Outta This World

"She doesn't know?" Grace asked.

John shook his head.

"Let's get you something to eat and drink," George said. "We have a lot to discuss."

*****

Sheryl sat in shock as a chicken salad sandwich and a Pepsi were set in front of her. The room was full of John's family gathering for comfort, all were looking at Sheryl with curiosity and at John's silver suit with surprise.

Grace set a change of clothes in front of John and said, "I think you can change out of the suit now, Son."

John nodded and left to change. The loss of his grandparents had sunk in and hit him hard. He was thankful to get out of the room.

George patted her hand and said, "Sheryl, please eat while I offer some explanation."

She felt the calm emanating from George and agreed. As she took a bite of the sandwich, he began.

"In 1947, my parents and their crew came here to make contact with our sister race."

"Wait! Sister race?" Sheryl interrupted.

"Both of our worlds were, for lack of a better word, seeded, by our ancestors. Your people and ours have the same origin. We, however, developed several millennia ahead and had advanced farther than your people when we arrived here."

"It's true?" Sheryl sighed, thinking of the ancient alien theory.

Grace nodded, and George continued.

"Centuries ago, we found our ancestors' home world and found a long dead civilization. Civil war destroyed their people, but thankfully their history was preserved for us to find."

"This is unreal," she sighed and sat back in her chair.

"Our home world sent my parents and two dozen crew to contact your people. When our scout vessel disappeared, we came to look for them, but we were too late. Your military had already found their crashed ship and the bodies of our crew.

"Our command ship was disabled by this planet's atmosphere, and we crashed here on this site. We built a safe haven and made an agreement with your government that we would stay here and live our lives peacefully. In return, we gave them some limited advanced technology."

Sheryl shook her head and asked, "What about those...who are they? The Vasage?"

"They were a warrior race, determined to take control of our home world. Millions of my ancestors were killed in the old wars before they we developed a virus that killed the Vasage. We didn't know any had survived."

"You killed an entire race of people?" She asked.

"It was the worst moment in our history," he lamented. "Since then, we have lived peacefully for centuries."

"That doesn't make it right." Sheryl countered.

"We agree and it seems we have now paid the price."

"Dad," John said as he walked back in the room. "One of theirs told me our people are all gone."

George nodded. "I feared as much."

Grace cried along with the others as the news spread through the room.

Suddenly, Joseph burst into the room.

"I've assured the President that we took care of the Vasage threat. He's demanding a meeting tomorrow and wants a full report."

John sat and said to Joseph, "I couldn't believe it when I saw the image of The Capitol in the Vasage soldier's mind."

"I'm our people's liaison to the government," Joseph explained. "They sent a smaller crew to destroy my home, but I saw them coming. They didn't know about our new abilities and didn't stand a chance."

"I was asleep, when they attacked," John lamented. "I wasn't ready."

"It's over now," George consoled. "Our friends in the government will cover up what's left of the mess."

Sheryl said, "John, why did you say I wasn't safe if you left me behind. Why would they come after me?"

He smiled, "You're carrying my child."

Sheryl fainted.

*****

Sheryl woke in a dark room and felt John's calming presence.

"John?"

"It's okay. You passed out."

"Did you use your power on me again?"

"No, it was shock."

She remembered his last words and asked, "How did you know I was pregnant? We only just had sex last night."

"My people can feel it when we're near our own kind. It's especially strong with our children."

"How can I have your child? You're an alien. Oh, my God! You're an alien, and I had sex with you."

"We are basically the same on a genetic level. I assure you, my grandparents being from another world won't have any effect on us being together. On a side note, I was born here, so I'm technically an American citizen."

She rolled her eyes at his poor attempt at humor, then touched her stomach and asked, "It will survive? I mean..."

John smiled and said, "Yes. There should be no complications."

"I knew you had powers."

He nodded, "I am...well, I guess Joseph and I are the only ones who've developed the abilities so far."

"Your parents can't..."

"All of my people have a basic ability to feel others' emotions, and to some extent read minds. I can obviously do more. My entire youth was spent developing those abilities."

"You didn't know about Joseph?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I had no idea we had a separate family that worked with your government that closely. My father just now told me it was to keep them safe."

Sheryl sat silently as she put all of the puzzle pieces together in her mind.

