdjsnyteowdpancisxmrflhrtnvqxvolksafmun Ng. You can call me Al. And this lovely creature beside me is my wife. Her name is, well, uh, I’m sorry but it doesn’t translate very well, so, please just call her Jessie.” 

When Al and his wife started moving down the ramp of their ship the Captain shouted, “Don’t come any farther! We don’t want to hurt you!!” The two aliens looked at each other and burst into laughter. 

After gaining his composure, Al declared, “You really think you can hurt us? That’s a riot. Think about it, Sergeant.”

“I’m a Captain!”

“Oh, excuse me,” the alien smirked. “Well, Captain, our technology brought us here from a world you can’t even detect, we easily flew through all your detection sensors, and landed in the backyard of one of the most powerful and protected leaders of your world. Do you really think we’re worried about these pathetic weapons you’ve been pointing our way? They’re just toys to us.”

The Captain just blinked his eyes and didn’t reply.

“Go ahead, Captain, take your best shot,” Al offered. “I insist.” 

The Captain eyes darted around as he tried to decide whether to take a chance and order the shooting of someone who was obviously far superior to anything he had ever seen, and besides, this was one of the most, if not the most, remarkable events to happen in the history of mankind. He didn’t want to be the one to start a galactic war; especially one Earth probably had no chance of winning.

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” he finally said.

The alien smiled and said, “You’re a wise man, Captain.” 

The lock down at the White House caused quite a stir in the Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing. Only the weekend news staff was present, but they were clamoring for information as to what was happening. They were trying to communicate with their different news organizations and the major networks had broken into regular programming with the news. It wasn’t long before word got back to the Press Room that contact had been made with an alien space craft that had landed on the South Lawn. Security did its best to keep them in the room, but they pushed through and rushed out onto the lawn. The only way they would’ve been stopped was for the Secret Service to shoot them and no one was willing to give such an order. A couple dozen reporters went running down the South Lawn and pulled up just short of the circle of troops surrounding the craft. The air was filled with the clicking of cameras and overhead helicopters hovered as more of the military became involved. 

Al and Jessie kept walking toward the Captain and soldiers until they were inches away. “I want to meet with your President as quickly as is humanly possible,” Al declared.

“We have to follow certain protocol first,” the Captain asserted. “You can’t just march in and expect him to see you.”

“Why not?” Al asked. “I assume I’m the most important visitor you’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, but, we don’t know if it’s safe or not,” the Captain declared.

“Now, Captain, I thought we’d already established that if I meant you harm, then you would not be standing here trying to impede my meeting with your President,” the alien explained. “As I said earlier, we come in peace.”

“That may be true, but there are other things we have to consider,” the Captain asserted. “We can’t expose the President to potentially harmful alien germs, or for that matter, anything that could hurt him.”

“Me?!? Germs?!?” Al almost shouted in shock. “Captain, I am highly offended at such a remark.”

“Now, dear, he doesn’t know us,” Jessie offered. “He’s just doing his job and being cautious.”

“Well, okay, then,” Al responded. “But, just the thought of me being infected with germs is downright insulting.”

“I apologize,” the Captain offered. “We just can’t take any chances.” 

Al looked at his wife, pouted and winked at her. Before anyone could react, he reached out and grabbed the Captain and kissed him on the lips. The Captain struggled to break free but Al held him firm and kept kissing him until finally, Jessie rolled her eyes and declared, “That’s enough, dear.” 

He let go and the Captain stumbled backwards. “See, Captain,” Al asserted. “I don’t have any germs.” He turned to his wife and smacked his mouth in disgust. “That was nasty.”

“Be nice, dear,” she smiled.

He smiled, turned toward the still reeling Captain, and asked, “Now, will you take me to see your President?” 

The Captain fought to regain his composure and grabbed his right ear as a message came across the earpiece. He nodded his head and declared, “The President will see you now.”

“Ah, another wise man,” Al asserted as Jessie slipped her arm into his again. They strolled together past the guards and the press, pausing briefly to have pictures taken, and entered the Oval Office where they waited for the President to join them. After they were out of sight the press corps rushed to concentrate on reporting the epoch-making event. 

A group of Secret Service agents came into the room. One of them declared, “I’ll need to pat you down.”

“I don’t think so,” Al responded.

“Oh, I think it might be fun,” his wife asserted.

Al looked at her, shrugged his shoulders, and consented to the search. 

An agent frisked him and then his wife. She grabbed his hand when he touched her hips and teased, “I can show you the right places to touch.”

“Now, honey, let the man do his job,” Al smirked.

“I was just trying to help,” she said trying to maintain an innocent look and failing. Al simply shook his head and smiled. 

When the agent had finished a rather short man entered the room. Al looked him up and down and declared, “You’re not the President.”

“No, I’m Benjamin Willis, the President’s Chief of Staff,” the man said.

“What is this?” Al asked in frustration. “I came to see the President of the United States and all I’m getting is the run around.”

“Now, dear, it’s best to be patient,” his wife soothingly said as she took his arm again. “This planet doesn’t know us and so, their caution is quite understandable.”

“Well, they’re starting to try my patience,” he pouted. “I’m a businessman. I have things to do.” 

Jessie gently slid her arm away from her husband and approached the Chief of Staff. She smiled at him and declared, “Why, you are quite the handsome one, aren’t you?” The man readily blushed and cleared his throat. Al smirked and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding.” She glanced back at him and offered, “He looks absolutely delectable.” 

Ben cleared his throat again and declared, “The President will be here momentarily.”

“Good,” Al huffed. “It’s about time.” 

The words had hardly left his mouth when the door opened, and President Davis marched into the room. Al and the President stood toe-to-toe and sized each other up. Finally, the President spoke, “Welcome to Earth. I’m Chisom Davis. Would you like to sit awhile?”

“Why, thank you very much, Mr. President,” Jessie replied when Al took too long to respond. She tugged on Al’s arm and they took a seat on a couch across from the President’s chair. 

“My team tells me you’re from a planet called Molko,” Chisom asserted.

“Yes, we are,” Jessie answered. “It’s a lovely place. We’ve been away much too long and I miss the golden hills and yellow beaches.”

“You will certainly have to tell us more about your home, your people, and your history,” he offered.

Al spoke up and said, “It will be a pleasure to do so, Mr. President, once we’ve finished our business here.”

“You’ve stated that you come in peace,” the President declared. “So, what business do you have in mind?”

Al perked up and leaned forward. “I have a proposition for you that could be extremely profitable for both of our worlds.”

“I’m listening,” Chisom responded.

“Let me show you what we can do for you,” Al continued. “Would it be okay if your dear wife joined us?”

The President raised an eyebrow and answered, “I don’t see where this involves her.”

“Please, Mr. President,” Jessie asked. “I would love to meet her.” 

Chisom wasn’t sure he wanted to expose his wife to any potential threat. It was his job to represent the United States and not hers. He glanced at Ben who was staring at him with his eyes trying to send a message. Chisom had seen the look many times and it was Ben’s way of silently telling him not to do it. But, he was well aware of the technological superiority the aliens possessed and he was convinced if they meant any harm they would have already carried it out. Besides, Jessie was smiling directly at him and it had an extremely disarming effect. “Ben, would you bring the First Lady to meet our guest, please?” 

The Chief of Staff left the room to find Mattie. He had signaled his opinion that the First Lady should avoid meeting the aliens, but the President had decided otherwise. So, he was satisfied he had expressed his thoughts and now he was just as determined to carry out the President’s orders. After all, he served at the President’s pleasure. 

There were several awkward moments of silence in the Oval Office as everyone waited on Mattie to arrive. Chisom was very interested in what the aliens wanted but he didn’t want to press too hard. He wanted them to feel welcome as they no doubt were trying to establish peaceful relations with Earth. So, he engaged in small talk until the First Lady arrived. 

She entered the room, and everyone stood to greet her. Al’s blue tint along with Jessie’s teal caught her by surprise. She tried hard not to stare. The President introduced everyone, and she sat in a chair beside him as all took their seats.

“Okay, we’re all here,” the President declared. “Now, what are you proposing?”

Al leaned forward again and said, “I have something to offer you that will revolutionize Earth’s way of life.”

“I’m listening,” Chisom offered again.

“Centuries ago our scientist were able to unlock the mysteries of sickness and disease,” Al continued. “Now, our world, and many of the ones around us, enjoys disease-free lives. As I’m sure you can imagine, the quality of life has improved tremendously.”

“We have cured almost everything but old age,” Jessie interjected. “So, we’re not immortal, but we live far longer than our ancestors and we live far better.”

“I project your best medical professions are at least four to five hundred years away from just beginning to make such discoveries,” Al asserted. “But we’re here to offer you the chance to learn some of these secrets now.” 

Chisom leaned back in his chair and sighed. “So, you’ve come here to offer this medical breakthrough to the inhabitants of Earth?”

“That is correct,” Al answered.

“At what price?” Chisom asked.

Al smiled and glanced at his wife. “Well, Mr. President, I believe it was one of your prophets who penned TANSTAAFL.”

“TANSTAAFL?” Mattie asked.

“It means ‘there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,’” Chisom explained. “Robert A. Heinlein coined the expression in his novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. He was a 20th century science fiction writer.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Al said. “I misunderstood. From what I saw on your TV I thought he was a prophet.”

“You’ll have to excuse my husband,” Jessie offered. “I’m afraid his research of your history is not what it should have been.”

“I had other pressing matters that diverted my attention,” Al said in his defense.

“It’s okay, dear,” she offered. “I’m not complaining. I was simply explaining.” 

“That’s fine,” Chisom declared. “I get the point of what you’re saying. You have something that we would want and you want something in return.”

“You understand perfectly, Mr. President,” Al exclaimed as he smiled. 

“You make an intriguing offer, Al,” the President continued. “But, we humans also have another saying. That is ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.’”

“Ah, a cautious man,” Al laughed. “I can appreciate your hesitation. Such caution has served me well over the years.”

“Mrs. Davis, may I ask how you are coping with your illness?” Jessie asked.

Her question startled the First Lady. “I didn’t know you knew.”

“We saw it as we were monitoring your TV on the way here,” Jessie explained.

