First Contact

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The Homecoming: First Contact Copyright © 2005 Alex J. Alex ISBN: 1-55410-564-1 Cover art and design by Sara Creasy All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books, a division of Zumaya Publications, 2005 Look for us online at: www.zumayapublications.com www.Extasybooks.com

Dedication: To Dawn.

Alex J. Alex

The Journal Chapter One Abduction hat the hell is that?” I mumbled to myself. I was just literally staring off into space when I noticed something coming towards the shuttle. I squinted as I tried to see what it was. As it got closer, I motioned for Colonel Alice McBride to come over to the view port and take a look. It was a gold color and looked like a long slender cylinder, rounded off at the end. Alice gave me a startled look. Turning to the communications equipment, she drew her index finger across her throat in the classic silent signal to cut the transmission short and sign off. “Houston, this is Enterprise. Stand by.” Janet English cut the transmitter off. “What’s going on?” “Take a look, everybody,” said Alice. “We have a visitor out there, and it’s not one of ours. I’ll bet it’s not a Russian either. Give me a secure channel, Janet.” I was the only civilian on the space shuttle mission

“W

1

Homecoming: First Contact along with six military crewmembers. Colonel McBride, a tall striking woman in her early forties, was the Mission Commander. She was the most experienced shuttle pilot aboard. I was the Co-pilot. I had been selected from thousands of applicants to be the first official representative of the Civilian Aviation Patrol to go on a Space Shuttle mission. The sophisticated Space Shuttle was a far cry from the Cessnas I usually flew on search and rescue missions, but I figured they might have chosen me because my real job was flying Boeing 747s between New York and London. Air Force Major Phyllis Green, along with Navy Captain George Henning, Commander Bob Mangini, Lieutenant Commander Joe Bell, and Lieutenant, jg Janet English were all Mission Specialists. Joe was the engineer responsible for the satellites we were launching. A Lieutenant Commander, Joe had been a part of the team pushing for the new enhanced Global Navigation System from the beginning. A vast improvement over the GPS (Global Positioning System) that was in place at the time, the system consisted of thirty satellites connected by a laser communication network placed in orbit at certain strategic locations around the globe. It was similar to other systems in place, but much more sophisticated and reliable. Janet, the Communications Specialist, was a real ham on the radio, especially if she knew that it was a live broadcast. In her early twenties, she was also the youngest member of the crew. She was on the radio, reporting the launch of Satellite Number Eighteen, 2

Alex J. Alex when I had noticed that we were being shadowed and pointed it out to Alice. Janet switched to a different frequency and handed the mic to Alice. “Houston, this is Enterprise,” she said. “Roger Enterprise, this is Houston. This frequency is to be used for emergencies only. Do you have a problem?” “Houston, this is Colonel McBride. I need to talk to General Slater, Right Now! We have an unidentified bogie matching orbit with Enterprise and it’s only about a hundred meters away.” “Uh-oh,” said Joe. “There’s another one approaching over here.” “Houston, did you copy that?” asked Alice. “Roger Enterprise, this is General Slater. I understand you have a UFO, er, two of them? Is that correct?” “Houston, that is affirmative,” said Alice. There was a moment of startled silence while we watched the visitors match our course, one on each side of the spacecraft. “Enterprise, there are no other known vehicles in your area. We are picking up your two bogies and have picked up two more approximately five clicks out. They are closing fast. Let us know when you see them.” “Roger, Houston.” There was another pause while we waited for Houston to tell us what to do. “Enterprise, listen, Alice, this is Ben Slater again. We’d like to get a look at them, but we don’t want it 3

Homecoming: First Contact broadcast so every TV in the world can receive it. What we want you to do is point the camera at one of these things and turn it on and off very quickly. We’ll tape it here and analyze it. Can you see the other two yet?” “General, that’s affirmative. They have joined the first two and have us bracketed. So far they’re just sitting there about a hundred meters out, all four of them.” We did as the General had asked and gave Houston a picture of one of the bogies. “General, this is McBride. What about our mission? We are supposed to be releasing these satellites, and we have an E.V.A. scheduled. We have no idea what we’re up against here, but I’m not sure we should push our luck. Do you have any ideas?” “Colonel, we’re contacting the State Department and the White House. I’m not sure what you can or can’t do with all that company up there. We don’t know if they’re hostile, friendly, or what. And we have no way to help you from here, anyway. When is your next satellite supposed to be released? Oh, wait, I have it here.” There was a pause while the general looked at the schedule, trying to figure out what to do. Then he said, “Colonel, have Captain Henning release the next satellite on schedule. That should be in approximately two hours. It can all be done with the mechanical arm. Let’s just sit tight until then. We’ll pass on any instructions we get in the meantime. I guess you know that this is real important history in the making—probably the most important event of all 4

Alex J. Alex time. Jeez, I wish I was up there with you. Just sit tight and keep an eye on them for now, O.K.?” “O.K. Houston, this is Enterprise, out.” “Roger Enterprise, Houston out.” The next two hours were somewhat tense, to say the least. Henning and his group were occupied checking out the satellite’s program and getting it ready for release, but the rest of us could only watch the alien ships and each other. We had been in orbit for over two days, and we joked about how it was too bad we couldn’t clean up and change clothes if we were about to meet an alien race for the first time. Under the circumstances, the air conditioning didn’t seem capable of keeping up with the perspiration. We got to looking closer at the alien spacecraft. They appeared to have a polished gold-colored surface. In shape they were cylindrical, with one end rounded off—what appeared to be the front end— and the other end flat. They didn’t have any wings like aircraft, and they didn’t seem to be rocket powered. They had just sort of glided up and matched Enterprise’s course. They were awfully close, too. A hundred meters might seem like a lot to some people, but it was too close for comfort in a situation like this. We wondered what the aliens were doing. Why would they just sit out there like that? Of course, if we didn’t know how to contact the aliens, maybe the aliens didn’t know how to contact us. Curiosity overcame some of the terror that might have consumed us. It was actually quite surprising how calm we all were. What kind of creatures could they be—little green 5

Homecoming: First Contact men, funny-looking creatures like in ‘Star Wars’ movies, hideous monsters, bloodthirsty aliens? All these thoughts went through our minds. We also wondered if the aliens might try to contact us, and how they might go about it. Would they try to board Enterprise? If they did, we wondered what we should or could do. The ships were about the same length as Enterprise, but much more slender. Of course that really didn’t make much difference in space, but they looked sleek, compact, and efficient. We wondered where the aliens might have come from. Could they be from another planet, like Mars? The unmanned probes to Mars seemed to show a lifeless desert. Could they be from another star system? That seemed more likely, but the ships seemed to be a bit too small for such a long trip. What if these ships were from a larger vessel? What if they were part of an invasion fleet? Why were they just sitting out there, not contacting Enterprise or anything? Could it actually be that they didn’t know how to make contact? Maybe the shuttle should try to contact the aliens. All these thoughts went through our minds too, but the fact was, there had been no hostile action. As the time approached to release the next satellite, we wondered how the aliens might react to the mechanical arm moving about in the cargo bay. Bob Mangini would be operating the arm and, as the time approached, he went over the procedure and his checklists. “Enterprise, this is Houston. We have informed the press that they will not be able to monitor your radio 6