"You can crush peoples' brains."

"Oh, I can do much more than that. That's just the fastest way to...well, to kill them."

"You can make people do things?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Did you do that to me?"

"Sheryl, I can't make people love me, and I didn't make you do anything except put you to sleep."

"But you could feel how I felt about you."

It wasn't a question as much as a statement.

John walked over to her side and took her hand, "Sheryl, I promise I feel the same way and didn't take advantage of your feelings."

She wasn't sure if she believed him, and for the first time, she questioned how she felt in his presence.

"Sorry to interrupt," Grace said as she rushed into the room. "John, there's another ship in orbit."

"What?"

"Your father needs you in the command room. Everyone is being taken to the mountain bunker."

"Sheryl, go with my mother. Everything will be fine."

As he rushed from the room, he stopped and turned around.

"I love you, Sheryl."

A tear fell as he hurried from the room without her getting a chance to respond.

Grace said, "Everything will be fine, child. Don't worry. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or my grandchild."

She touched Sheryl's arm and Sheryl felt calm again. She wondered if John lied about them just being able to read feelings and minds. They obviously had the ability to calm her. Maybe John didn't know they had those abilities?

"Let's get to the bunker so you can help me with the children. They'll be frightened and will need our best efforts to lift their spirits. Truthfully, I think they'll be so curious about having an outsider in our bunker, you'll be answering questions the entire time."

Sheryl answered, "Sure, I'll help any way I can."

*****

"What do we have, Dad?" John asked as he entered the communications room.

"We're not sure. It came from the dark side of the moon and is holding in orbit."

Joseph said, "We've analyzed the tech, and it doesn't match the Vasage vessels we have."

George added, "We were debating on breaking communication silence when you arrived."

John shrugged, "I say we break it. An alien ship in orbit is easier to spot than someone on the surface picking up our communication signals. The humans will find out anyway."

"He's right, George," Joseph said. "The cat's out of the bag and we can't have another attack down here. The President was already thinking about taking us into custody. I may have adjusted his attitude on that, though."

There were arguments from the others in the room until George put an end to it.

"It's settled. Jacob, reach out on all stellar channels."

John looked around the room and noticed it was only older men except for him and Joseph. He knew that the younger and able-bodied people would be in the bunker to protect the rest of the family, so he wasn't surprised. It surprised him that he and Joseph were even in the room. Then he saw the silver suit on a table in the nearest corner of the room. John knew then he was there for his abilities.

The suit was created after decades of development. Bullets up to fifty caliber deflected off of it while the suit absorbed the energy so the wearer wouldn't feel the impact. It also absorbed the energy from the weapons of his people and apparently the Vasage. The material was a chemical modification of the alloy used to build part of the original command ship.

George said, "Joseph, go home to Washington. Convince the President we have it under control and use your mental abilities only as a last resort if you must. We can't have any problems with the humans. We're going to try to communicate with them, and then we can use the Vasage ships to meet them in orbit, if we have to. I don't want them coming down here and causing another panic."

Joseph nodded then left the room.

"I have them, Sir," Jacob said, making the room go still.

"What language are they speaking. Who are they?" John blurted before his father could ask the same question. "Sorry, Dad."

George smiled. He always hoped his son would follow in his father and grandfather's footsteps to lead their people.

"They speak the language of home, Sir. They called themselves descendants of Inairtas."

The room buzzed from the revelation of the source of the alien craft. George spoke up, "Please, please, calm yourselves. Okay, everyone except the council of elders please clear the room. Let's keep under alert until we're certain of their intentions. John, please go with the group and stay with the rest of our people in the mountain bunker."

"Dad, I can..."

George cut him off, "This is a matter for the elders. Please do as I say."

John nodded and left the room.

He followed the rest of the group who weren't on the council of elders and hugged a relieved Sheryl as soon as he made it through the large door of the bunker.

"What's going on, Son?" Grace asked.

"We've opened communications with them, and they say they're descendants from home. They spoke our language."

"Survivors of the purge?" she gasped.

"No. I don't think so. I don't know the whole story, Dad sent me here."

Grace was confused as to how they would know their language. The Anunnaki had their own ancient language and the only other seeded planet in the ancient texts, Earth, had many languages. On Inairtas, they decided long ago, one language was the best way to manage planetary communication.