“But, you haven’t told the public that the cancer has returned, have you?” Al inquired.

“How do you know that?” Chisom asked with surprise.

Al shrugged and replied, “We have our ways.”

“We know you’re scheduled for a follow-up visit tomorrow morning with your doctors,” Jessie offered. “They’re to let you know the latest test results.”

“I’m afraid it will not be good news,” Al asserted. “Your cancer has spread and cannot be stopped by your medical specialists.”

“What?!?” the President shouted. “How do you know this?”

“Al is being truthful, Mr. President,” Jessie calmly stated. “Mrs. Davis, it pains me greatly to say this, but under the present circumstances, you only have six to seven months left to live.” 

Chisom looked at her and then at his wife. The shock in Mattie’s eyes was giving way to apprehension.

“Ben!!”

“Yes, sir?”

“Get Dr. Boone on the phone!”

“Yes, sir.” 

The President’s face was ashen white when he hung up the phone after speaking with the doctor. He gathered Mattie into his arms and they wept together. Jessie wiped a tear from her eye and Al soberly stared at the floor. Ben had to turn away. 

Once they had regained some composure, Chisom declared, “If you two will excuse us, we’re going to retire to our rooms. We’ll have to continue this discussion tomorrow.”

“No, Mr. President, no,” Al declared. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“I can appreciate what you’re saying, but I’m in no mood to talk about anything,” Chisom responded.

“Look, we can cure her,” Al quickly stated. “Right now! If you will allow me then when they check her tomorrow, she will be cancer free.”

“Your sense of humor is not appreciated!” the President almost shouted. “You can just go and get on your ship and go back to where you came from as far as I’m concerned.”

“We can cure her, Mr. President,” Jessie calmly asserted. “We can and we will.” 

The President and First Lady looked at each other and then he declared, “I will not allow my wife to be some sort of guinea pig.”

Al turned to Jessie for an explanation. “He means he doesn’t want her to be a test subject.”

“This is not a test,” Al exclaimed. “We have the cure right here!”

“We do, Mr. President,” Jessie agreed.

Al reached inside his flight suit and brought out a small metallic vial. The lead Secret Service agent reached for his gun. Al held the vial up gingerly for all to see and asked, “May I?”

The President turned to the agent and declared, “It’s okay, Zeke.”

“Thank you,” Al said with a hint of annoyance. “Here is the medicine that will cure her cancer.”

“If what you say is true, then I’m sure you wouldn’t mind our scientist examining it,” the President asserted.

Al shook his head. “They wouldn’t have a clue as to what they were looking at,” he explained. “The science of it is beyond their comprehension. Besides, once the medicine is exposed to light or air it quickly dissipates.”

“Then we’re at an impasse,” the President declared.

“No, we’re not,” Al disagreed. “I don’t have time for silly games. I’m a businessman and I’m here to do business.” 

He rose to his feet and gave a brief wave of his hand. Everyone in the room except him and Jessie froze in place and couldn’t move.

“I apologize that it has come to this,” Jessie asserted. “But you’re not being very cooperative.” 

Al approached Mattie as the President struggled unsuccessfully to break the force holding him immovable. He could see the fear building in her eyes, so Al gently said, “This won’t hurt.”

“It will make you better and you’ll thank us tomorrow,” Jessie added. 

He touched the vial to her arm and held it there until it started crumbling as if it was paper. “There, that wasn’t bad, now was it?”

“Dear, they can’t talk,” Jessie whispered.

“Oh, yeah,” he laughed. Then turning to everybody in the room he asked, “Now, is everyone ready to act civilize or should I just leave everybody frozen until tomorrow?”

“They can’t answer you, dear.”

Al gave a long sigh and declared, “It never goes easy, does it? I mean, I try and try and this is the thanks I get.”

“Why don’t you unfreeze them?” 

He shrugged his shoulders and gave another swift wave of his hand. It took all of Chisom’s resolve to restrain himself from lunging at Al for what he had done to Mattie. His anger was broken when Mattie said, “Chisom.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m starting to feel something,” she declared with a perplexed look on her face.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but I’m feeling something,” she replied. “It’s strange. I don’t feel quite as tired as I did.”

“The medicine is taking effect,” Jessie explained.

“I tried to tell you it would cure her,” Al interjected. “You’d think I could get a little more respect around here.” 

Holding his wife’s hand, the President and Mattie slowly sank into their seats. He needed time to think things through. Was it possible she was being cured? How could it be? He finally gained control of his thoughts and emotions and turned his attention back to the aliens. 

“You said there was a price to pay for this,” he surmised. “What sort of price?”

“Well, it’s really not that much when you consider what you’ll be getting in return,” Al declared as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of negotiating a lucrative deal. “What we need from you, Mr. President is people. Your people.”

“When you say ‘need,’ what exactly do you mean?” Chisom asked.

“You see we are an ancient species, we’re very advanced in many ways, but we do have some very rudimental desires,” Al explained. “Our scientific advances in agriculture and nutrition have led to, quite frankly, a bland and uninviting diet.”

“Our world exists on a simple pill taken once a month,” Jessie interjected. “It will nourish the average adult for the entire month.”

“But, the problem is, it tastes like, well, a pill,” Al continued. “Many of us have come to loathe the very idea of simply popping pills. Our palates crave more exciting cuisine. We hunger for things like, say, humans.” 

Ben couldn’t help himself and gushed, “You can’t be serious!”

“Oh, but I am,” Al declared. “There’s a sizable market for fresh human meat and my business is to supply that market.”

“You’re cannibals?!?” Mattie asked out of pure shock.

“No, we’re not,” Jessie replied. “We’re far higher on the food chain than you humans on this planet. You eat the meat of lesser animals and so do we.”

“So, why not eat the animals we do?” the President asked as he tried to wrap his mind around what was being said.

“That would be the same as me asking you to eat a bug,” Al answered.

“What you are doing is awful!!” Mattie declared.

“Ah, Madam, once you have tasted the fine delicacy of human flesh, it will haunt you forever,” Al savored. “You will be willing to pay whatever the cost to dine once more on such a treat.”

“With our advance taste buds and digestive system, the experience is almost divine,” Jessie revealed as she closed her eyes to relish the thought. “It’s beyond description.”

“All this talk is making me hungry,” Al declared with a laugh.

Ben gagged and mumbled, “I’m getting sick!” 

The President looked away as he tried to gather his thoughts. There was something lingering in the back of his mind that felt as if it was important to what was happening. Whatever the thought was, it was just out of his mental reach.

He quickly turned his attention back to the aliens and their repulsive offer. The tension in the room rose quickly as he asked, “How do you know what we taste like?” 

Al and Jessie stole a glance at each other. Jessie softly answered, “We’ve taken samples.” The President’s face turned stone cold and he muttered, “You abducted my sister!” The First Lady grabbed her mouth in recognition of what had occurred. Ben shouted, “You bunch of...”

“Look, we did what was necessary,” Al interrupted as he felt his patience with the inferior species sitting before him growing thin. “You would do the same in our shoes. In fact, no doubt you have sampled food from all over this planet. How do you think those animals feel? The only reason you don’t know is because you can’t communicate with them! But that hasn’t stopped you, has it?” 

A prolong and painful silence fell over the group as each one fought to control their emotions. Jessie looked off to the side as if she was calculating something. Finally, she looked at the President and offered, “You sister was named Anna.”

“Yes, she was,” Chisom acknowledged.

She leaned forward and declared, “We didn’t consume her.” 

Chisom was stunned as he studied her face for any clue as to the fate of his sister. “You didn’t?” he mouthed.

Jessie turned to Al and explained, “She was on the Bea.”

“Oh,” Al simply responded.

“What’s the Bea?” Mattie asked.

“It was one of our supply ships we used for gathering samples,” Al explained.

“So, where is my sister?” the President demanded.

“I’m afraid she’s dead,” Jessie meekly replied. “But, it was not at our hands.”

Mattie asked, “What happened.” 

Al gave a shrug and explained, “We were on our way to Aqira...”

“That was one of the planets where we had our processing plants,” Jessie interjected.

“We were surprised and attacked by the PA,” Al added. “That Colonel Fg has been after us for a long time. I think he’s still jealous of the love you show for me, my dear.”

Jessie beamed a smile and then explained, “The PA is the Public Association from our world. It’s the ruling authority, our government, if you will.”

“They quickly surrounded our supply ships and cut us off from them,” Al continued. “If it wasn’t for Jessie’s quick maneuvers, they would’ve capture us, too.”

“So, how did Anna die?” Chisom asked with his jaw firmly set.

“As we were making our getaway, the last thing we saw was the Bea exploding,” Jessie replied.

“My Captain evidently decided to self-destruct instead of being captured,” Al inserted. “All was lost. We found out later they had already destroyed our plants on Aqira.”

“That’s how they found out we were on our way there,” Jessie revealed. 

Barely moving his lips, the President uttered, “I don’t care what you say, it was because of you my sister died.”

“Hey! I lost the Captain, who was a good friend of mine,” Al bristled. “We also lost all the crew and its precious cargo. That cost me thousands not counting the ship!”

“Excuse me for not being sympathetic,” the President sneered.

Al smiled and retorted, “Now, you know how I feel.” 

Ben was studying the President’s reaction and saw him ball his fist. He knew it wouldn’t be very long before he tried to rush Al. The alien had already shown he was well protected from harm and it would probably be the President who came out the worse from any attempted attack. Trying to avoid this, he quickly asserted, “So, the government on your world doesn’t approve of what you do.”

Al shrugged and answered, “They see things different.”

“It sounds like they’re trying to capture you,” Mattie reflected.

“Why, you’re just a common criminal,” Ben sneered.

“I’m a businessman,” Al quickly asserted. “My business may be one that’s looked down on from high society, but I have quite a few customers who come from that same group.”

“They enjoy our products in private and condemn us in public,” Jessie surmised. “They’re hypocrites but they pay us good.”

“I’ll spend their hypocritical money all day long,” Al chuckled. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“I believe you humans have a saying about ‘laughing all the way to the bank,’” Jessie smiled. “That’s us.” 