Alex J. Alex transmissions for a while. We didn’t give them a reason, of course, but we want to keep it quiet for a while longer. The weather in Florida is lousy, but Edwards is ready for you if we want to abort. Has anything changed?” “Houston, this is Enterprise. They’re still there, haven’t moved in almost two hours.” Janet was back on the transceiver. “What have the big shots got to say about this?” “Enterprise, you don’t want to know what they’re saying. The President is flying back to Washington from England. The State Department is trying to figure out potential protocol. The C.I.A. thinks it’s either a hoax, or the Russians or the Chinese. And the Pentagon has every tactical fighter wing and all carrier-based aircraft ready to scramble. We just want to see what they do when you release that next satellite.” “We’re curious about that too, Houston. We hope they don’t see it as a threat.” “Janet, we’re ready to begin positioning Number Nineteen for release now,” said Bob. “O.K., Bob,” said Janet. “Houston, we’re positioning number nineteen for release.” The mechanical arm began to unfold toward the canisters holding the satellites. Then there was a brilliant flash of light from each of the bogies and they were gone. Bob was the only one who didn’t seem to be rattled. He kept on following his checklist, picked up the satellite, activated it, and released it. Then Joe fired the rockets to boost it into orbit. Janet was busy telling Houston what happened to 7

Homecoming: First Contact the bogies when they reappeared. They came in slowly and matched course again. Then three of them moved off about one kilometer. There was another brilliant flash of light which this time we could see came from the flattened ends of the cylinders, and they were gone again, except for the closest one. We used polarized binoculars to observe them this time. Houston wanted to know all about it. Janet had given them a play-by-play report and was launching into speculation when they interrupted her. “Enterprise, there’s a very large, repeat, very large bogie approaching you. It is decelerating from either a higher orbit or coming in from further out.” “Houston, how far away is it? And from which direction is it approaching?” “Enterprise, it’s at six o’clock and about ten clicks out, but closing fast.” “There it is,” said Phyllis, who was getting into position to maneuver the spacecraft. I buckled in too. “O.K. everybody, let’s buckle up, as they say,” said Alice. “Secure everything. Janet, find out when we can abort and make a break for Edwards.” Janet contacted the ground and had them start a countdown. “It’ll be about thirty minutes, Colonel,” she said. “O.K.,” said Alice. “Henning, get the doors closed. Green, as soon as everything is secured, be prepared to rotate on Houston’s command.” “Colonel McBride, we may not have a chance to abort. Look at the size of that thing, and it’s coming straight at us,” I said. 8

Alex J. Alex “It looks like it’s all opened up on the end, Colonel,” said Phyllis. “It looks like it’s going to swallow us.” And that’s exactly what it did. It came straight at us, approaching from six o’clock, and the walls of its hull were suddenly all around us. A huge set of doors closed in front of us as it engulfed us. Enterprise drifted to what appeared to be the floor of a hangar deck, as lights came on around us. Janet announced that she could no longer raise Houston. We watched as enormous tie-down straps descended from above to hold Enterprise in place. As soon as the shuttle was secured, the lights went out again. Then we were hit with a ‘G’ force that could only be compared to lift-off. It was accompanied by a muted roar and a slight bit of vibration. “Wow, what a ride,” said George. “I’m glad I got the doors shut on the cargo bay.” “I wonder where we’re going,” said Bob. “Well, at least they haven’t hurt us,” said Joe. “I’ll bet they’re going to study us or something. I wonder how we’ll communicate.” “Anybody as advanced as this can surely find a way to communicate,” said George. “I just hope they’re friendly.” We were under acceleration for at least fifteen minutes, and then after about five minutes of weightlessness, another fifteen minutes of vicious gforce. It’s a good thing we were strapped in and ready to maneuver when they got hold of us. Anyone not tied down could have easily been killed. We figured they had accelerated out of orbit toward a destination, 9

Homecoming: First Contact turned around, and then decelerated. We were treated to some bumps and clanging noises. Then the lights came on again. As the lights came on, the big doors in front of us opened up. What we saw was hard to believe. It looked like a huge hangar deck. It was full of ships like the ones that had shadowed us. This space would have dwarfed the hangar deck of any of the Navy’s biggest aircraft carriers. There must have been at least a hundred ships parked there, and each one was almost as large as Enterprise. There were people there too—hundreds of them and there was something unusual about them. None of them had on a stitch of clothing. Well, that’s not exactly true, some of them were wearing knee length boots, and most of them had on short capes. They each had on a weapons belt with a dagger and a pistol, as well. But other than that, they were all naked. “It appears we have a delegation approaching,” said Alice. Four of the creatures were drifting towards us in the weightless environment. The whole ship appeared to be in free fall. “Goodness! They’re good looking, at least,” said Janet. “Look at that hunk with all the muscles.” “You can say that again,” said Bob as he checked out the females. “This is going to be interesting,” said George. There was a knocking/pounding on the hatch. “I guess we had better see what they want,” said Alice. “Bill, open the door. I just hope we can breathe the air out there. At least they look like us.” 10

Alex J. Alex I opened the hatch. The creatures hovering just outside the hatch, two males and two females, did appear to be human, just like us, except they were all bald. They had absolutely no hair. Even the females had no hair. And I mean they really had no hair at all. No pubic hair or body hair, not even eyebrows as far as I could tell. It was very curious. Here we were confronted by these exceptionally beautiful hairless creatures, each of whom could have been a model for a statue in the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses. On the one hand, we were all somewhat frightened and anxious about our situation. On the other hand, it was difficult to ignore feelings of sexual arousal. I mean these creatures looked good. They all appeared to have a deep bronze complexion. They might have had a fair skin to begin with, but they were deeply tanned. They were all very muscular and obviously in excellent condition. One thing about weightlessness, breasts and buttocks don’t sag when there is no gravity so they all looked even better—and sexier— than they would have under normal circumstances on Earth. They motioned us out. We were all fairly clumsy, but eventually we were all floating outside the hatch feeling self-conscious and trying not to stare at our captors. Nobody said anything, but there was no doubt that we could do nothing but comply with them. Abruptly, one of the female creatures gave a flick of her cape and darted away. That’s when I realized what the capes were for. She used it the way a bird 11

Homecoming: First Contact would use a wing. It wasn’t very large but apparently, in skilled hands, it could be very effective for moving about in free fall. I can’t help saying that she looked incredibly sexy as she maneuvered her body this way and that. The other creatures motioned us to join her out in mid-air. “I guess we’d better try it,” said Alice. “This might be the only way to get around.” She pushed off with her legs from the side of Enterprise in the direction of the female doing the aerial ballet. One of the males went with her. Bob pushed off and was joined by the other female. Three more creatures appeared around the nose of the space shuttle, two more females and another male, all of them attired in the same manner. Each of us then had an escort, and each escort was of the opposite sex. I almost expected the gorgeous creature who was my escort to make a pass at me. In a way, I might have been hoping for it. I hadn’t been sexually active in the two years since my wife was killed in an auto accident by a drunk driver. We had never had any children, we had never really tried, so all I had were memories. No women had caught my attention. But this virtually naked creature from space, undulating so closely, guiding me to whatever our destination might be, excited me to no end. As we flew (that’s the only way to describe it, even though it was more like trying to swim) I looked around. The chamber we were in was half a cylinder. Enterprise and all the alien spacecraft were secured 12

