World War II alien abductees and their descendants plan to return to Earth and save it from an alien invasion.

THE CHILDREN OF EARTH NOW

by Josef Zaitsev © 2024

“That’s not something you see every day, Doctor Jones.”  A short and thin Chinese woman in a course brown flight jacket and uniform flashed a grin, pointing to the gigantic sky above them, and gave him a wink. “And we aren’t even in a galaxy, far, far away.”

Jones smiled, looking up at Jupiter and its giant red spot taking up most of the sky, and joined her on the park bench bolted onto the moon of Europa.  “It is something, Commander Sun.”  He chuckled, giving her half a hug, and failed to get any more bench space for himself.   “You know I didn’t even see a plane until I ten, and it was such a big deal that the whole town went out on the street to get a look.”

“I was sixteen.”  Sun turned to share a look with him, still grinning, and gave him a big nod.  “My whole village ran into the fields.”

 “A lifetime ago, Commander.”  Jones nodded back and pointed past Jupiter.  “Decades and worlds away.”

“So, I hear,” Sun gave him a look and a nudge and then smiled big right at him.  “Nice touch using my new title.”

“I thought you’d like it.”  He gave her a wink back.

“I do.”  She ignored it, shaking her head, and gestured to the nearly invisible ice enclosure surrounding them.  “The park is very nice too.”  She nodded to the terraformed gardens with two families and three couples enjoying the open space and crisp coolness and a uniformed man watching over all of them.  “Did you do this?”

“Not on a doctor’s salary.”  Jones wagged a finger at her.

Sun wagged one back.  “Like you’ve practiced medicine in the last 50 years.”

“Only in emergencies.”  He shrugged, still smiling.

“Still like the title, though?”  She looked right at him.

“I didn’t graduate from Harvard for fun.”  He let go of a smirk, leaning back into the bench, and looked back up at the giant red spot.

Sun laughed, watching him, and pointed to the universe around and past them.  “I figured you might’ve diverted some profits from your other, nonmedical, pursuits.”  She leaned in closer to him.  I understand you’ve done all right for yourself since taking down the shingle.”

“I’m not that generous.”  Jones shook his head, still smirking, and let out another laugh.  “You’re actually not going to believe who built it.”

“Hmm.”  Sun sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow, and looked right at him. “Try me.”

“The Dwanem trader, Sel Triam,” Jones said, ignoring Sun’s look, and nodded as her mouth dropped.  “He said he wanted the traders, pilots and grunts to remember what they’re working for in our backwater system.”

“I thought he was a pirate.”  Sun’s eyes narrowed.

Jones looked at her with another shrug.  “He can surprise you.”  

“He’s not alone.”  Sun pointed to beyond Jupiter.  “The Dwanem Parliament offered me a round the clock security detail.”

“Really?”  Jones’ features tightened.  “You’re serious?”

“They’re worried about some unspecified threats.”  Sun waved to the park and the moon beyond it.  “Wouldn’t say what.”

“So, of course you turned them down.”  He sighed.

“I am commanding a well-armed military cruiser, Doctor.”  Sun tapped the military patch and insignia on her jacket and then pointed the family and couples in the park.  “It seemed a little unnecessary.”

“But your first officer insisted on the bodyguard?”  Jones sat up, ignoring the patch and insignia, and turned to the uniformed man keeping an obvious eye on them and everyone else. 

“Lieutenant Commander Zaitsev says they’ll shoot him first.”  Sun pointed a thumb at her bodyguard and laughed.

“Then you’ll fill the attackers with bullet holes?”  Jones looked and didn’t see a side arm on her hip.

“Something like that.”  Sun patted the bulge under the left side of her jacket and half grinned.  “I always thought my reputation was a bit exaggerated.”

“You must be worrying the right people.”  Jones looked again at the uniformed man watching them.

“What can I tell you?” Sun said, ignoring his pointed look, and felt a ball roll to her feet.  She looked at it and then at the little Dwanem girl staring back at her with the usual bulbous nose, protruding forehead and giant eyes and picked up the ball.  She held it out to the girl, seeing her parents rushing toward them, and just waited.  She smiled and tossed the ball back to the girl, who let it hit the ground and just kept staring at her.  She winked at the girl, pointing to the ball between them, and then waved to her approaching parents.

Jones watched it all.  “I’m glad to see you’re making friends.” 

“I’m glad I don’t have to worry about little girls.”  Sun nodded to the girl and her parents before turning back to him.