“So, let’s conclude our business arrangement,” Al declared. “We give you the cure for cancer and you give us five hundred humans in return. I believe that would be a fair exchange.”

“We would like fifty from ten different countries,” Jessie added.

“That way the whole world can share the cancer cure we give you,” Al asserted. “Then, say, six months from now we come back and give you the cure for another disease. At that time, you give us another five hundred. It’s that simple. Every six months you get a cure, and we get our cargo. Everyone benefits.”

“I have a list of ten countries that we want to draw from,” Jessie asserted.

“Go ahead and read the list, my dear,” Al declared.

“Of course, since we came here first, it would be the United States,” Jessie offered. “Also, England, France, Russia, China, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada. We’ll take fifty from each country.”

“Why them?” Ben sputtered.

“Those are the ones we’ve taken samples from,” Al explained. “We know the quality and we’re not totally sure about the others, yet.” 

Al and Jessie smiled at President Davis as he glared at them. He bit his lower lip and then declared, “You’re asking me to do business with a bunch of criminals. We’ve got drug cartels here on Earth who have tried the same tricks you’re trying. We’ve fought them and we’ll fight you, too.”

In unison the smiles left the alien’s faces. “This is going to happen, Mr. President,” Al slowly and deliberately said. “We are a presence on your world now and we’re going to take what we need. We’ll do it with or without your cooperation. If you help us then you’ll get something in return, something beyond your ability to imagine. If you fight against us, then losing fifty of your citizens will be the least of your problems.”

“Please, Mr. President,” Jessie pleaded. “Think of how this will help the people of your country. A few sacrifices will be made, but millions will benefit.”

“The price is too high,” Chisom declared. “I’ve taken an oath to protect and defend the citizens of the United States and that is what I intend to do.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Al said as he tired of arguing and stood to leave. “Tomorrow I’m going before the UA and make my offer to the rest of your world. I’m certain they will be more reasonable and acceptable to my proposal than you are.”

“That’s the ‘UN’, dear,” Jessie corrected him. “It stands for United Nations.”

“I guess you’re right dear. I should’ve studied a little more before we got here,” he laughed. “Now, I want everyone here to know I’m not an unreasonable person. I’ll give you...what is it?”

“A month,” Jessie offered.

“Yes, I’ll give your world a month to agree to my terms,” Al declared. “That should be enough time for you to come around to my way of thinking.”

“After tomorrow we’ll leave and let you and your fellow leaders reach a consensus,” Jessie revealed.

“That’s right,” Al agreed. “In a month we’ll be back and conclude our business with your world. I hope for you and your people you make the wise decision, Mr. President.” 

He studied Chisom’s face for any indication of him changing his mind. Not seeing any break in the President’s resolve, he bowed toward Mattie and offered, “Madam. Mr. President.” 

Taking his wife by the hand, the aliens marched out of the White House and boarded their ship. With the helpless military and security agents looking on, the door retracted and the aliens bedded down for the evening.

====================================================================================

It was Monday. Two weeks before, the alien craft lifted from the White House lawn and flew to New York City. After landing, Al and Jessie marched unhindered into the UN General Hall Assembly to speak to the world. The UN security was helpless to stop them, and Al strolled directly to the podium. 

The whole world watched and listened as Al made his offer of medical help with a human price tag. No matter where anyone was located in the world, their TV sets switched from regular broadcasting to the live events at the UN. Even TVs that were unplugged or had been broken sprang to life and telecast Al’s speech. People watched in amazement as the speech they heard was in their local language and dialect despite no translator being used. Al beamed with authority and Jessie smiled. 

Ever since the aliens had left, the world leaders were at odds as whether to accept their terms and sacrifice five hundred humans every six months for the chance to cure millions or mount a resistance and fight against the invaders. North Korea and Iran’s national news said the whole episode was a plot by the United States and Israel in their continuing quest for world domination. China saw it as the duty of its people to sacrifice for the better good of national interest. Russia hinted at the possibility of using their nuclear arsenal if anyone, alien or not, invaded their country. Japan, India, and most of the continent of Africa had expressed interest in agreeing to the alien’s request. The European Union had scheduled a referendum to be voted on by the citizens of each country. The nations of South America were divided on whether to accept or fight. 

President Davis sat in his chair at his desk in the Oval Office staring out a window. He was in deep thought and didn’t notice Ben enter the room. 

When he realized the President hadn’t noticed him, Ben stood and watched the man he had admired for more than two decades. He was hired during Chisom’s freshman year in Congress. They had worked together ever since with Ben following him to the Senate and eventually the White House. He had not always agreed with his boss and felt free to express his opinion even when it differed, but he never had a reason to question the President’s love of country and the American people. It was a big part of his fierce loyalty to the man. 

When it became apparent the President wasn’t going to notice him, Ben cleared his throat. Chisom wheeled around in his chair and gave a weak smile.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir,” Ben declared. “But I wanted to remind you of your scheduled meeting with the Vice President.” 

The President nodded and wheeled back around to stare out the window again. Ben was about to turn and leave when Chisom asked, “Ben, what’s the right thing to do?”

“About the alien offer?”

“Yeah, about the offer,” he muttered. “It’s weird but in just a matter of days there’s nothing else that matters. No one’s concerned about the Middle East, it doesn’t matter whose developing nuclear weapons, the financial markets, nothing.”

“I think it’s not only the offer they’ve made, but it’s also that we now know for a certainty that we’re not alone in the universe,” Ben surmised. “Not only are there other beings but they can treat us pretty much any way they want and we’re defenseless to resist. It’s changed everyone’s perspective on life itself, and rightly so.”

“I think you’re right,” the President agreed. “Just finding out about them is enough to shock humanity’s psyche, but to know what they want to do is almost too much.”

“Of course, not everyone is repelled by what they want,” Ben asserted. “I believe that’s what the Vice President wants to talk to you about.”

“I figured as much,” Chisom sighed. “Well, tell him to come in. We might as well go at it.”

“Yes, sir.” 

It wasn’t long before Vice President Gerry Dallas entered the Oval Office and joined the President. He was tall and slender with a booming voice. They greeted each other and he took a seat across from the President. After some small talk he said, “You saw where the House passed the Alien Indenture Act.”

“Yeah, about a half hour ago,” Chisom responded.

“The vote wasn’t even close,” Gerry added. “Only fifty members voted against it. It’ll be a lot tougher sell in the Senate.”

“That’s what I’m hearing, too,” the President said.

The Vice President looked away before declaring, “It may come down to a tie vote.”

“Then you’ll cast the deciding vote as President of the Senate,” Chisom mused. “Is that what you’re thinking?”

“I don’t think we can rule out the possibility,” Gerry agreed. “You want me to vote against it?”

“Yes.”

The Vice President bit his lower lip and declared, “I don’t think I can do that, Chisom.” 

The two men stared at each other waiting for a volcano of emotions to erupt. Finally, the President asked, “You’re willing to publicly break with me on this?”

“I was hoping you would support the bill,” Gerry replied. “I know you have some reservations about this, but I thought with Congress moving against you and all, you’d change your mind.”

“How can we as a government dictate to the people that some of them will have to die so the majority can live a better life?” the President asked.

“We tell the military to sacrifice their lives for the better good,” Gerry asserted. “This is the same thing.”

“No, it’s not!” Chisom’s voice raced with emotion. “It’s nowhere near the same. Soldiers volunteer and know full well what could be expected of them if necessary. We can’t ask regular citizens to volunteer for this!”

“We don’t have to,” Gerry declared. “News reports are showing hundreds of people are saying they’d be willing to go.”

“You know people always get caught up in the moment and will agree to just about anything,” Chisom inserted. “But, when it comes down to it, how many will still be willing to go?”

“I think you underestimate the American people,” the Vice President charged. “They always arise to the occasion.”

“This is not rising, Gerry,” Chisom said with a hint of disgust. “This is lowering ourselves to the depravity of some alien species. If we give in then we might as well go ahead and abolish the thirteenth amendment because there will come a day when no one is willing to volunteer and we’ll have to establish a slave state just to meet the alien’s demands. Are you going to be the one to give the order as to who should go then?” 

Another long period of silence ensued as they gathered their thoughts. Eventually, Gerry asked, “Did you see some of the interviews the evening news had with people who said they’d volunteer?”

“Yeah, I saw most of them,” Chisom answered. “Did you see the ones of the people who felt we should fight this?”

“Yeah, I saw those, too,” the Vice President replied. “The ones that got to me were where people were crying and begging because they know a cure is available for a loved one.”

“They got to me, too,” Chisom revealed. “That one man whose daughter is dying with leukemia was tough to watch. He stared right into the camera and begged, ‘Mr. President, please. Your wife was cured. Please don’t stop them from saving my Beth Ann. They can take me! I don’t care. I just want my little girl to live!’”

Gerry brushed a tear off his cheek and said, “A parent shouldn’t have to beg like that.”

“There was quite a few reports just like that one,” Chisom sighed. “Then there were others who stated quite forcefully, and I believe rightly so, that to give in would be unconstitutional and immoral. Our laws are designed to protect those who cannot protect themselves. We start chipping away at that protection and those laws then chaos will be our future as it will eventually come down to man against man.”

“Chisom, you’re wrong,” Gerry boldly stated. “The aliens only want fifty people every six months. I guarantee you we’ll always have people volunteering.”

“You think they’ll be satisfied with fifty?” Chisom smirked. “Yeah, it’ll be fifty the first time, but when they come back things will have changed. Suddenly, they’ll need more, maybe a hundred. Then before long they’ll need a thousand from each country, and before you know it, they’ll be taking everyone except those they’ve chosen for breeding purposes. The Earth will be no more than a farm to them. Once we start down that path we won’t ever be able to stop them.”

“You think we can stop them now?” Gerry shot back. “They marched through here like they own the place.”

“I know,” Chisom admitted. “But, we start fighting now instead of later, when our numbers are greatly reduced and our will is not our own. Who knows what can happen? I will not roll over and play dead in the face of tyranny. I will not sell humanity short. But the time to resist is from the start and that’s what I’m determined to do.” 

The Vice President looked away in disgust. He gave a huff and asked, “I guess Mattie is feeling healthy today.”