Alex J. Alex on the flat surface. Enterprise was still inside a much larger vessel with the doors open in its front. I counted about ninety of the alien cylindrical, gold colored ships. There appeared to be hundreds of the alien creatures at work on them. This must be some sort of maintenance operation, I thought. All these ships made me think again about an invasion fleet of some sort, but then I looked at our escorts and wondered. We seemed to be approaching a platform, sort of like a balcony, at the far end of the chamber. The central chamber had to be about a kilometer in diameter and two or three kilometers long. It was just an enormous chamber that took us a while to traverse, but by flying, it didn’t take near as long as I would have thought. Finally, we reached the balcony. It was carpeted with what seemed to be real grass growing in soil. It had a railing for us to hold on to. All of us were so clumsy that we would have drifted away without being able to get back. The only way we had gotten as far as we had was with the help of our escorts. So we held on as our escorts indicated we should. Then a door slid open in the wall behind the balcony. Our escorts indicated that we should enter. We drifted in and the door slid shut behind us. The floor gradually became firmer. We felt what seemed to be gravity. Our escorts had stayed behind so there were just the seven of us. Joe came up with the answer to the gravity mystery. “It’s an elevator,” he said. Our ride didn’t take very long, and when it ended, 13

Homecoming: First Contact the door slid open again. We were in for another surprise. First of all, we were no longer absolutely weightless, although our weight was very light, maybe five or ten percent of one ‘G’. But our weight and balance were all reversed. The ceiling was the floor and the floor was the ceiling. There were other creatures there to meet us. They were sitting in chairs that looked like they were on the ceiling, and they rose to greet us as we clumsily fell on our heads. I could tell that some of them were having a tough time suppressing laughter at our plight, but they all kept a straight face. In fact, most of them had a rather grim look about them. These folks were wearing even less than our former escorts. No boots. No capes. No pistols. The only thing each of them wore was a belt with a dagger on it. They all wore them on the left side and the tip of each sheath was strapped to the mid-thigh. The daggers all looked as if they had seen some use. These daggers were not ceremonial, I was sure. I then noticed some other things. Each of them had a tattoo on the left breast. When I thought about it, I remembered seeing the same thing on our first escorts. Each of them also had what appeared to be a microphone of some sort in his or her hand, which was wired into a box on the floor. These creatures numbered seven, again matching our number—four females and three males to match our four men and three women. They were paying attention to our sexes and matching up to us. It was too obvious to chalk up to coincidence. They were all the same deep bronze color with regular features. 14

Alex J. Alex The lack of hair made them seem even more nude than they were, and the way they carried themselves made them seem incredibly sexy. The low gravity enhanced their figures as much as the zero gravity had helped our former escorts. Nothing sagged, and they were all obviously in very good condition. We, of course wondered what their intentions were. Some static came from the box. Then a synthesized voice said, “This is a translator. It has been programmed to convert our language into your English. We have monitored your radio and television transmissions to learn several of your languages. If we, or the translator, which we will be using for now, make any mistakes, please inform us so we can correct the program. You may remove your protective coverings now.” They looked at us expectantly. We looked at each other. Janet giggled. “I think they want us to take our clothes off, too.” “I was sort of expecting this,” said Alice. “Please pick up the microphones on the floor and speak into them so the translator can operate,” said the box. Alice picked up one of the mics and said, “We do not go around without clothing.” The box said, “We find your covering to be offensive. What have you got to hide? Are you not what you appear to be? Please remove this clothing. There is a very good reason for my asking.” “We consider your nudity offensive,” said Alice. “We wish to remain dressed. We would be 15

Homecoming: First Contact embarrassed if we had to disrobe.” “I’m sorry to have to embarrass you, then,” said the box. “You will either remove your coverings or we will remove them for you. There is a good reason for this request, which will be revealed presently. But first you must comply with our request. Do not force us to make it a demand.” “That’s exactly what you’re doing,” said Alice. “Oh, what the hell, what choice do we have?” Alice looked around at us. “I guess we had better do what they ask.” We were all wearing the NASA jumpsuit and tennis shoes. Alice kicked off her shoes and unzipped the suit down to the crotch. Then she wriggled out of it, standing there in her bra and panties. The rest of us, taking her cue, kicked off our shoes and wriggled out of our jumpsuits. “I think they mean for us to strip all the way down,” said Janet as she tentatively reached behind her back and undid her bra. “I think you’re right,” said Bob as he kicked off his boxer shorts and stood there with his hands on his hips, an amused sneer on his face, and an erection growing between his legs. Janet noticed it as she wriggled out of her panties, wiggling her behind at Bob. Bob said, “I never knew that you had freckles everywhere.” Janet just winked at him with a grin. “Come on, George,” she said, “I’ve always wanted to see you in the buff.” George got out of his shorts and stood there feeling 16

Alex J. Alex foolish with an erection sticking out in front of him. I knew I would be the same, so I just went ahead and stripped down. I was the oldest crewmember and, although in good shape for forty something, my body was definitely showing some age and the effects of gravity. Phyllis was next. Although she didn’t make a big deal about her looks, she was a very beautiful woman with a ‘Playboy centerfold’ type figure. She looked her best in the low gravity, believe me. When Joe pulled off his shorts and stood up, we noticed that the aliens were particularly curious about him, apparently because he was different. Joe was black. They seemed to be satisfied with what they saw, because they lost interest in him as soon as he was completely naked. That left Alice, standing there with her arms folded across her breasts. She undid her bra and dropped it on the floor. Then she turned around toward us and pulled down her panties, shooting our hosts a moon. The significance might have been lost on them, but we all knew what her smirk was about. “Very good,” said the box. Two of the aliens came over and picked up our clothes. “Hey, my wallet’s in there,” I said. “Mine, too,” came a chorus. “Your belongings will be returned to you. But for now you will not need them.” The two who had taken our clothes through a door on the left, returned with some chairs in a stack for us. As they set them down, the other aliens sat down in their chairs. 17

Homecoming: First Contact “Be seated,” said the box. “Let us tell you our story, then you will understand,” said the box. “First, bring in the invaders.” A door on the right opened and what appeared to be a man and a woman entered under guard. “These creatures are our enemies. Notice that in most areas they look just like us. But look closely. Look at the female’s breasts.” They were not unusual in shape, they each had the usual roseate, but the nipples were split in half. She really had two nipples on each breast. “Now look at the male.” He had no roseate or nipple at all. “Now look at their genitals.” The male looked like he had two penises, and the female looked like she had one too, above and in front of her labia. “They have a completely separate urinary system from their sex organs. One of the reasons we do not wear clothes, except for safety or comfort, is that these creatures have been known to infiltrate our ranks and wreak havoc with terrorist guerrilla projects, as well as spying on our movements. If no one is covered, they are easy to spot. Take the prisoners back to confinement.” There was a pause while they let what we had just seen sink in. Then one of the aliens stood up. He was a muscular man with sharp blue eyes. He had a slight erection and saw that we had noticed it. “An erection is a sign that we find a woman pleasing to the sight. Among us, it is a compliment. The reverse is also true—lack of an erection, after a while, indicates a 18