“The Dwanem are happy we’re doing better.”  Jones watched the girl pick up the ball and head toward o her parents.  “They’re just not used to the uniform,” Jones said, pointing to the patch and insignia on her jacket.  “They like the idea more than the reality.”

“Who doesn’t?” Sun said, watching the parents lecture the girl as she smiled back at them and showed off the ball Sun had thrown to her.  “It’s not the first time we’ve lived together.”

“Yes.”  Jones raised an eyebrow to her while still looking at the family.  “And that worked out so well for them 35,000 years ago.”

“I meant after they pulled us off of Earth.”  Sun pointed beyond Jupiter to a blue dot much closer to the sun.

“I know what you meant, but when the Dwanem see the uniform they’re not thinking how much we owe them.”  Jones noticed the Dwanem father keeping on eye on him and Sun.  “They’re thinking how our ancestors would’ve wiped out their ancestors to the last Neanderthal except for the luck of alien intervention.”

“I think we’ve proven we can get along since then.”  Sun nodded to Jones and waved again to the family with a big smile.  “Yes, we’ve had a few bumps…”

“Some big.”  Jones looked right at her.

“Some very big.”  Sun looked right back.  “But think of all the opportunities they’ve given us and our children.”  She pointed to the little girl and then the parents.  “How much success we’ve had because they introduced us to space travel seventy-five years ago?”

“Maybe.”  Jones nodded and looked up again at the giant red dot.  “My grandkids certainly can’t imagine the Earth we came from.”

“I wouldn’t have survived without the Dwanem,” Sun said, noticing her bodyguard watch the girl edge back toward her.

“Does he realize how lucky he is?”  Jones turned back to the park with a smile at the girl and a nod to the uniformed man.

“Probably not.”  Sun shook her head but smiled again.  “But he’s got a lot of potential.”

“Richard and Christine’s youngest?”  Jones took in the uniformed man, touching his shaved head, and gave Sun a glance.  “I heard he transferred to your command after three years with the Ya’neth?”

She grinned.  “You still have your own intelligence network, Doctor?”

“It’s a small world, Commander.”  He met her eye, shrugging, and grinned too.  “And I was always a gossip.” 

“I remember.”  She shook her head and pointed again to the uniformed man.  “That transfer is next week.”  She nodded to him.  “Lieutenant Prescott there is the one going over to the Ya’neth.”

“Really?”  Jones gave Prescott a twisted look.  “He’s ready?”

“He knows what’s coming.”  Sun almost frowned.

“That’s different.”  Jones turned back to her.

“True, but my only concern is that he just married my chief pilot who’s staying on board.”  Sun frowned all the way.

“I’m impressed.”  Jones’ face straightened out and he pointed to the universe beyond them.  “I don’t remember having enough faith in the future to get married when I was his age, particularly with so much going on.”

“Oh.”  Sun looked past him, the park goers and Prescott.  “Dark clouds ahead, Doctor?”  

“Not for me, but I’m not trailblazing a new path for humanity,” he said, taking in everything too, and then turned to look Sun in the eye.  “Nor am I the one who purchased enough plasma to start a small war, Commander?”

She shrugged, still looking past him, and then felt the ball at her feet again.  She looked down, picking it up and smiled at the Dwanem girl with her frowning parents waving behind her.  She waved back and threw the ball to the girl who laughed and shouted, “Thanks,” before running back to her parents, who looked at her sternly and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

Sun smiled.  “I have no intention of starting a war, Doctor.”  She turned back to Jones, handing him a data pad from the inside of her jacket, and lost any trace of her smile.  “The money’s all there along with the TV shows you wanted.”

“They’re for my granddaughter.”  Jones took the pad, giving a big shrug, and pocketed inside his jacket.  “Sponge Bob that is.”

“Right.”  She half laughed.  “Sure.”

“But my granddaughter’s not the only one unhappy about the jamming satellites.”  Jones straightened up and pointed to the blue dot in the sky.  “You really think somebody on Earth is really going to see a UFO?”

“NASA’s pretty close.”  Sun looked at the blue dot too.  “And the Europeans and Chinese are getting there.”

“Well, I’m glad those satellites will keep humanity in the dark a little longer.”  Jones nodded, tapping the data pad in his jacket, and gave her a smile.  “And thanks for the last season of Breaking Bad.”

“You’re welcome for that and the cartoons.”  Sun leaned back into the bench, keeping her eyes on him, and raised a finger.  “And I noticed you didn’t really answer my question about the future.”