Chisom felt the blood rush to his head as he angrily yelled, “Don’t you go there, Gerry. That’s low and you know it, you...!!”

“Well, she’s the lucky one, isn’t she, Chisom?” the Vice President shouted back. “You saw that man who yelled at the camera that ‘of course President Davis isn’t thinking about us. His wife was healed and he couldn’t care less about anyone else. It would be different if she was still dying!!’”

“You’d better back off before the Secret Service has to come in here and pull me off of you!!” Chisom yelled.

“Look,” Gerry said as he tried to calm his voice. “All I’m saying is there are thousands of other people out there who are more than willing to volunteer to save a loved one. I know I would. I’d go in a heartbeat if it meant saving Jeanie. My God, Chisom, she’s my wife! The aliens could slow cook me if they wanted if she was dying and they’d be willing to cure her!”

“I would do that for any of my loved ones, too, Gerry,” Chisom declared as he felt his anger subside. “But, let me ask you: Would you be willing to let your daughter be eaten to save your wife?” 

The Vice President simply stared and didn’t reply. Chisom continued, “I’m meeting tomorrow with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We’re going to explore every option we have available to fight this invasion. I’m going to make sure we have every weapon up and ready when they return.”

“I see.”

“Also, if the Alien Indenture Act is passed by the Senate, I’ll veto it,” The President declared. “If you have to cast the tiebreaker vote, then what chance is it that the Senate will be able to garner enough votes to override my veto?”

“I see your mind is made up,” Gerry smirked. “Is there anything else?”

“One more thing: If you have to cast the deciding vote and you go against me, then I can guarantee you that you will not be on the ticket with me in two years,” Chisom proclaimed.

“That doesn’t matter,” Gerry asserted with disgust. “From now on when a person buries a loved one they’re going to blame you. There’s a good possibility that you won’t be on any party’s ticket for President in two years if you’re not impeached before then.”

“I think we’re through here.”

“Yes, we are.” 

Later that evening, Chisom entered his bedroom for the night. He could hear the shower running as Mattie bathed. Grabbing a book to read he reclined on the bed. It wasn’t long before his mind drifted from reading, and he stared off into space as he thought deep and hard trying to remember something he had forgot. 

Mattie came out of the bathroom wrapped in her house coat as she dried her hair with a towel. When Chisom didn’t look at her she said “Hi” to get his attention. He didn’t respond. She wrinkled her nose and loudly said, “Hello.” He still didn’t respond. So, she moved closer to the bed and seductively said, “Get ready, big boy. I’m gonna work you over ‘til you beg for mercy.” He was still lost in thought in some other world. She shrugged and plopped down on the bed beside him. This got his attention and he said, “Hi. I didn’t see you come in.” 

“Wow! You were really deep in thought,” she laughed.

He smiled and agreed, “Yes, I guess I was. It’s just something’s bugging me and I can’t figure it out.”

“You’re the President,” she smiled. “Everything bugs you.”

This brought a grin to his face, and he offered, “Yeah, but this is different. I feel like there’s something I need to remember, and I just can’t quite get it. I almost had it this afternoon, but it slipped away.”

“You probably need a vacation,” she declared. “We haven’t taken one in a long time.”

“I can’t do that with all that’s happening,” he said as he put his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

“I know,” she agreed. “I was just trying for a little humor. You look like you could use some.”

He laughed. “Thanks,” he said. “The whole world has turned upside down since the alien’s arrived. I hope I’m making the right decision.”

“You know you have to do what you think is right,” she offered. “But I’ll tell you Chisom, I’m not going to apologize to anyone for being cured. I didn’t ask for it and I certainly didn’t expect it. I wish every sick person could get what I got. But I must admit, there is a small part of me that is grateful to be given another chance at life. Then, on the other hand, I get mad every time I think about how my name is being used to garner support for something that is so repulsive. I’ve thought long and hard about it, and I believe, if given the choice with what I know now, I would’ve refused their medicine if I could have.”

“But you weren’t given that choice,” he asserted. “And I know the aliens aren’t going to give any of us much of a choice. They’re going to come and take as much as they want, and I don’t know if we can stop them.”

“Why do they even pretend to be nice?” she wondered. “They know they’re far more advanced than we are.”

“I got the impression that Al enjoys playing with us,” Chisom offered.

“Like a cat does with a mouse,” Mattie inserted.

“Yep,” he agreed. “And he’s planning the same outcome that a cat plans.”

“Well, I’ve been praying a lot here lately,” she declared. “I give thanks for my cure, but I plead with God to have mercy on us and show us a way out.”

“Yeah, I’m almost down to hoping for a miracle,” he smirked. “Of course, I imagine all the religions are struggling with this new evidence that we’re not the center of God’s attention.”

“I heard a pastor on TV say today that this just shows the infinite love of the Lord,” she offered. “He said we should praise God that His love has no bounds and envelops all creatures whether human or alien.”

“They’re already spinning it, aren’t they?” he sighed. 

They lay snuggled together for a few minutes enjoying being close to each other. Finally, Chisom said, “Look, I want you to be prepared for what’s probably coming.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re going to fight them,” he declared. “We’re going to hit them as hard as we can. They’re bound to retaliate. No doubt they’ll want to remove the leadership of any resistance and that means they’ll be coming after me. I may not survive.” 

She raised up and looked at her husband before gently kissing him. After settling back into his arms, she quietly said, “I love you, Mr. President.” 

Later in the night as they slept, Chisom’s head slightly swayed back and forth as he lay on his pillow. Disturbing thoughts and images raced through his mind and he battled to make sense of it all. Eventually, he fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of events from years past. 

He was ten years old again and was playing near the big tree in the pasture. This was the same pasture where five years earlier men came down from the clouds and abducted his sister, Anna. He had been scared to play there for a long time and his parents had actually forbid him from going there. But, for some reason, on that particular day, he felt compelled to go there. Besides, it had been five long years and no one else in the area had been taken. His young mind dismissed the possibility of anything going wrong. He felt at ease and started swinging on a low hanging tree limb until a light blue streak appeared in the sky directly over his head. 

He stopped swinging and jumped to the ground as he sensed something happening more than he saw it. Looking across the pasture he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary until he looked into the sky. He slowly backed against the tree and held onto it as he was too frightened to run. Out of the blue sky a space craft emerged and settled onto the field merely yards away from him. He wanted to scream for help but his mouth wouldn’t let him. 

Six landing legs emerged from the belly of the craft as it settled and came to a stop. The outer hatch opened and steps descended to the ground. Chisom was so terrified that he was near to crying when a young lady appeared at the door. She looked around and saw the young boy plastered against the tree in fear. With a smile she walked down the steps and strolled over to him. 

As she approached him, she smiled again and said, “Hello, Chisom.” He was shaking so much that he didn’t recognize her at first. Then it dawned on him who the young woman was. She was older than the last time he saw her, but it sure looked like it was her. His mouth dropped open, and he whispered, “Anna?!?”

“Yes, it’s me,” she laughed.

“I don’t believe you,” he muttered.

“Oh, come on, Chizzie, it’s me,” she said as she held her arms open. 

Anna was the only person who had ever called him Chizzie. His mother hated the nickname and wouldn’t let anyone use it around her. But, that never stopped Anna from using it whenever she had the opportunity. He learned to like it, but only when Anna said it. One of the neighborhood boys tried to call him Chizzie one time and it resulted in a fight. No one tried again, especially after Anna was abducted. 

He could hardly believe what he was seeing. With his emotions running rampant, he rushed over to her and they hugged, and she kissed him on the forehead.

“Young man, you have grown!” she declared as they held each other tight.

“So, have you,” he gushed.

“Well, I guess we both have,” she agreed.

“Where have you been?” he asked. “I saw the alien men take you and we looked and looked and couldn’t find you!” 

“Come on, let’s go sit under the tree and I’ll tell you about it,” she offered.

As they settled on the grass, Chisom declared, “Wait ‘til Mom and Dad see you. They’re gonna be so happy!!”

She looked at the ground and then at him. “I can’t stay long enough to see them. I wish I could but I can’t.”

“But...”

“No, Chizzie, I don’t have much time here so I need you to listen closely to me,” she said as seriously as she could.

He studied her face before replying, “Okay.”

She took a deep breath and continued, “What you saw of me being taken by aliens really happened. Some very bad people took me and a whole bunch of other folks. They had planned to do some awful things to us and we would’ve died. But, before they could, some good people came and rescued us. A Colonel Fg helped us escape and then destroyed the ship we had been on. He’s a good man, Chizzie. The bad people thought we had all been killed when the ship exploded, but Colonel Fg wanted them to think that. He knew if they thought we were dead then they would never bother us again and we might even be able to help him catch the bad guys.”

“Wow!” was all Chisom could say.

“I have something for you,” she revealed. “It’s a gift.”

“What is it?” 

Anna rolled her fingers in the air and let the index finger come to rest on her thumb. A small metal box appeared and came to rest in her hand.

“Wow!! You know magic,” the boy almost yelled.

She laughed and said, “It’s more than magic. I hope to show you all about it one day. But, for now, here’s your gift.”

He took the box from her and looked it over. There were no seams and no lid to open. “How do you open it?”

“Do you see that small indented spot on the side?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Just press your thumb on it,” she said. 

When he did the box split in the middle and the top fell to the side.

“The box is smart,” she declared. “It will always remember your thumb print and no one else can ever open the box but you.”

His eyes widened as he stared at what was inside. “It’s a gun!”

“Yes, sort of,” she agreed. “It’s a special type of gun. Go ahead and take it out of the box.”

He gingerly took the gun and pointed it up in the air. “It’s really small,” he observed.

“That’s true,” she said. “But it’s very powerful. There’s no weapon on Earth like it.” 

He swung the gun back and forth and then pretended to shoot an imaginary bad guy sneaking up behind the tree. Finally Anna said with a laugh, “Well, it’s time for me to go.”

“Do you have to go?” Chisom asked with a wince.

“Yes, I do,” she replied. “Now, put the gun back in the box.” 

He obeyed and when it was in place the box closed over it and the seams disappeared.