Alex J. Alex lack of appreciation. You will all look better when you have been with us for a while. We can remove your hair, and your complexions will improve. “First, let us get acquainted. I am,” and he pointed to the tattoo on his chest, “1122437. We don’t have individual names as you do. I am usually addressed as 437, or just 7 by close friends in a setting like this.” He introduced each of the others by number from left to right. “I am the commander of this vessel. It is similar to your seagoing aircraft carriers, as I’m sure you can tell. We carry two hundred of the small ships you saw first. They are comparable to fighters in your Navy or Air Force, but they cannot enter a planetary atmosphere. We also have several of the rescue/retrieval ships like the one that brought you here. These are also limited to non-planetary atmospheric operations. This ship is one of thirty in our advanced party. There are approximately twenty thousand of us manning these ships. The main body of the fleet consists of thousands of ships and there are millions of us aboard them. “Now, do not be alarmed. We are not an invasion force from another star system. We are not aliens. Those creatures we showed you are aliens, and they invaded this system long ago. They invaded us when we lived in this system.” He paused to let that sink in for a moment. Then he dropped his bombshell. “We are your ancestors. We are not descendants from a common ancestor—we are your ancestors.” He paused again and looked at each of us. “Let me 19

Homecoming: First Contact start at the beginning, that is usually best. “Several hundred thousand years ago, as your planetary time is measured, we lived here. And I mean exactly what I just said. WE lived here. Not our ancestors, we lived here, and we fought a terrible war for survival against those creatures we call invaders. “There were three inhabitable worlds then, and we lived on all three. Actually, we really originated on the fourth planet, the one you now call Mars. That is also where you come from, by the way. “In those days the home world was a lovely place. We had solved most of the environmental problems you are struggling with right now. It was a world full of lush flora and fauna. A thick, oxygen-rich atmosphere kept us warm. Water was never as plentiful as on the planet you call Earth, it never covered two thirds of the surface in great oceans, but it flowed in rivers to great fish-laden lakes all over the land. “It was a double world. What you call the Moon once revolved around, I’ll use your names, Mars. Both of them, Mars and your Moon used to be larger worlds and they revolved about each other. The Moon never had any atmosphere, but we mined it and used it for manufacturing, military training, scientific research, and a number of other purposes. Most of our ships, including this one, were built in orbit around the Moon using materials mined and manufactured on or below its surface. During the war, virtually everything on both worlds was destroyed. “The fifth planet, you don’t even have a name for 20

Alex J. Alex it, was completely destroyed. It was a harsh cold world, colder than Mars is now, but it had a breathable atmosphere and it was rich in certain minerals. We used it in much the same way we used the Moon, but over the centuries, it developed a hardy population of people who considered it to be their home. Some of them are among us, but they will never be able to go home. What’s left of that planet is now what you call the Asteroid Belt. “The only world left reasonably intact was yours Earth. When the Moon was blasted out of its orbit around Mars, it was captured by Earth’s gravitational field. This encounter was almost as devastating as the weapons of our enemies. Volcanoes sprouted all over the planet. The tidal forces were enormous. Floods covered all but the highest mountains. We did our best to save as many species as we could. Earth was not heavily populated; it was a vacation/holiday world. It was also a sort of zoo. We had transplanted much of the flora and fauna from the other planets to Earth. Most of them survived the floods and upheaval. We are curious to see if we recognize anything today. It seems that you have regressed somewhat. “And you, sir,” he looked at Joe, “you are quite different.” Joe stared back at 7 for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “There are other races, too. Actually, there are three basic groups. You see two of them represented here. The missing group is actually the most numerous currently living on Earth, but there are none among us in this shuttle crew.” 21

Homecoming: First Contact 7 looked Joe up and down. “This is very curious,” he said. “As I was saying, though, you have regressed somewhat. We have no hair, as you can see. Actually, some of us do grow a limited amount of hair, but it is considered uncouth and dirty. We have ways of removing and preventing hair. All of you would probably be pleasing without your hairy covering.” “I wouldn’t mind if you fixed my legs so I wouldn’t have to shave them,” said Janet. “Oh, we will,” said 7. “While you’re among us, you’ll conform to our standards of hygiene. All of you look as if you need a thorough cleaning anyway. Don’t you have any way to bathe on your vessel?” Alice said, “We’re not nearly as advanced as we like to think we are. Compared to your equipment, ours is quite primitive. It is functional but not comfortable. We don’t spend a lot of time in orbit on our missions, and with the effort and expense involved in a shuttle mission, personal hygiene has a low priority.” “Well, we’ll clean you up a bit,” said 7. “We hate to be unclean or to be around someone who is dirty. We bathe often. It is healthier to stay clean and we’re not offensive to others if we wash up often. We are also more attractive to our opposites. We have sex often with each other. Cleanliness is essential to healthy sex. It is also essential if a body wishes to find partners. We will speak more about that later. We understand that you have some very peculiar ideas about sex. “If you will join us, we will bathe. Then we wish to examine your physiology. We will have to remove all 22

Alex J. Alex your hair, but we understand that you consider your hair as a sort of decorative item, so we will not remove it permanently.” “You mean you’re going to cut off our hair?” asked Janet in a voice bordering on hysteria. “Calm down, Janet,” said Alice. “7, we...you’re not really going to remove all our hair, are you? We’re not all going to be bald like you, are we?” 7 grinned, as did the others. “You will get used to it. We will not remove it permanently unless you ask us to. If you would like only your legs treated permanently, we can accommodate your wishes. But, to us, a hairy body is perceived to be dirty. Hair traps perspiration, it smells bad, it gets in your eyes, it traps bacteria, it hosts all sorts of nasty little creatures like crabs, fleas, and ticks, and it fosters dandruff and various skin conditions. Frankly, we can’t see how you can stand to have it. Even you remove it from your legs and faces. “I understand how you feel, however, especially you females. We have monitored enough of your transmissions to understand your vanities. So, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll make a deal with you. If at least one of you will voluntarily stay here so we can relay our story and learn from your reactions, we will allow the rest of you to return home—hair intact. We can place you back in orbit and assist you in landing procedures. We have aircraft that will escort you until your own escorts arrive. “Would you like to confer among yourselves?” “Yes, thank you,” said Alice. “Any volunteers?” she asked, looking around. We 23

Homecoming: First Contact all looked at each other, standing in a semicircle without a stitch of clothing on. “Well I’m not about to let them cut off my hair without a fight,” said Janet. “I’m not real pleased with the prospect of being bald, either,” said Phyllis. No one said anything for a few moments. We just looked at each other, one by one. The mixture of emotions was peculiar. The women were worried about losing their hair. The men were all sexually aroused, and the women might have been, too. We were all terrified about what might happen in the next few minutes if nobody volunteered to stay. And I’m sure all of us were quite frightened about what the future held for Earth, in general. I looked around at my crewmates. I surveyed our captors. It appeared that no one knew what to do. Then I surprised myself by saying, “I’ll stay.” They all looked at me as if I was crazy. As soon as I said it, I thought so, too. “I guess I just want to hear the rest of their story. I have no family to worry about me. And I’m going bald anyway. I’ll just let them get rid of all these gray hairs.” “Are you sure you want to stay?” said Alice with an incredulous expression on her face. I looked around at them and at our captors again. As my gaze met 7’s, he smiled at me in a paternalistic way. “Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea,” I said. “Well,” said Alice, “would anyone like to stay here 24