"John, something doesn't feel right with this," Grace warned.

"Let's see what happens after Dad speaks with them."

She nodded and turned her attention back to the children.

Sheryl asked, "John, are you worried? What do you think of all this?"

"I don't know. I don't like the coincidence of their being nearby when the Vasage attacked."

"They say they monitored the Vasage after what happened on Inairtas and were too late getting here to help," George said as he walked into the room.

"Where are they from, Dad?" John asked.

"Jacob mistranslated originally. They say they are the last descendants of a group of our people who left our home and went on their own centuries ago."

"What do they want?"

George shrugged, "They wanted to help us against the Vasage. They say they monitored this section of the galaxy and were aware of us. They had a long-standing vow to stay out of Inairtan life, but when the Vasage took over our home, they wanted to protect us. They also said the Vasage didn't take the whole planet and many of our people have survived but are enslaved."

"What's the next step?" Grace asked.

"They are going to go back to the dark side of the moon and stay in contact. They offered to take us to their planet if we desired to leave and they expressed interest in fighting the Vasage to take back Inairtas."

"Whoa!" John gasped. "How long will a journey to Inairtas take?"

"Two Earth years with their more advanced engines."

"George, that's incredible," Grace added. "It had taken the Telot Seven six years to make the trip to earth."

"We have a lot to discuss, I think," George nodded. "I'm going to convene a full council meeting to discuss our options. There are still some elders that were on the original crew who may like to go home."

*****

"Finally, we have a minute alone," John said as he walked into his old quarters, where Sheryl was waiting. John met with his father after the elders spoke and they made some decisions.

She looked at him sadly and asked, "With that new ship willing to take you all home, are you going to go?"

He took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"No, my love. I'm staying right here with you and our child."

She gave a small smile. It still hadn't sunk in for her that she was pregnant. If there was any other news that could take her mind off that, it was her lover being an alien who had to fight other aliens to survive.

John continued, "Joseph is going to go home with the others who wish to go. I'm going to take over his role as liaison to the government."

"Really?" she asked excitedly. "Is anyone else staying?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Those with young children have elected to stay. They will stay here in the compound and keep our agreement with the United States. We will continue to give them little tech upgrades and they will continue to give us safe haven."

"Your inventions are just your alien technology," Sheryl shook her head. She felt as if she were lied to.

"Well, some of our inventions are new technology. My phone screen is a completely new thing I designed. Some of my dad's designs for the Air Force were his own as well."

"What about us, John? Our baby. What about Ari?"

"I was hoping you'd come to Washington with me and marry me. I'd love to raise Ari as my own."

"That's no way to ask a girl to marry you, Pal."

"I suppose not. Here, I'll make it up to you."

He smiled as he mentally stimulated her clit and amplified what she was feeling in the pleasure center of her brain. The effect was a mind-blowing orgasm.

"You son-of-a-bitch," she gasped.

John panicked.

"I'm sorry. I forgot I promised to not use my abilities on you."

"No, you jerk," she said before kissing him deeply. "I'm mad you can do that and never have before."

They laughed and hugged.

"I do love you, Sheryl."

"I love you too, Spaceman."

*****

Epilogue

John and Sheryl sat on their front porch watching Ari play with Orion. Sheryl rocked her six-month-old son in her arms.

John smiled at his son and felt his wife's and the boy's happiness as the child slept.

A car pulled up and stopped in front of their new home. A bookish man with white hair and glasses stepped out of the passenger side, while the driver walked around the car with wild brown hair, wearing a khaki shirt and matching pants. He looked as if he didn't own an iron and had stock in Aquanet.

Sheryl looked at John and he smiled in return, calming her, "I'll take care of it, Honey."

He stood and greeted the men before they opened the front gate.

The wild-haired man appeared to be in charge said, "Hello, we're from An..."

"I know who you are and where you're from."

He turned to Sheryl, and she nodded, as if giving him permission.

John turned back to the television host and said, "Thanks for stopping by. I'm sorry the story you're working on was a wild goose chase."

The man shook his head as if snapping out of a trance, "Um, yeah. Thank you. We're sorry to bother you."

John watched them drive away and Ari bounced over to him. "Who were they, Daddy John?"

"Just some men looking for truth, Sweetie."