“Now, such a powerful weapon needs to be locked away until it’s needed,” she declared. “So, why don’t we bury it here under this tree and then when you get older you can come and dig it up?”

“Okay, I guess,” he reluctantly agreed. 

They stood and moved closer to the tree. Anna looked over the ground to find just the right spot. She flicked her wrist and a small hole opened in the ground. “Put it there, please,” she ordered. 

He placed the box in the hole, and she flicked her wrist again. The hole covered leaving no trace that the ground had ever been disturbed.

“Now, you can get it whenever you need it,” she explained. “Come and give me a hug. I’ve got to go.”

Chisom held tight to his sister, and she kissed him on the cheek. Taking his head into her hands, she gently massaged his temples. Staring into his eyes she said, “I hope I can come back one day, and we can be together again. In the meantime, Chizzie, you are to forget all of this until there is a need to remember. I can see you’re getting tired. With all this excitement you must be sleepy.” 

He couldn’t help it, but he yawned and slumped down at the tree trunk. Before drifting off to sleep he mumbled, “I love you, Anna.”

She smiled and said, “I love you, too, Chizzie.” 

It wasn’t very long before he awoke and rubbed his eyes. He looked around at the empty pasture before standing up. Glancing at the sky he scratched his head as he tried to remember something he felt he should. The memory was just out of his reach, so he shrugged and took off running toward home. He felt good as he was happier than he had been in a long time.

====================================================================================

It was Tuesday. The President lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He had just awoke from a dream that had revealed an event from his childhood. Not only did he now understand what had happened to his sister after she was taken by Al and his cohorts, but she was still alive, or, at least, she hadn’t become food for some alien race of hedonistic aristocracy. 

Was his dream real or just his mind reaching for an answer to an impossible situation? He pondered what all of it could mean as he lay beside his gently snoring wife. Did his sister appear to him way back then to prepare him for the invasion they face now? How would she have known years ago that Al would come here at this time? And, what about the weapon she gave him? Could it still be buried under the tree after all these years? Was it something he could use to stop Al and Jessie? He tried to figure it all out, but was left with more questions than answers. One thing he did know: He had to try something to stop the aliens. Maybe this was the answer. If it was, he had to be careful. He didn’t want to tip his hand to Al and blow any chance he had of defeating him. He had to do things right. So, lying on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling, he plotted his course of action. 

Eventually, he reached for the phone beside his bed. Before he could get it to his ear, the secretary on the other end asked, “Yes, Mr. President?”

“Will you get Ben on the phone for me, please?”

“Yes, sir.” 

It wasn’t long before he heard, “Yes, Mr. President?”

“Ben, I need you to do something for me and be very discreet about it,” he replied.

“Of course.”

“I want you to get hold of Don Carter and have him meet me in the Oval Office for a private meeting in thirty minutes,” he ordered.

“The head of your security detail?” Ben asked.

“That’s right,” Chisom said. “And, please only speak directly to him and no one else.”

“Sir, is there a security matter that I need to be aware of?” Ben questioned.

“Well, none beyond the usual,” Chisom explained. “Look, you’re just going to have to trust me on this. I hope to be able to explain it to you one day, but not today.”

“Okay,” Ben said. “We’ll need to push back your meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

“Make it an hour later,” Chisom decided.

“I’ll do that and rearrange the rest of your day to accommodate this,” Ben declared as his mind was already busy working on different scenarios for the day’s schedule.

“And, Ben,” Chisom added.

“Yes, sir?”

“Thank you.

“It’s my pleasure, sir,” Ben said with a smile. 

Chisom hung the phone up and turned over to his sleeping wife. He kissed her on the forehead, and she stirred.

Opening one eye she looked at him and muttered, “Good morning.”

He smiled and said, “Good morning to you, too. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she smiled. 

He took a quick shower and shave before dressing. Within thirty minutes he was on his way to the Oval Office for his meeting. As he walked along the White House corridors he kept going over in his mind his plan of action. When he arrived he asked to be alone in the office until Don could join him. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a legal pad. Hastily he jotted down instructions he wanted followed. 

Right on time Ben opened the door to the Oval Office and declared, “Mr. President, Don Carter is here to see you.”

“Thank you, Ben.” 

The White House Security Chief entered the office while Ben closed the door behind him.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice, Don,” Chisom offered. “I know this is your day off and I really appreciate you coming.”

“If you need me, then I’m glad to do so,” he declared.

“Please have a seat,” Chisom directed. “I wanted to speak to you in private because I have a special favor I need you to do for me.”

“Yes, sir.”

The President took a deep breath and then continued, “You are to speak to no one about this. You and I cannot speak of this to each other nor to anyone else. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes, sir,” Don replied. “I do not intend to offend, but I must ask, is what you’re asking me to do legal?”

Chisom laughed and then offered, “Of all the questions I thought you might have, I didn’t think of that one, and it’s the most obvious one to ask.”

“Well, I am in law enforcement, sir,” Don added.

“Yes, you are,” Chisom agreed. “And, yes, what I want you to do is legal.”

“Good,” Don declared. “So, if we can’t talk about it, then how am I to know what you want me to do?” 

The President handed him a sheet from the pad he had written on. He carefully watched Don’s facial reaction as he read the instructions. The agent lived up to his training and showed no emotion. When he had finished reading, Chisom offered, “One day I hope to fully explain my request.” 

The instructions he had handed the agent were detailed directions to a tree in a pasture in the President’s boyhood hometown. He instructed him to dig up a box that was hidden there years ago and bring it back to the President and place it in the middle drawer of his desk in the Oval Office. The agent was to travel by himself, and no one was to know where he was going and what he was doing. 

After reading the paper twice, Don looked up. “Okay, there’s one part of this that might prove a challenge.”

“I know,” Chisom agreed. He knew exactly the part Don was referring to. The box had to be brought to the President while bypassing White House security. This violated security protocol and was not allowed. “That’s one of the reasons I’m asking you personally to handle this for me.”

The security chief thought for a moment and then smiled, “I thought you said there was nothing illegal about this.”

Chisom returned the smile and declared, “Well, I thought, it was within my executive authority to authorize it.”

Don chuckled and said, “Yes, Mr. President. Will there be anything else?”

“No, Don,” Chisom answered. “Just please do this exactly as instructed and nothing else.”

“I will, sir.” 

After the security chief left the room, Chisom leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He wanted to wipe his mind clear of what he had just done and concentrate on the rest of the day’s agenda. It wasn’t long before Ben entered the room. 

“Here are your notes for the Joint Chiefs meeting,” he declared. Seeing the President with his head back against his chair and his eyes closed, he asked, “Are you okay?”

Chisom opened his eyes and replied, “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you, Ben.” 

The two men stared at each other for a brief moment without speaking. It was the silent communication with each other they had perfected over the years. Ben could tell the President was working on something big and he could feel the excitement building. He nodded his head and then handed the President his notes for the upcoming meeting.

====================================================================================

It was Sunday. Security at the White House was intense as anticipation built for the arrival of the aliens. Chisom had declared a state of emergency throughout the nation and most cities were enforcing their own curfew. It probably hadn’t been necessary as most people were glued to TV sets and computers to watch events unfold in the nation’s capital. 

The Senate had passed the Alien Indenture Act with Vice President Dallas casting the deciding vote to break a tie. The President had promptly vetoed the bill and the House quickly overrode his veto. But, now it was stalled in the Senate as votes to override the veto fell far short of the required two-thirds. The nations were still arguing over whether to accept or reject the alien offer. North Korea declared that any invasion of their land by the aliens would be considered an act of war on the part of the United States. Russia said they had a surprise waiting as soon as the aliens landed. Many people in many lands rushed to the mountains to hide in caves to avoid being captured. Some even took to the seas. The UN was conducting an emergency session to try and resolve matters. As the hour approached for the aliens to return a feeling of doom settled upon the world. Even those who wanted to agree to the proposal felt uneasy. Fear had united an otherwise divided world. 

Chisom had the Secret Service hide Mattie in a secure part of the White House while he and Ben met in the Oval Office. He sat at his desk waiting for the right moment to take the metal box out of his desk drawer. Two days after giving Don his written instructions he walked into the Oval Office to find the box sitting right where he had requested. Don never said a word about it and Chisom didn’t either. He started to go ahead and open it and remove the weapon, but then thought otherwise. For some unknown reason he had a strong feeling he needed to wait until Al was nearby. 

It was early afternoon when the blue streak of light passed over downtown Washington, DC and came to the White House. Once there, the spacecraft settled gently down on the same helicopter pad it had landed on a month before.

The door descended making steps that rested on the ground. Not long after, Al emerged from the craft and stood at the top of the steps. He breathed in the air and surveyed the scene before him. Secret Service and military agents had once again surrounded him with weapons drawn. Behind them were a horde of reporters aiming cameras at him and talking to their audiences as they described the events that were unfolding. 

Al smiled at everyone and nonchalantly strolled down the steps. As he approached the ring of security, he recognized the Captain he had first spoken with a month ago.

“Well, hello, Sergeant,” he laughed.

“That’s Captain,” the man smirked.

“Oh yes, so it is,” Al snickered. “My apology for being so rude. And, might I add, you look absolutely delicious today.” 

He thoroughly enjoyed seeing how quick the blood drained from the man’s face. How he wished Jessie could be by his side and they could relish the moment together. But, he knew she was dutifully watching from orbit as she oversaw the three cargo ships parked there as they awaited his signal to land and start collecting human cargo. But, he did grin big enough for her to see as he wanted her to know he was enjoying himself immensely. 

Inside the Oval Office, Ben and the President watched Al land. Ben quietly said, “He’s here.” 

Chisom nodded his head and sat down at his desk. He opened the middle drawer and pulled out the box. Ben watched closely as the President purposely placed his thumb on the side where there was a small indention. They both watched as the box split in two and the top fell to the side. Inside was a small device that resembled a gun with no open barrel. Chisom quickly grabbed it and put it into his coat pocket. He then placed the top back on the box, put it in his desk drawer, and closed the drawer. 

When finished he leaned forward and let his arms rest on his desk with his hands clasped together. He looked at Ben and almost laughed at the puzzled look on his face. When Ben started to say something, the President waved his hands at him as a signal to not say anything. Ben understood and moved closer to the door to wait for Al’s arrival.