Alex J. Alex with Bill?” Blank stares, all around. Joe reached out a hand for me to shake. “You’re weird, but good luck.” “I guess we’d all like to stay, a little bit, but I’ve had enough unexpected excitement for one mission,” said George. “Me too,” said Bob. “Good luck.” “You’re sure?” Alice asked again. “Absolutely,” I said. I was developing more and more determination to stick by my decision to stay. “I hope they let all of you get dressed before they send you home. You would be quite a sight at Edwards the way you look right now.” I picked up one of the microphones. “I’ll stay. The rest of them will need their clothes. They will take the shuttle back to the surface.” I put the microphone back down. “Phyllis, can you and Alice get her on the ground?” I asked. “Don’t worry about us,” said Alice. Remember that I was the mission pilot on Atlantis last year. We’ll set her down as gentle as you please. Just you take care of yourself.” Alice picked up a mic. “When will we see him again? And how will he get home?” 7 smiled and winked at me. “We will accompany him to the surface. We want to brief him and study his reactions so we can predict the reaction of the general populace to our presence and our story. We also need to learn how to communicate effectively with your leaders by interacting with your 25

Homecoming: First Contact representative. We have a lot to offer you, but we wish to do our homework first so our gifts will be appreciated. “We are warriors, but we are tired of war. We have come home to an unfamiliar world, but it is ours. We will ask your leaders to share our home. We will share knowledge. We can teach you much. We also can protect you until you can protect yourselves. You may not realize it now, but you need our protection, and we will give it to you.” 7 looked at each of us. “When you return home, you will be debriefed. Please ask your leaders to welcome us.” “Do they have any choice?” asked Alice. “I’m sure that the advantages of a welcome so outweigh making things difficult that all of your leaders will be glad to hear us,” said 7. “This is our home. You are our children—literally. We are tired of fighting for everything. But, we are warriors. You do not have a choice. You can make our arrival easy or difficult. Do not follow the latter course. Think of us as parents returning home to young children.” He looked at me. “You are staying voluntarily?” “Yes,” I said. “How should we address you?” asked 7. “My name is Bill Thomas. Just call me Bill.” 7 looked us over. “Bill will be briefed. He will learn our whole story. You,” he looked at Alice, “should prepare your leaders for us, and for him. We will contact your NASA organization and will deliver him at an appropriate time and place. He will brief your leaders and answer their questions. 26

Alex J. Alex “Do you have any questions?” “What are we going to do now?” asked Alice. “How will we get home? And where are our clothes?” “You will re-board your craft. You will find your clothing there. We will place you in an orbit similar to the one you were in when we first approached you. You will then be able to contact your ground people and arrange a re-entry. “We could deliver you directly on the ground, if you prefer, but we would rather not draw any more attention to what’s going on than is necessary. There is already a great deal of confusion among your people on the ground. Please calm their fears and explain as much as you can. We can monitor all your frequencies, but if you wish to contact us, use the last frequency you were on before we picked you up. We can make sure that no one else listens in. “Any more questions?” “Where are my clothes?” I asked. “They are being retrieved now, Bill,” said 7. “You will have them before you return to the surface.” With that we said our good-byes and wished each other good luck. It was somewhat awkward shaking hands with six naked people. We had become intimate friends while preparing for the mission, but nothing had prepared us for a situation like this. The fact that we were on an alien spacecraft was startling, but the nudity was almost more awkward than that. Perhaps if any of us had been nudists we could have handled it better, but the fact was we were all embarrassed. Even Janet, who was an exhibitionist, and Bob, the womanizing lady-killer, were 27

Homecoming: First Contact embarrassed. But true to form, Janet slapped me on my skinny behind and told me not to do anything she wouldn’t do. Of course that wouldn’t exclude much by all reports. Colonel McBride was more serious. Ignoring our nudity, she put her hand on my shoulder, looked me straight in the eyes and with a serious tone, she said, “We won’t forget you. I hope we’ll see you again real soon, but I don’t know if we can really trust or believe these creatures or not. I hope you know what you’re doing.” “Alice,” I said,” this is a unique opportunity to be the first to learn all about these folks. I do think we can trust them. I think they’re truthful. I’m glad they’re sending you home. I have no real ties at home, now. I’ve been a bit of a loner since my wife died, and I’m intrigued. I can’t wait to hear more of their story. I’m doing what I want to do and the fact that the situation scares the pants off of me, even though I don’t have any on, doesn’t lessen my curiosity. “Get back safely and tell them what has happened and what we’ve learned. I will see you again, I’m sure of it.” “O.K.,” said Alice. With that, she gave me a little peck on the cheek and turned to the rest of the crew. “Ready?” she asked. The others all nodded in the affirmative. She faced 7. “We’re ready to go, 7,” she said into one of the microphones. “Very well,” said 7, “If you will return to the elevator behind you, you’ll find an escort awaiting 28

Alex J. Alex you.” As I watched the door close behind them, I wondered again why I was doing this. Why did I feel I could trust these people? Would I really ever see the rest of the crew again? Would they be alright? Would I ever get home again? I thought to myself that I ought to be terrified, but I was much more curious than scared. These questions and others went through my mind one after another. Then I remembered what Caesar had said on another momentous historical occasion as he crossed the Rubicon River into Italy, “The die is cast.” So, I squared my shoulders and turned to face my captors. They were studying my reactions, some with amusement, all with interest. “Now the fun begins,” said 7. “I suspect, and sincerely hope, that you are more curious than noble. We prize both motives highly, but in this situation we need a curious, open-minded individual. “We propose to make you one of us. You might call it ‘going native’. Of course we won’t force anything on you—that would be counterproductive, but we want you to thoroughly understand our way of life, our motives, our culture. To do this, you will have to live as one of us. You will have to learn our language, too. A language is constructed the way those who speak it think. To think the way we do, you have to think in our language. Every discrete homogeneous culture, and sometimes a sub-culture, has its own distinct language or dialect. There are currently hundreds being broadcast from Earth, and I suspect there are many more being used but not 29

Homecoming: First Contact broadcast. No one could possibly understand all of them—not really understand the language, the culture in which it thrives, and all the underlying motives driving that culture. “We think we are a very straightforward culture. Those we left behind on these shattered worlds were much like you are now. There was a common language, of course, which everyone knew and understood, but there were many others—remnants of ethnic differences. These other languages were used by different groups to preserve discrete and unique cultures. They were also used to exclude outsiders and to discriminate against them. “The language I am now speaking, the one you will learn, was developed by a conscious effort to create it. Most languages just grow in a haphazard manner. Ours was developed to be used by warriors to fight a war. It was designed to be easy to learn. In fact, you will probably pick up enough to converse adequately in a couple of days, since you will hear no other words. It has logical grammatical and spelling rules, which always hold true—there are no exceptions. It was designed to be phonetic. We use forty characters. Each one has a distinct sound. We put them together much the way you do. The most commonly used words are the shortest. Oddly enough, and fortunately for you, we use the same order of subject, verb, object that you do in English. Our language is also gender neutral. We’ve found that there is little difference in the roles of male versus female except in sexual positions and in childbearing. Unfortunately, all languages drift and change. Certain 30

