what you would call the captain of this ship. I sense we have much to discuss. Would you permit a small party from our ship to come aboard your ship?”
Liam considered carefully. The thought of a chance to speak with real live aliens was exhilarating, even if he was halfway convinced that he was dreaming.
“Do I have your word that your intent is peaceful?” he asked.
Elina nodded, “Of course, Captain Hawthorn.”
Liam took a deep breath, “You may come aboard then, but give me time to prepare the rest of my shipmates for your arrival.”
Elina smiled, “Of course, may we come aboard in twenty-four of your Earth hours?”
Liam found himself smiling back.
“Tomorrow it is then,” he answered. Elina lifted a hand,
“Farewell until then, Captain Hawthorn.” Liam lifted a hand in response and the screen returned to the view of the outside of the alien ship.
Liam looked around at the crew members around him. Every face looked dazed. He understood how they felt.
“You all have done well handling the situation.” Liam walked toward the controls for the intercom, “Let’s hope the rest of our shipmates handle it just as well. I think I better call a meeting.”
Fifteen minutes later Liam stood on a stage in the ship’s auditorium facing a crowd of over 400, only a few of the security officers weren’t at the meeting and Liam knew they would be listening from the security room. He didn’t usually have trouble speaking to crowds, but then again he wasn’t usually announcing that aliens existed and would be coming to visit tomorrow.
He caught Clara’s eye where she was sitting in the front row and she smiled encouragingly at him, though it was clear that she, like everyone else. was wondering what this meeting was about.
Liam cleared his throat and began to speak, “A few hours ago security informed me of an object coming towards us. When it got close enough we identified it as a spaceship.” There were gasps from the crowd,
“A ship from Earth?” someone called out.
Liam looked out over the crowd, “The ship was not from Earth.” He paused for a moment, waiting to see how the crowd would take this news. For a heartbeat there was dead silence, then a babble of voices broke out: frightened, excited, disbelieving.
“Please quiet down,” Liam called, and slowly the crowd obeyed.
“The beings aboard the ship contacted us,” Liam continued, “And a small group of them will be coming aboard tomorrow.” At this babble broke out again.
“They could be dangerous!” a voice called sharply.
Liam looked toward where the voice had come from, “I do not believe they are a threat to us, but we will of course take precautions and monitor them carefully.”
He called for quiet again and waited until the crowd settled down, “I know this is a situation most of you never imagined being in, but I suspect we’ll have many more of those on this journey. A group like us has never gone into space, and there has never been a mission like ours. We always knew, though some chose not to believe, that we might encounter alien life on our journey. I believe these beings have good intentions, and out here I’d much rather make friends than enemies. We saw back on Earth what violence and hatred can do, now we have a chance to make better choices, to not repeat those mistakes. I know what I’ve told you seems impossible, but I believe you all can accept this and not judge our guests by notions you’ve received from science fiction movies. We were chosen for this mission for a reason. The name of our ship means peace, and it is under that name that we will welcome our guests tomorrow. Thank you all for coming to this meeting. You are dismissed.”
As the crowd began to leave, talking in low voices, Liam walked off the stage, meeting his wife and daughter at the bottom.
Little Esther’s eyes were wide, “We’re really going to meet aliens tomorrow, Daddy?” Liam nodded.
“They aren’t going to eat my brains, are they?”
Liam tugged gently on one of his daughter’s curls, “Absolutely no brain-eating, I promise.”
The Visitors
At breakfast the next morning Liam couldn’t eat.
Clara smiled gently, placing her hand on top of her husband’s where it lay on the table, “Today’s the day,”
Liam nodded tensely, “I still feel like this is all some crazy dream. Half the time I’m overwhelmed by joy at the thought of speaking with aliens; the other half I’m terrified I’ll say something that will offend them so much they'll declare war on us.”
“Hey,” Clara said softly, “Look at me.” Liam looked up into his wife’s eyes.
“It’s going to be fine. You’re going to do great.”
Liam took a deep breath, “How do you know that?”
“Because I know you. You’re a wonderful captain and a better man, if these aliens know as much about humans as they seem to from what you’ve told me, they’ll see that too.”
Up until this point Esther had been unusually quiet; now she spoke up, “Mummy’s right, Daddy, you’ll do great. You’re the best!”
Liam ruffled his daughter’s hair, “I’m very lucky to have you and your mummy to encourage me.” Esther beamed.
Clara got up, kissing her husband’s cheek and then taking their daughter’s hand, “Come on Esther, time for school, even if aliens are coming to see us later we still have to learn.”
“Bye, Daddy!” Esther tugged her hand out of her mother’s and skipped off, calling back over her shoulder, “Don’t forget to bring the aliens to meet me!”
Clara laughed affectionately, “Good luck, Liam, we’ll see you later.” She hurried after Esther.
The rest of the time until the aliens were scheduled to come aboard passed with both excruciating slowness and astonishing speed. Each minute seemed to last an eternity, and yet every time Liam looked at the clock it seemed impossible how much time had elapsed.
Twenty-three hours and forty-five minutes after the first contact with the other ship Liam stood with several security officers in the bay where they kept the escape pods. All eyes were fixed on the doors to the airlock. Precisely fifteen minutes later, fifteen of the longest minutes of Liam’s life, his personal communicator beeped and one of the officers in the security room informed him that a small spacecraft had arrived. Liam pressed a button, opening the outer airlock doors. He waited a few minutes after closing them again for the oxygen level in the air lock to return to normal, then pressed another button. The doors in front of him slid open and a sleek shuttle rolled into the bay, coming to a halt next to the escape pods.
The shuttle doors slid open, a small ramp extended down, and four beings stepped out.
Liam recognized Elina, the leader. With her were another female and two males.
Liam