It wasn’t long before a Secret Service agent opened a door and Al sauntered into the room.

“We meet again, Mr. President,” he bellowed as he approached the President’s desk. Then as an aside he said, “And it’s delightful to see you, too, Ben.”

“I hope you came to tell us you’ve changed your mind and are withdrawing your proposal,” Chisom declared.

“No, not at all,” Al asserted. “I’ve been in this business for such a long time now, and you’re only one of many who’s tried to fight against the inevitable. It’s so much easier and less complicated to reach a business arrangement that benefits both of us. I would much rather have Earthlings look forward to us coming back every six months instead of dreading our arrival. When people are afraid it gets messy. I don’t like things messy.”

“Well, I haven’t changed my mind either,” Chisom declared. “What you’re wanting to do is immoral and goes against the very fabric of our existence. It’s my duty to resist you with every means available to me.” 

Al gave a long sigh and shook his head. “Mr. President, you disappoint me,” he said. “When I first starting learning about this planet and its people I was impressed with how you came to the Presidency and how you had motivated your citizens to reach for bigger and better things. You were inspiring. I told myself that this was the type of man that I would be honored to have as a business partner. That’s why I chose to come here to speak with you first. But, now, for some reason, you’re choosing the least inspiring way to go. You’re choosing stress and tension which will only lead your people to experience unnecessary pain and suffering. I’m so disappointed.”

“I’ve never wavered from the fact that I plan to fight you every step of the way if you continue with your threats,” Chisom declared.

Al’s face turned cold as he revealed, “Threats?!? It’s not a threat. It’s reality! Jessie is leading three cargo ships that are in orbit as we speak. Before the day is over those ships will be filled with five hundred people collected from this planet. I suppose someone has to be the first taken, and that might as well be you, Mr. President.” 

Ben shouted, “No!!” This distracted Al’s attention just enough that he didn’t see Chisom reach into his coat pocket and pull out the gun. When he looked the President pulled the trigger. At first, Chisom thought the gun hadn’t worked. There was no sound nor any flash coming from it. Al’s eyes were wide with surprise when he realized what Chisom had done. He started to speak but collapsed into a heap on the floor. Ben and the President stood staring at Al’s unconscious body as they tried to analyze what had occurred. Finally, Ben gathered himself and asked, “What just happened?” 

Sitting at the controls of the lead cargo ship, Jessie was enjoying watching her husband’s antics. She never tired of seeing him go through the motions of trying to deal with barbarians. He was so patient with them even when the circumstances proved difficult. That was one of the reasons she loved him so much. He was respectful of all the species they had met, but he wasn’t a pushover. That’s what made him such a successful businessman. His resolve was unwavering, and he always closed the deal. 

She had to smile when Al told the President he would be the first to be taken. His manner and the look on the President’s face delighted her. She made a mental note to have the President tagged and saved for her. He looked tasty and would be a fine addition to her dinner table. 

It happened so fast she almost missed it. She thought she saw a small PA designed discharger in Chisom’s hand, but that couldn’t be. Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She and Al had been scrupulous in making sure the PA had not been anywhere near Earth in the past twenty years. There was no way the President could have been given such a weapon without her detecting it. She screamed when Al fell to the floor.

“Charge the cannons and prepare to fire!!” she yelled at her First Mate.

“We have incoming ships!” the First Mate shouted back at her.

“What?!?”

“They’re five of them!” he continued yelling. “They’re approaching from the sun! They have markings on them! It’s PA ships, Captain!!”

Jessie didn’t hesitate and yelled, “All ships! Initiate Escape Plan R! Initiate Escape Plan R!!” 

Two of the PA ships headed for a landing at the White House while the other three pursued the fleeing vessels. As they passed out of the solar system Jessie broke into tears at the thought of losing her husband. 

In the Oval Office Ben had opened the door and the Secret Service agents rushed in. They all were studying Al’s crumpled body when the First Lady came into the room. She hurried to her husband as Ben asked, “Where did you get that weapon?”

“It was gift from a long time ago,” Chisom replied as he gave a nod toward Don. The agent nodded back. 

Their attention was diverted as two spacecraft touched down beside Al’s ship. Watching them land, Chisom mused, “I think the cavalry has arrived.”

“Are you sure, sir?” Don asked.

“Yes, I’m pretty sure,” he answered. “Please have your people stand down. We want to welcome these visitors.” 

Don gave the orders to his men as they watched four aliens emerge from the first ship. The agents immediately ushered them to the Oval Office. They had the same light blue tint that Al had and wore similar clothes. As they came into the office, three of them went directly to Al while the other one surveyed the surroundings. He approached Chisom and asked, “Mr. President?”

“Yes,” Chisom responded. “You must be Colonel Fg.”

“Yes, I am,” the Colonel replied. 

The President stuck out his hand and, after hesitating for a moment, Colonel Fg took it.

“Welcome to Earth, Colonel,” Chisom said as they shook hands.

“Thank you, sir,” Fg said. “Mr. President, you have done a wonderful thing for my people. I’ve been pursuing this man for a long, long time. He’s always alluded capture until today.”

“Well, you’re very kind, Colonel,” Chisom declared. “We were completely helpless and would’ve been at Al’s mercy if it hadn’t been for the gift you gave to me when I was a little boy. He wasn’t expecting it.”

“We made a good team,” the Colonel offered. “Now, with your permission, my men will take Al into custody. I want him secured before he regains consciousness. He’s going to be quite agitated when he wakes up.”

“Please, we’re glad to see him go,” Chisom smiled.

“We’ll need to confiscate his ship, too,” Fg added. “It may hold clues that could help in bringing down his entire operation.”

“Of course,” Chisom agreed. “Here’s the gun I used if you want it.”

“No, that won’t be necessary,” the Colonel stated. “It was only good for one shot, and I believe you made the best of it. You might want to keep it as a souvenir.”

“Thank you.” 

The three aliens gathered Al and removed him to their ship while Chisom offered Colonel Fg a seat.

“How long can you stay?” he asked. “We would love to learn more about you and your world. After all, making first contact with an alien species has been quite harrowing for us, but we are interested and curious about you and your people.”

“I wish I could stay, but duty dictates otherwise,” Fg explained. “Today I’ve gained the upper hand on Al’s operation and I don’t want to waste a minute trying to dismantle it.”

“I understand,” Chisom said as the two men rose from their seats. “But, before you go, let me ask you: Is there a reward for capturing one of your most wanted?”

Colonel Fg smiled and replied, “Why, Mr. President, I would think not being eaten would be reward enough.”

“That is true, sir,” Chisom agreed as he returned the smile. “But Al spoke of being able to share medical knowledge with us. He said you Molkovites were medically advanced and had as good as eradicated sickness and disease on your world. I was just hoping you would be willing to share or, at least, guide us in the right direction so we can save the sick and dying on our world.”

“Well, I sympathize with you and your people, sir,” Fg declared. “Al told you the truth, but, I am a man of law and what you ask for is beyond my power to give.”

“I thought I’d at least try and ask,” Chisom said with a weak smile.

“Though I don’t have the authority, there are those who do,” Fg continued. “The other ship that accompanied me here has our Ambassador to the Solar Region aboard. I believe this is a discussion you should have with her.” 

Chisom looked out the window to see the door to the other ship opening. A woman stepped down the stairs and started walking toward the White House. He immediately recognized her. Shouting “Let’s go!” he ran out of the Oval Office and out onto the South Lawn. He yelled “Anna!!” and she started running toward him. They ran to each other and embraced with tears flowing down the faces of both. Before long they were joined in the celebration by Ben, Mattie and Colonel Fg.

“Look at you, Chizzie,” Anna declared. “You’re all grown up.”

“This is Anna?!?” Mattie asked with astonishment.

“Anna, this is Mattie,” Chisom choked out. 

The women hugged and the chatter continued as emotions flowed freely. Eventually, the Colonel declared, “Well, if I may be excused, I will take my leave. I believe you two have much to discuss, and to catch up on.”

Chisom grabbed him and hugged him, too. “Thank you Colonel. Words cannot convey my gratitude.”

“And, thank you, Mr. President,” Fg offered. “Your name is destined to become famous among my people.” 

He bowed toward them all and said, “Mr. President. Madam.”

Anna brought her hand to her heart and offered, “Thank you, Colonel Fg. You are indeed a true friend.”

He nodded his head and simply said, “Ambassador.” With that he turned and walked to his ship. 

As they walked back toward the Oval Office, Colonel Fg’s craft rose and took flight immediately followed by Al’s.

Once inside the office, Anna looked around and declared, “I can hardly believe this, Chizzie. My baby brother is President of the United States!”

Ben had taken all he could stand. He blurted out, “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

Mattie declared, “Me, too!” 

So, Chisom shared with them his dream about meeting Anna again when he was ten years old. He told them about the box with the gun in it and how it had been buried at the tree for almost fifty years. 

“So, you knew Chisom would become President one day and face this threat?” Mattie asked.

“Colonel Fg and his intelligence officers determined after they rescued me and the other humans on the Bea that Al and Jessie would eventually come to Earth,” Anna explained. “They always plot out long term plans as they move through the galaxies consuming every world they can. So, Colonel Fg wanted to take advantage of the fact that Al thought we had died in the explosion of the Bea. They asked for my help and trained me in their ways. Believe me, it was quite an education. So, with their expertise and my knowledge of Earth we put all sorts of different traps in place here for the day when Al and Jessie would finally arrive. We had to discreetly set them years and years ago because Al and his team would carry out surveillance for years before invading a world. They always try to stay ahead of the PA and only invade worlds where no contact with Molkovites has ever taken place. So, we had to set the traps before they started looking hard at Earth so they would think we’d never been here. I had to manipulate Chizzie to where he wouldn’t remember any of my visit until he came face-to-face with Al. If you had remembered any of it before then we would have run the risk of Al detecting what we planned to do. So, I set a mental block in you and only seeing Al would slowly jog your memory into remembering the box we hid together. Once we had all that in place, it was a matter of lying low until Chizzie opened the box which sent us a signal that Al was here. All this took longer that we had first imagined, but then we eventually realized Al had been dealt a severe blow when his plants on Aqira were destroyed. It took him a long time to recover and rebuild his empire.”