Alex J. Alex groups among us have adopted or created words and phrases which are unique to that group. Retrieval units, medical personnel, navigators, fighter pilots...all of these occupations use certain buzz words. But the most unique usage is among our ground forces. They are similar to your Marines. “It may seem strange to you but, as advanced as our weaponry may appear to you, unless we are willing to totally obliterate an objective, ground troops are still essential for taking and holding territory. In any event, they have developed what almost amounts to a dialect that they use when they are in action. Frankly, every one of us considers himself an expert in hand to hand combat, the practice of which gives us great pleasure and is one of only a few forms of activity which you would consider recreation. “As I keep reminding you, we are warriors. We left all the surviving civilians behind. There are three things we all enjoy; we like to fight, we enjoy exercise and bodybuilding, and we engage in sexual relations with various partners very often. These are all physical pursuits. Sex is by far the most enjoyable of these, so we engage in it as often as we can. You will probably think us promiscuous.” I noticed that 7’s companions had been eyeing each other, rather than me, and a surreptitious fondle or two had taken place. It appeared that the female seemed to be the initiator just as often as the male. “Sex is enjoyable, so we engage in it regularly, several times a day if we can, usually with a partner we know. But sometimes any partner available makes 31

Homecoming: First Contact for a new friendship. Having sex with someone is a terrific way to get to know them, it’s a great way to relax, and it doesn’t have to take much time, although the best sex does. “Now, as I said,” said 7, “We don’t expect you to understand all of this, yet. But sex is a big part of our day-to-day lives, which you must understand to understand us. We cannot understand your repressive approach to this matter. Sex, to us, is the most enjoyable activity that we can engage in, but you have all sorts of rules and beliefs, which makes it difficult. You cover your bodies. You think it improper to look at each other. You take a single mate for life—at least that’s what your marriage is supposed to be. You talk about some mystical ‘Love’ that must be bonded in place between two individuals before they should have sex. “We find all of this profoundly silly. Many of us love one another, but love has nothing whatsoever to do with sex. Sex is fun and physical release. Male and female enjoy it equally. With us, more often than not the female is the aggressor. “Your people, on the other hand, talk about sex in hushed voices, never being honest with yourselves or each other. You deny yourselves physical pleasure. And you think this is good and honorable. Of course many of you are hypocrites and just say what is socially acceptable, but physically unnatural, and then sneak around having sex in dark corners and secret hideaways. “As you get to know us, you will find that we are honest and loyal, to ourselves, to others as 32

Alex J. Alex individuals, and to the group. The strongest motive driving our culture is personal honor, followed closely by the honor of the group, which depends on the first. This depends on honesty and morality. “It is pretty obvious that what we consider moral and what you consider moral are very different, especially on the subject of sex, but you may find that our version is not too far removed from that to which you aspire. We, however, live our morality. Your people like to talk about it but you rarely do what you talk about. “Now here’s what we’re going to do. 3...,” he looked at one of the females, the one that had been opposite me before the shuttle crew had left. “This is 3434673. She will escort you. “You will first be cleaned and we will remove all that dirty hair. Then you will have a physical examination. We do want to make sure you are human and that you are not carrying any dangerous diseases. Hopefully, we can cure you if we find anything. In any event, you’ll look and smell better once you are cleaned, and then you’ll be more appealing, won’t he, 3?” 3 just smiled at 7. Then she winked at me, took my hand and guided me into the elevator.

33

Homecoming: First Contact

The Journal Chapter Two ‘3’ it started moving, 3 rotated her feet toward Before the top of the elevator, relative to our former

orientation, and indicated that I should do the same. “Turn,” she said. “Have you learned to speak English?” I asked in surprise. “Little,” she said with a grin. 3 smiled a lot and she had beautiful perfect teeth that contrasted with the deep bronze color of her skin. She had brown eyes that darted here and there but rarely seemed to stare. She had high, prominent cheekbones flanking a fairly large aquiline nose over a wide mouth with full lips. After years of seeing women with varicolored lipstick and make-up, the lack of artificial color was noticeable, but not unpleasing. She had a small, pointed jaw and a long slender neck surmounting small delicate shoulders with pronounced clavicles. Her arms and torso were well muscled and she was 34

Alex J. Alex obviously in very good condition. In the low gravity, her smallish but well-rounded breasts didn’t sag the way they would on the Earth’s surface. Instead, they stood straight out in front of her. Her wide, wellrounded buttocks were in similar condition, partly because of the low gravity, I’m sure, but mostly because she was in such good shape. She had extremely strong-looking heavily muscled thighs and calves, but very small and delicate feet. Of course, her only accouterment was a wicked-looking dagger. I wondered how she could stay in such good shape while living in low gravity and free-fall, as most of the ship appeared to be. When I asked her, she flexed her biceps and flashed that smile at me again. All she said was, “Exercise.” I didn’t see at the time how a little exercise could build muscles like that in free-fall. All of the other people I had seen on the ship seemed to have similar physiques. They all looked like bodybuilders, but I wondered how they did it. We had had such problems with muscle atrophy, and the Russians had had even more trouble in their long-term missions, that I figured they must have some techniques that we could adopt. Frankly, these folks were all in better shape than I had probably ever been. 3 said, “Watch.” Then, just as the elevator stopped, she jumped up and placed her feet against the back of the compartment, so she was in a horizontal position facing up toward the ceiling with her legs bent and ready to spring. Then, as I tried to emulate her maneuvers, while tumbling to the ceiling that had just become the floor, she said, “Dive.” And then she 35

Homecoming: First Contact sprang out the door, just as it opened, into a pool full of water. I clumsily crawled out of the elevator and rolled into the water just as the door shut behind me. “Come,” said 3, beckoning to me to follow. Then she dove under the water and swam away. I noticed that the water was slightly salty as I swam after her. I’m a strong swimmer and felt more at home in the water than I had in the other areas of the vessel. All this water, where it came from and how it was maintained, was as much a mystery to me as its use. It seemed an inordinate luxury for such a Spartan group. The ceiling was about two meters over the surface of the water and it curved upward both right and left. The surface of the water did the same. Waves rose about half a meter as a rule and I guessed the gravity here was still much less than 0.5 G but more than the 0.1 G where we had had our interview with 7. The water seemed to be a good fifteen meters across and was about two meters deep. There were quite a few people in the water with us. As some of them noticed us, they greeted 3 and expressed curiosity with respect to me. Suddenly two of them leaped out of the water from below and stretched upwards, grabbing on to rings suspended from the ceiling. One was male, the other female. They swung from ring to ring and then faced each other, still suspended from the rings. They then entwined their legs and began doing pull-ups with their arms, all the while moving their legs and bodies against each other in a most sensuous manner. 36

