First Contact

The aliens arrived at dawn over New York city. It wasn’t the traditional flying saucer, but more of a cigar shaped craft not much bigger than the space shuttle. It hovered over the Empire State building, then did a slow circuit over Manhattan. All the while, a deep voice from the craft kept repeating the same message.

“People of Earth. We come in peace. We come with great gifts.”

There was a fair bit of panic, despite this reassuring message. Fighters were scrambled from the nearest air base. National Guard troops moved in to help control the crowds. Finally, the craft set down in a large clear area in Central Park and sat there waiting.

Eventually a crowd started to gather, keeping a respectful distance. The media descended in a horde, and the police showed up and formed a perimeter. Then the mayor arrived and strode towards the ship with his aids clustered around him. Immediately the media began shouting questions, and he stopped and raised his hands.

“First, let me assure you that it appears there is no danger. The aliens have not done anything threatening. I’m going to go now and see if I can make contact.” He then started walking towards the craft.

“Sir,” said one of his aids as he walked beside him. “Just because they haven’t done anything hostile doesn’t mean we should trust them. Their promise of gifts seems a little suspicious. They may be here “to serve man”.

“Yes, I’m familiar with that story too, but I don’t think they’re here for a cookout. Let’s just see what they have to say.”

The mayor and his group stopped about twenty feet from the craft. A few minutes later a door opened in the side, and an alien emerged. It was bipedal and wearing a shiny suit. Its helmet was a transparent globe, and they could see a hairless dome like head, with two rather large protruding eyes, and a slit for a nose. Its thin-lipped mouth was pulled back in what appeared to be a human like smile, although it wasn’t showing its teeth. It had small ears set high on its head, and its skin had a faintly yellow cast, which made it look jaundiced. It stopped about ten feet from the group and executed a bow, with its six fingered hands pressed together in front of it.

“People of Earth, I greet you. Please call me Lanrue. I am your equivalent of male, although for my race it doesn’t mean quite the same as it does for you. I have come to you bearing great gifts.” Lanrue’s lips moved when he spoke, but his voice came from a speaker on his chest. It appeared to be a translation device, as his lip movements didn’t match the words. It was like talking to a dubbed movie.

“Welcome to Earth, Lanrue,” said the mayor. “I am the mayor of this city, which is a type of leader, and we are pleased to meet you. What are these gifts of which you speak?”

“Allow me to show you,” Lanrue said. He adjusted a control on his wrist, and an image appeared in the air. It showed a seaside scene on a planet with a dark blue sky. There was a large building, built with curves and arches fronting on an actual white sand beach. Waves lapped against the shore, and what appeared to be birds, although they had four wings instead of two, swooped back and forth above the sand.

“This is a planet in what you would call the Kepler system. As you can see, it is a beautiful place with temperate seas and sandy beaches. I can assure you the air is breathable for humans, and you would be able to enjoy the world with only minimal anti-allergen medication.”

“So, are you saying you’re giving us this world?” the mayor asked in surprise.

“Not the entire world, no. What we are giving you is the ability to rent, for a reasonable fee, ten of your days of residence in the magnificent home you see here. It has all the amenities humans could want and is the epitome of luxury. Furthermore…”

“Wait, wait, wait a minute,” the mayor said, holding up his hands. “Did you say rent, for a certain amount of time?”

“Yes, many of your people would be able to enjoy this property, and others like it.” The mayor looked dumbfounded.

“My God,” he finally said. “He’s here to sell timeshares!”