“So, then you did know that President Davis would become President,” Ben surmised. “Even when he was a small boy, you knew that?”

“No, not exactly,” Anna replied. “The Molkovites scientist have developed amazing skills in mathematics probabilities. With their advanced computing skills they can look at a person’s DNA and predict a dozen or more scenarios of how that person’s life will develop. As for Chizzie, they predicted he would be big in government. His exact role was not known, but it was determined he would be involved enough to have a chance to thwart Al.”

“How did they get my DNA?” Chisom asked.

“I’m your sister,” Anna chuckled. “We share the same DNA.”

“I didn’t think of that,” Chisom laughed. “We’ve got to call Dad and Mom. They’ll be beside themselves to see you again.”

“Good, but first I want to talk business with you,” Anna declared.

“You, too?” Chisom smirked.

Anna laughed and explained, “It’s really about the reward you were talking to Colonel Fg about.”

“I see,” Chisom mused. “So, is there something you can do?”

“I think there is,” she replied. “I have a team of doctors and scientist aboard my ship and we are prepared to share our knowledge with Earth’s inhabitants.”

“Can you cure cancer?” Mattie almost whispered.

“Yes,” Anna answered. “I can almost assure you that by this time next year Earth will be cancer free.”

“What price do we have to pay?” Ben sullenly asked.

“Wow! Al and Jessie sure left a bitter taste in your mouth,” Anna observed. “What you did in helping capture one of our most notorious criminals is really payment enough. Besides, when I first met the Molkovites they were a withdrawn society. They had no desire to reach out and work with other species. I take some pride in the fact that I’ve been able to convince them to be more outgoing. This is their first real endeavor at doing so. That’s one of the reasons they appointed me their Ambassador. I guess I pushed them into it and so now they want me to put up or shut up.”

“So, you are going to help,” Chisom declared almost out of disbelief.

“Yes, I am,” Anna asserted. “There is one condition though.”

“What is that?”

“Our help is to benefit all nations and not just one,” Anna declared. “The knowledge we share cannot be used to gain any social, military, or financial advantage over anyone. I have been allowed to come and help Earth. That’s what I intend to do.”

“That’s fair enough,” Chisom said. “I will put the full power of the Presidency behind that.”

“Good!” Anna smiled. “Now, let’s go call Dad and Mom. I’m dying to see them again!”

“Let’s go up into the residency and call from there,” Mattie offered. “It’ll be more comfortable. Ben, would you join us?”

“Yes, thank you.” 

They started out of the Oval Office, but Chisom stopped and turned back toward Don. He walked over to him and gave him a hug. The startled agent at first didn’t know how to respond but quickly decided to hug the President back. When finished, Chisom grabbed him by the shoulders and said, “Don, you did exactly what I asked you to do. Al knew way too much about our world for me to take a chance and speak about what I needed done. More than likely they were closely monitoring all verbal communications. The note was the only thing I could think of to get around that.”

“It worked, sir.”

“Yes, it did,” Chisom agreed. “In large part it was because of you and I’m going to make sure everyone knows what you did. The least we can do is award you the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Thank you for your trust in me and what you did.”

Don was taken aback and almost choked with emotion before nodding his head and saying, “Thank you, Mr. President. And, may I say, thank you for saving Earth.”

Chisom grinned and said, “No, Don. We saved Earth!” 

With that said, the President rushed to catch up with everyone heading to the First Family’s residence. The events of the afternoon was quickly spreading through all the news outlets as the world began learning of Al’s capture and the arrival of more aliens. Later in the evening President Davis addressed the nation and shared the details of what had transpired. He introduced to the world his sister as the Molkovite Ambassador and together they told of plans to gather doctors and scientist together for a summit where the Molkovites would share their knowledge with one and all. Earth breathed a collective sigh of relief and excitement built for the prospects of a bright future.

====================================================================================

It was Wednesday. Chisom settled back in his chair on the Presidential plane. The past six years had seen events take place on Earth that were mind boggling. He had been right in the middle. The threat from Al and Jessie had been thwarted, mankind now knew for a certainty they were not alone in the cosmos, and his sister had virtually come back from the grave. Not only was she alive and well, but she had been instrumental in defeating Al and had spent the last few years as the liaison between humans and alien scientists and doctors as cures were developed for all sorts of diseases. More had been accomplished in medicine in the past five years than at any other time in human history. 

There had been a few attempts by some unscrupulous military leaders, politicians, and mob leaders to use the knowledge being learned from the aliens as a means to further their own personal agenda. Anna would not allow it and quickly squashed anything she saw as a threat to the free sharing of knowledge and ideas. She had become one of the most popular people in the world and on Molko. 

Chisom’s own popularity soared as the full scope of what had happened became public knowledge. He easily won reelection to a second term as President. In fact, the opposition barely mounted a campaign against him. They could easily see the writing on the wall and many of them supported him as well. Soon after the election a movement began to repeal the twenty-second Amendment which limits a President to two terms. It was gaining momentum when Chisom announced to the nation that he had no intention of serving beyond his second term. The movement quickly died after that. 

About two months after Al’s capture, Vice President Dallas announced that he was not interested in being on the ticket for reelection. Behind the scenes he was told by the President that he would be replaced and it was up to him if he wanted to take the high road and make everyone think it was his idea. The Vice President didn’t argue and humbly accepted his fate as retribution for voting for the Alien Indenture Act when Chisom had told him not to. Secretly he had plans of preparing for his own run for the Presidency when it was time for Chisom to leave office. 

A couple months before the scheduled national convention to renominate him for a second term, Chisom was perplexed over who to choose as his running mate. He, Mattie, his parents, and Anna were at the Camp David retreat when he expressed his frustration at not being able to make a decision. 

Mattie tried to help and offered, “Any one of the people you have in mind will be a great addition to the ticket. As popular as you are right now, I think you can select about anyone you want. Just choose one and don’t fret over it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know,” he declared.

Anna looked at him and said, “Well, you haven’t asked my opinion, but I have one.”

“Okay, Anna,” he laughed. “Who do you want?”

“I think you should choose Ben,” she offered. 

The smile faded from Chisom’s face as he gave her idea serious thought. “Ben, huh?” he mused.

“I never thought of him,” Mattie declared.

“Who’s been with you every step of your political career?” Anna asked. “He’s been in on every decision you’ve made, and no one can question his loyalty to you and your administration.”

“What do you think, Chisom?” Mattie asked.

Chisom rubbed his chin and quickly weighed all the ramifications. “Well, I think I’ve found a running mate.” 

Without hesitation he summoned Ben to his quarters. The Chief of Staff entered the room and glanced around at everyone. He could sense something was brewing but he wasn’t sure what it was. The President was reclining on the couch with Mattie at his side. His parents were in the adjoining room watching TV and Anna was sprawled out in a chair beside the couch. 

“Ben! Thank you for coming,” Chisom said when he saw him enter the room. “Please have a seat.”

“Okay,” he said as he sat in the chair beside Anna.

Chisom took a deep breath before continuing. “Benjamin Willis, we’ve been a team for a long time, haven’t we?”

“Yes, sir,” Ben agreed. “A very long time.”

“Haven’t I always solicited and welcomed your ideas on everything we’ve done?” Chisom asked.

“Yes, sir,” Ben replied. “Well, everything but the gun you hid to take down Al.”

“That was different.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you ever refused to do anything I’ve asked you to, even though you personally may have done things differently?” Chisom continued.

“No, sir, not that I can remember,” Ben answered. He was starting to get nervous as it seemed the President was intent on interrogating him for reasons not entirely clear.

“Do you, Benjamin Willis, foresee any reason that you would publicly disagree with me and jeopardize the workings of my administration?” Chisom asked.

A bead of sweat broke out on his brow as he was desperately trying to figure out if he had done something to make the President think he had been disloyal. “No, not that I can imagine,” he replied. “You’ve never asked me to do something I couldn’t support.”

“I agree wholeheartedly,” the President bellowed.

“Whew!” Ben declared. “I thought I was in trouble or something.”

“Oh, you’re in trouble all right,” Chisom laughed. “You’re in more trouble than you realize.” Mattie and Anna joined in the laughter.

“I am?!?”

“Yes, Ben,” Chisom smiled. “I want you to join me on the ticket as Vice President.” 

Ben was stunned. In his wildest dreams he would never have conceived of this happening. He found he could hardly move much less give an audible reply. Finally, Chisom asked, “Are you willing to join me?”

“Well, sir, I...”

Anna reached over and touched his hand and gently said, “You’re the right person for the job.”

He stared at her. There was something about her touch and her soothing voice that stirred courage buried deep inside him.

“Nicole will make a great Second Lady,” Mattie inserted.

Ben smiled at the thought and replied. “I serve at your pleasure, Mr. President.”

“Good, but you see, there’s your problem,” Chisom declared. “You’re going to have to start calling me Chisom. I can’t have my Vice President running around saying ‘Yes, Mr. President’ and ‘No, Mr. President.’ Do you think you can start calling me Chisom?”

“I will try, sir, uh, Chisom,” Ben grinned.

They all laughed and then the President offered, “Why don’t you call and talk it over with Nicole? She’s got to be on board for this, too. Then, we can plan out when we’ll announce your selection to the convention.” 

So, Ben joined Chisom and served as his Vice President during his second term. After the election, he started grooming him to make a run from the Presidency in four years. Even though former Vice President Dallas mounted a vigorous campaign for the nomination, Ben handily defeated him and went on to win the general election to become the new President. 

Chisom beamed with pride as he watched Ben being sworn in as his successor. He was ready to start a life away from politics and he felt confident he was leaving the country in good hands. 

From his seat on the Presidential airplane, he turned on the TV to watch the inaugural parade passing by the new President and First Lady. He couldn’t help but think that Ben sure looked good in his tuxedo. It was easy to tell he and Nicole were enjoying themselves. 