Alex J. Alex 3 pointed at them and said, “Later.” Then she pointed at herself and me while giving me the biggest smile yet and a suggestive wink. I was beginning to understand that a wink implied intimacy. I noticed that all of the people in the pool were in couples or groups which were evenly divided by sex. There were a number of spongy things floating on the water and many of the bathers were using them to wash themselves or each other. 3 took one of the sponges and began to bathe herself. I got hold of one and did the same. 3 took especial care to clean under her arms and around her crotch and buttocks. “Must be clean,” she said, with a more serious look on her face. I guess she felt she had to emphasize the cleanliness factor after seeing how grungy we all were after several days in the space shuttle. Then she smiled as I followed her lead and washed myself. I know I had been a bit gamey, and the opportunity to get clean was refreshing. I wished for some shampoo, but then I realized they were probably going to shave my head anyway. 3 moved around behind me and started to rub my back. She started at my neck and worked her way downward. She didn’t stop at my waist, but forced the sponge between the cheeks of my buttocks and rubbed the way a nanny would clean a messy baby. Then she swam around in front of me and presented her back to me. I obliged and did her from her neck down to her waist. At that point, I was going to stop, but she bent over, putting her head under the water, and reaching back behind her, spread the 37

Homecoming: First Contact cheeks of her buttocks for me to thoroughly clean her behind. I did what was expected of me, but I wasn’t too sure I would get used to it. Then I got another surprise. While I was washing her behind, she reached out and fondled my testicles and shaft. I was not expecting this, but there I was looking at her female organs, washing her, and being fondled myself. I ended up with an erection and for the first time in years, I wanted to do something with it other than take a cold shower. 3 surfaced however, smiled, winked, pinched me on the behind and said, “Later.” Then she swam away towards the side of the water where there was a ledge. She dove under the water and shot up through the surface to the last set of rings and swung on to the ledge. I scrambled over the side on my hands and knees. I decided to try grabbing the rings some other time. 3 laughed and clapped her hands. Then she again said “Later,” as she helped me scramble over the side and stand up. “Come,” she said as she took my hand and led me through an alcove and around a corner. We were in a hallway with hundreds of other alcoves opening off to the left and right. Each one had a little light above the door. Some were lit and some were not. 3 drew me in to one of the ones with the light off. As she entered ahead of me, I noticed that the light came on. I deduced that the light indicated that the alcove was occupied. As we entered, we were assaulted by streams of air from the sides as well as the floor and the ceiling. It must have been very dry air because it dried the 38

Alex J. Alex water off of our skin almost instantly. My hair didn’t dry that quickly, but I worked on it ‘til it wasn’t too bad. Inside, we were in what was unmistakably a bathroom. In the middle of the floor was something which could only be a commode. It looked more like a bidet. It was about a half meter from the floor to the seat. 3 demonstrated how it worked by straddling it and sitting down. I must say how ludicrous the situation seemed to me at the time. There I was, being shown how to use a toilet by this naked woman. At the time I really needed to know how to use it, too. As she sat down, it molded itself to her shape and a faint sound like a vacuum cleaner came from the facility. I felt very awkward standing there watching her go to the bathroom, but I really needed to know how it worked. I wouldn’t have felt nearly as awkward if it had been a man showing me, but 3 was a woman. In any event, I couldn’t tell how it worked. I didn’t even know what she did, if anything. She just stood up, smiled, gestured at the facility and said, “You.” With trepidation, I straddled the thing. As I sat down, it felt as if I was sitting in a bowl full of lukewarm water. I defecated and urinated and the waste just went away. It was a very strange experience, but really not uncomfortable. Later, as I got used to it, I had to admit that it was quite an improvement over our equipment. There was no need to clean or wipe myself, apparently. That was fortunate because there was nothing to use. And there was no odor—none whatsoever: no unpleasant waste odor, no cover-up perfume, no mildew or musty 39

Homecoming: First Contact odor—none of the usual odors I had associated with public restrooms—there were no odors at all. I looked at 3 as I got up from the thing and gestured at it. “How does it work?” I asked. She was still smiling. “Absorption,” was all she said. Strange as it may seem, how that thing works was one of the mysteries I was most curious about. I still don’t know how it works; I just know that it does and that it is very efficient. Part of it may be alive. Next, 3 drew me to the only other implement in the room, a sink with what looked like an industrial eyewash station mounted on it. She demonstrated by opening her mouth and lowering her face over the sink. Fine jets of liquid sprayed into her mouth and against her teeth. As she moved her mouth, it must have sensed her movements; the spray followed her, continuing to go into her mouth. Suddenly, she closed her mouth and stood up, swishing the liquid around in her mouth, then spitting it out into the sink. “Good,” she said, “teeth.” Then she smiled at me again, flashing those flawless teeth. I got the message. Then I tried it. The liquid had very little taste and I couldn’t begin to describe it, but my whole mouth tingled. I did as she had demonstrated, moving my mouth around so it could reach everywhere and then closing it and swishing some of the liquid around before expectorating. I didn’t know what that stuff was, still don’t, but my mouth hadn’t felt that clean since my last trip to the dentist. I’ve since discovered that the only need 40

Alex J. Alex they ever have for dental care is as a result of injury due to combat or accident. They all have perfect teeth, and it’s due, in large part, to the liquid I had just tasted. We left the bathrooms and were back in the water area again. I began to think of it as a river. 3 jumped in again and started swimming to our right. I followed her into the water and swam after her. We swam for quite a while. This part of the ship had to be huge, I remember thinking. If it went all the way around the circumference of the ship, and if I was correct in guessing that the ship was about a kilometer in diameter, then the river would be over three kilometers around. 3 stopped after a while, grabbed one of the floating sponges and went through her thorough ritual of cleaning herself. I did the same. We then exited the water, 3 by jumping to the rings and me scrambling over the side. She guided me to the alcoves and as she approached one she gestured to another one for me and said, “You.” I entered the door and dried off. I didn’t have to go to the bathroom so I just turned around and exited. 3 was waiting for me. “Come,” she said and led me to an elevator door which opened as we approached. The floor stayed the floor this time, so I deduced we were going toward the center of the ship. We exited into what was unmistakably a medical area. We were greeted by a male and a female. They wore only daggers. They spoke with 3 who then introduced me to them. 41

Homecoming: First Contact “Bill, 46, 16,” said 3. “Translator.” And then she pointed to what looked like the same black box we had used before with 7. 46, the female, picked up the mic and indicated that I should pick up one of the other ones. “First,” said 46, “we are going to remove all of this dirty hair growing all over your body. Then we will give you a thorough physical exam. We are familiar with your peculiar reasons for cultivating this growth, so we will only remove it temporarily. It will begin to grow back in about two of our months. That’s about the same amount of time it would take your Earth to rotate through seventy-five days. You will find that our days are longer than yours. Our calendar is totally foreign to you. As a matter of fact, our calendar probably doesn’t correlate to anything anymore. Virtually everything we knew was destroyed. Even orbits, rotational periods and axis tilts are different. We’ll probably end up adopting your calendar when we land. I hate to think what it would have done to my menstrual cycle, having a moon again but in a different orbit with a different period and a shorter day. I’m glad I outgrew that a long time ago.” I looked at her and she looked like she might be in her late twenties. She caught my look and the quizzical expression on my face. “They won’t let us into space until we are past menopause—too many problems with our bodies in free fall, not the least of which is a pregnancy. But, enough about our problems. Lay down over here, face down,” said 46, indicating a medical table with a cloth draped over it. “We use an ultrasonic pattern to destroy the roots of 42