He looked back at her and raised a finger too.  “I’m glad you’re not thinking of starting a war.”

“I couldn’t win.”  Sun shrugged and shook her head.

Jones nodded with half a frown.  “Not without stealing some more technology, Commander.”

“I don’t do that now that I’m all respectable, Doctor.”  Sun gave him a look.

“You were good at it.”  Jones looked right back.

“Thanks.”  Sun nodded and looked past him again. “But I’m counting on the recent diplomacy and keeping a low profile as we ease into Earth’s guardianship.”

“Then why all the plasma?”  Jones noticed her look away and pointed to Prescott still watching them.

She met his eye again.  “Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.”

“A good philosophy.”  He put on a smile.

“One you practiced, I thought, no?” 

Jones kept his eyes on hers.  “You’re going to step on a lot of toes in and around Earth, Commander, and I’m not just talking about the Dwanem.”  He pointed to beyond Jupiter and toward Pluto.  “The Ya’neth aren’t too happy with the new status quo even if they agreed to it.”

Sun held up her hands in surrender to him.  “I’m not looking for a fight.” 

“The fight’s looking for you.”  Jones lowered her hands.

“Am I wasting my time then?”  She grabbed one of his hands in her own.

“No.”  He squeezed it and swallowed hard.  “Earth can’t stand on its own.”

“But you don’t think it’ll work.”  She squeezed back.

“I’m sorry, but no.”  Jones took his hand back.  “I didn’t think it would work when we first talked about this 25 years ago.  He shook his head.  “And I’m not sure you’re going to be around to have this conversation next year.”

“But you’re still supporting me?”  Sun leaned in closer to him.

Jones kept his eyes right on hers.  “You’re diving into the deep end of the pool.”

“That’s why I bought the plasma.”  Sun waved him away.

“And you’re a very small fish.”  Jones ignored her gesture and took in a deep breath.

“That’s what diplomacy is all about.”  Sun tried to smile.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve told you this.”  Jones stood up from the bench, gazing up at the giant red dot for a moment, and then turned back to her with a frown.  “Why are you making me say it again?”

“I don’t know,” Sun frowned back, taking in her own deep breath, and stood up too.  “But let’s do it again next year.”

Jones stared at her, nodding to himself for a moment, and then put on another smile.  “I hope so.”  He touched her arm for a second, and then nodded to the rest of the park.  “You seem popular.”

“What?”  Sun gave him a look.

Jones pointed to the ball at their feet and the smiling Dwanem girl five meters away waving her hands in the air.  Her parents stood behind her with their own smiles and gave a quick wave.  Sun waved back and picked up the ball, throwing it to the girl, and laughed.  The girl caught it and threw the ball right back to Sun, who almost dropped it, but held on at the last second.  She laughed again seeing the girl and parents laugh too then threw the ball back to the girl and waved over Prescott before the girl could throw it again.  “Well?” she said, turning back to Jones.  “Maybe we’re going to be all right after all.”

“Maybe.”  Jones nodded, giving the girl and her parents his own wave, and turned back to Sun.  “You were always good with kids.” 

“It’s a start.”  She nodded and started walking toward Prescott.

“True and I hope you succeed, Commander Sun.”  Jones followed her with a frown.  “A lot of people want to bring Earth into the bigger universe, and humanity isn’t ready yet.”  He shook his head.  “Not by a longshot, I’m afraid.”  He looked around the park, taking in another deep breath, and turned back to Sun.  “Sel Triam is going to be one of the first coming after you.”

“I heard,” Sun said, smiling at the families and couples in the park, and waved one last time to the little girl.  “And we’ll be ready.”

“Good.”  Jones shrugged.  “I guess I’m not the only one with an intelligence network.”

“It’s a small world.”  Sun patted him on the shoulder.

He half smiled.  “I’ll do what I can for you, Commander.”

“I know you will, Doctor.”  Sun smiled all the way.

Jones stopped and just looked at her.  “We’ll talk again in a year?”

“Let’s make it six months.”  Sun offered her hand.

Jones shook it and smiled all the way.  “I hope so.”

“I hope so too,” Sun shrugged.  “I just bought all that plasma.”

“Right.”  Jones laughed, giving her and Prescott a wave, and started for the other side of the park. 

Sun watched him go, looking up at Jupiter’s red spot one more time before swallowing hard and heading in the other direction.

***

Of course the adventure continues.

Read how Commander Sun and the crew of the Rising Star save the Earth from an alien invasion.

All in Children of Earth and Beyond.