As for Chisom, he and Mattie were on their way back home after spending so many years in Washington. Mattie had told him she was ready to quit being a politician’s wife and was looking forward to living a more normal life. His parents had left with Anna and the other aliens some six months earlier to travel to Molko. Anna wanted to go back and report on the progress that had been made on Earth. She said they would be gone at least a year. With all the advancements in medicine his parents were as healthy as they were when they were fifty years younger. It warmed Chisom’s heart to see them spend time with the daughter they thought they had lost. No doubt, the recent advancements in medicine and good health would give them all many years to spend together. 

The TV flickered as a high school band marched in front of the Presidential box. It flickered again and Chisom tried to change channels to get a better reception. He was startled when Al’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, Mr. President,” Al smirked. “I bet you thought you’d never see me again.”

“Al?!?”

“Yes, it’s little old me,” he responded. “Did anyone really think Fg and his lackeys could keep me locked up? I don’t think so, especially when I’ve got Jessie on my side.”

Chisom blew a sigh and declared, “It never stops.”

“Oh, Mr. President, you don’t have a clue,” Al asserted. “I’m nothing compared to what’s out there. There’s evil lurking that you could never imagine in your worst nightmare. You just wait until you meet the Wasinz or the Callups. What the Wasinz will do to your children is almost unthinkable. You couldn’t defend yourself from someone like me without help, so how do you think you’re going to fair when they come knocking?”

“I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Chisom offered. “That’s what we did when you came here.”

“Yes, I must admit, I did underestimate your resolution and resourcefulness,” Al admitted. “But, I’ve learned from my mistakes. It won’t be so easy for you next time.”

“Next time?” Chisom asked with a surprised look. “I figured you’d stay as far away from us as you could with the PA knowing you’ve been here.”

“Ah, but that’s the beauty of my plan,” Al grinned. “The PA is made up of a bunch of bureaucratic idiots. They think I’m too scared to come back to your planet with them hanging around. Mr. President, they underestimate me. I know how they work. They’ve already tired of dealing with you pathetic beings and their interest is now concentrated elsewhere. Besides, they’re off looking for me in another part of the galaxy. So, I can visit you and conclude our business.”

Chisom felt a chill crawl down his spine at the thought of Al coming back to Earth. He boldly declared, “I think you’re making a mistake.”

“No, not at all,” Al asserted. “It’s a brilliant plan, almost flawless. Jessie has spent the last few years gathering resources together and now we have the ability to strike your world in one swift move and harvest millions of people at once. She’s been watching your world closely ever since I was kidnapped. We’ve seen the advances you’ve made and how healthy everyone is looking now. Because of that your market value has greatly increased. It won’t take me long before I virtually wipe out all human life on Earth and fill my coffers with meat I can sell over the next ten to fifteen years. The PA won’t have an inkling where I’m at as I’ll not need to do any raiding runs for a long time. I’ll sit back in hiding, sell my human products, and rake in the money. It’s a beautiful plan.”

“So, why did you chance contacting me?” Chisom wondered. “You know I can easily get a message to the PA. They’ll come running.”

“No, you can’t,” Al smirked. “Jessie has expertly jammed any long range communications from Earth to Molko. She’s made it look as if it’s stellar interference so no one will get suspicious until it’s too late. You’re dead in the water, Mr. President. I’m going to land at your White House and personally escort you to one of my cargo ships. I plan to enjoy every moment.”

“Well, Al, I have news for you,” Chisom sneered. “I’m not President anymore.”

“You’re not?!?”

“No, I’m not,” Chisom repeated. “A person is limited to two terms of four years each. Then they must step aside and someone new is elected. I’m afraid you’ll not find me at the White House. It appears you’re still a little behind on how we do things here. I would’ve thought you had plenty of time on your hands to study about us over the past few years with your incarceration and all.”

“I had other things that kept me busy,” Al smirked. “It doesn’t matter. A President is a President. It’ll be a crowning moment for me when I drag him to my ship in front of all the cameras and security. Jessie and I might even cook and eat him right there in front of everybody. It’s the least I can do after the way you humans disrespected me.”

“You should think long and hard about this,” Chisom warned. “Your plan is destined to fail. Just like before, you underestimate us Earthlings.”

Al laughed and then barked, “I beg to disagree Mr. ex-President. I will come to your world and take what I want.”

“If you say so,” Chisom smirked.

“Oh, by the way,” Al continued. “Once I’ve taken care of the new President then I’m coming after you.” 

Chisom simply shook his head. Al gave a hearty laugh while the TV blinked and returned to the inaugural parade. He leaned back in his chair and thought for a few minutes. Then with a sly grin he opened the desk drawer and pull out a writing pad. When finished writing, he called for Don to come to the flying office. 

“Yes, sir?” the lead Secret Service agent asked when he entered the room.

“I have one last special favor to ask of you,” Chisom revealed.

“Again, sir?” Don asked with a smile.

“Yes, but this one’s not quite as bizarre as the last request,” Chisom replied as he returned the smile. He handed the agent the piece of paper and continued, “When you get back to Washington, will you deliver that paper to President Willis for me?”

Don glanced at what was written and nodded his head. “I suppose this is to be a non-verbal message, sir,” he asserted.

“Yes, please,” Chisom said. “Do not repeat it and don’t show it to anyone but the President.”

“That should be easy enough,” the agent declared. “I’ve had practice at doing this kind of thing.”

“Thank you, Don,” Chisom laughed. “Would you share a drink with me?”

“I’m on duty, sir.”

“How about a diet Mt. Dew?”

“I’d be honored, sir.”

====================================================================================

It was Thursday. Benjamin Willis, the new President of the United States, lay in his bed beside his wife, Nicole, exhausted from the events of the last two days. There was the inauguration, followed by one party after another. His second day started late and most of the day was spent in getting oriented to his new job. So, he was very tired and looked forward to a good night’s sleep. He did find the energy to roll over and give his wife a goodnight kiss.

“President Willis,” she sighed. “It has a nice ring to it.”

“Better than Vice President?” he teased.

“Of course,” she replied.

“And then there’s Nicole Willis, First Lady of the United States,” he grinned. “I like the sound of that.” 

This time she leaned over and gave him a kiss. When she did his eyes widened as he remembered what he needed to share with her.

“Let’s join hands, dear,” he said. 

She looked surprised at his request but took his hand. They both closed their eyes as their fingers melded together and their thoughts became one as they read what the other was thinking.

“I thought you were tired,” she asserted.

“I’m exhausted,” he replied. “But, I’ve got to tell you this and no one can hear us.”

“It must be about Al and Jessie,” she guessed.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“Yuri Bane, the head of the UN Health Council called me today,” she explained. “He wanted to congratulate us on the inauguration and then he just happens to mention that he was having trouble reaching Anna on Molko. I didn’t let on to him, but it crossed my mind that it sounded as if communications might be blocked. If that’s true, it’s got to be Jessie doing it.”

“Al, too,” he added.

“How?” she asked. Then it dawned on her and she asserted, “He’s escaped.”

“Yes, he has,” Ben agreed.

“How do you know for sure?” she questioned.

“Don Carter handed me a handwritten note from Chisom today,” he explained. “He said it was given to him on the plane as they took Chisom and Mattie home.”

“What did his note say?”

“It simply said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President. Your time has come,’” Ben revealed. “I imagine Al has already made contact in some way with him.”

“How in the world did he escape?” she wondered.

“You’ve got to think it was Jessie,” he offered. “Everybody knows she’s the real brains behind their operation.”

“Most women are,” she teased. 

They laid in silence for a while until finally, Nicole asked, “Are we ready for them?”

“Yes,” he replied. “You know I’ve worked hard the last four years as Vice President secretly meeting with all the branches of our military. Once Chisom had full knowledge of what was happening, he insisted I share the advanced military knowledge of the Molkovites. Al and Jessie will have no defense against the fire power we’re going to rain down on them.”

“And we’ll have the element of surprise on our side, too,” she asserted.

“Al and Jessie won’t know what’s hit them until it’s too late,” he added. “This time there won’t be any capture. This time I intend to destroy the threat. Then maybe word will spread to the Wasinz and the Callups that Earth is not easy pickings. The longer we can put off their threat the better.” 

Nicole gave a sigh and mused, “I wish it didn’t have to come to that.”

“I know,” he agreed. “But those two are not going to stop. This will have to be the final showdown.”

After a few moments she changed subjects, “I miss Molko.”

“Me, too,” he agreed. “I look forward to lying on a yellow beach with you by my side.”

“I guess there is no place like home,” she said. Then she laughed, “I’ll never forget the look on Chisom’s face when you revealed to him that we’re Molkovites. It was priceless.”

“I know,” Ben said. “At first, he was burning mad at me. He thought I’d deceived him all these years.”

“Well, in a sense he was right,” she chimed in.

“I guess,” he agreed. “But he did calm down when I told him we were born on Earth, but our parents came from Molko. He was still surprised to learn how our skin color had been altered to match Earthlings and how we were raised to fit in as normal humans.”

“Our parents were truly illegal aliens,” she mused.

“Then he had to sit down when I told him it was Anna’s touch at the cabin at Camp David when he offered me the Vice Presidency that unlocked the memory of my true heritage,” Ben reflected. “All he could do was mutter something about his sister being sneaky. Then he quickly formed the plan for me to prepare the military for the day if we were threatened again.”

“My memory started returning when later than night you touched me,” Nicole remembered. “That’s when I realized that as small children we were sent back to Molko for education and training. They even temporarily changed our skin color back so we could experience what our lives were truly meant to be.”

“Ah, even though we were small, I fell in love with the life there,” he said.

“I remember the beautiful hills and vast oceans with the gentle breezes,” she added.

“I remember being light blue.”

“I remember being light teal,” she sighed. Then she quickly asserted, “Oh, Ben, I want to be teal again.”

“I promise we’ll go back to live there when our job here is done,” he promised. “I have no intention of running for a second term if I can eliminate Al in the next few years.”

“Oh, I hope Chisom’s message is right and that it’ll be soon,” she mused.

“I feel certain it will be,” he asserted.

“Maybe tomorrow...”

“Or the day after...”

“Or the day after that?” 

THE END

Copyright ©2014 by Jerry W. Crews