Alex J. Alex the follicles. The intensity can be set to make it permanent or temporary. Some of your hair will not return, but most of it will. After the treatment, we just vacuum to remove it. Any questions?” “No,” I said. “Alright, let’s begin,” said 46. She started on my head and worked her way down my back. I’m not a particularly hairy person, but I could tell she was getting every bit of my body. When she got to my buttocks, she made me get up on my knees so she could get into every crevice. I had long ago given up any shred of dignity, so I just did as she asked. She worked her way down to my feet and then had me turn over. As she worked her way higher, she again got every crevice, having me spread my legs and hang them over the sides while she treated me around my genitals. She got up under my arms and finally did my face and head, including my eyebrows. The only thing she left was my eyelashes, and I then noticed they all had lashes too. 46 picked up the mic again. “3, take him out again and wash him real good. Bill, when you come back, you will feel cleaner than you ever have.” 3 and I went back out to the river to wash. This time I made a clumsy attempt to dive out of the elevator, like 3, but I got disoriented and ended up doing a belly flop. At least I was improving a bit. I tried jumping to the rings, too, but I couldn’t see them with all the water in my eyes, so I missed. The trick is to be so proficient that you can do it with your eyes closed, because you can’t see. It would take practice. 43

Homecoming: First Contact Back in the medical area, 46 and 16 went to work. They thumped me, listened to my heart, checked my blood pressure and pulse, and checked my reflexes. Then they took samples of all my bodily fluids including blood, saliva, urine, semen, and a stool sample. Basically, they did everything I would have expected plus some that even NASA never thought of. They had instruments that could do all that our cardiograph, X-ray, CAT scan, encephalograph, and other assorted medical devices do. They made me jog on a treadmill and relax on a floating curtain of air. They even took cell samples from various organs, glands and lymph nodes. They were able to get most of their lab results much more quickly than we are used to. They pronounced me human and said I was in fairly good health, but said I needed more exercise than I was getting. That surprised me, because I hold an FAA class I Medical and had just been through all that extensive NASA training. Using the translator, they explained that they had found several viruses in my system which disturbed them. Some of them they recognized and knew were dangerous. Others they were not familiar with, but on examination were able to predict that they could be dangerous. All of these were destroyed. They said that they had been able to control and if necessary to selectively eliminate viruses for a long time. This had been the most important step in prolonging their lifetime. When I told them I was only forty-six years old, they were shocked. 44

Alex J. Alex I’m in pretty good shape for someone my age, but they thought I was well over a hundred. Not only that, but, the way they calculate years would make me seem even older. All of them were much older than they appeared to me, given the frame of reference I had to use. When I told them that our life expectancy was between seventy and eighty Earth years, they were incredulous. But they held out hope, at least for me. The keys, they said, were control of disease-causing viruses, exercise and conditioning, nutritious food intake, frequent sexual activity, and prolonged periods in a weightless environment. All of these remedies were a way of life for them and were now available to me. They seemed to think that my condition would improve rapidly and that I could expect to live a longer life than would have been the case before I met them. It would be up to 3 to take care of my exercise, etc. 3 gave me that grin I had come to expect along with a wink. She took my hand and guided me out a door and down a corridor. “Hungry?” she asked. I nodded affirmative and said, “Very.” “Come,” she said, “Food, nutrients.” We entered a large room filled with very low tables. There were quite a few people sitting on the floor at these tables. They each had a rectangular tray of some sort with different kinds of food. Apparently, the appropriate way to sit was cross-legged, although several were kneeling. 3 guided me to a familiar cafeteria type line where we obtained trays. She then helped herself to a 45

Homecoming: First Contact container of liquid and several leafy vegetables. There were a number of different bread-like concoctions and several kinds of noodles with different sauces. Some were hot, some were cold. There were some deliciouslooking cakes and pies as well. It was a strictly vegetarian menu, however. I learned later that they grew lots of plants in various gardens as a source of oxygen as well as a source of fresh food. I tried as many different varieties as I could get on the tray. All of them were delicious, and they reminded me of various cuisines I was familiar with such as Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese. Some were quite spicy, some were sweet, some were sour, and some were too hot to take. 3 seemed to approve of my choices and suggested several I would not have tried. I’m not a picky eater, but I would have preferred a little meat with the potatoes. They didn’t use any implements like a fork and spoon or chopsticks. They used their daggers to cut large vegetables like potatoes or lettuce into smaller pieces, then they used a stiff, shaped cracker to carry the food to their mouths. When everything was gone, they ate the cracker. The food was good and I was hungry, so I ate too much. The liquid was a sort of weak herbal tea, served very cold. It all went very well together. As my appetite was satisfied, I started feeling selfconscious again. 46 was right when she said I would feel cleaner than I ever had after having all my hair removed. But I also felt more naked than ever before, and sitting cross-legged with my genitals resting on the floor, surrounded by others just like me, male and 46

Alex J. Alex female, was a bit much. As I started to think about my situation, I started to get an erection. I couldn’t help looking at the others eating around me. The women all looked so sexy. And then some of them noticed my erection and pointed it out to 3. She smiled that big toothy grin and clapped her hands, obviously delighted. She got up on her knees and leaned against me putting her arms around me. Then she whispered in my ear, “Now.” She stood up and picked up both of our trays in one hand. Then she reached out her other hand for mine and said, “Come.” As I stood up, I felt even more self-conscious with this big erection sticking out in front of me. 3 made it worse by grabbing it and fondling the end of it. But, some of the others we had been eating with stood up too, and I noticed that I was not the only one with an erection. Apparently, my condition was not anything to be ashamed of. In fact, it seemed to be a rather common phenomenon and apparently we had given everyone else at our table ideas. 3 showed me where to deposit our trays and drinking containers. There was a garbage disposal slot and a conveyor for the empty trays. There were a half dozen other couples following us. We all went down the hall and got on the elevator. Apparently everyone followed every meal with a swim and a mouthwash. They all got together to help me get in position to dive out with them. I finally did it right, to cheers and applause. A number of the females seemed to be 47

Homecoming: First Contact sizing me up and some made obvious passes at me. 3 just laughed and said, “Later,” pointing at the others. We cleaned ourselves and each other with the sponges, washed our teeth, and dried off. Then 3 led me back to the elevator. We rode in close to the axis of the ship. When we exited the elevator, we were in free fall. We maneuvered down a hallway lined with openings, to one where 3 stopped and blocked me so I wouldn’t float any further. She said, “Mine,” and entered. I guessed that she meant for me to enter also, so I followed her in. There was very little inside. There were some drawers flush with the wall and some straps attached to the wall next to the drawers. The straps surrounded a cushioned body mold of 3’s physique. 3 waved at them and said, “For acceleration/deceleration, sleep, and body waste.” Then, pointing to the drawers she said, “Weapons, protective gear.” I indicated with a smile and a nod of the head that I understood. Then 3 removed the dagger from the sheath on her left thigh. She inserted it into a slot in the wall and said, “Sharpener.” Then she removed the sheath and belt from her waist and thigh. The way she did it was as sensuous as if she had been a strip teaser removing extensive clothing. She rubbed down her rippling abdomen to her hairless mons. She caressed and spread her vaginal lips as she spread her legs wide so she could unstrap the sheath. When the equipment was removed from her body, she turned to the drawers, opened one of them and deposited the belt and sheath inside it. She removed a 48

Alex J. Alex towel from another drawer and let it float behind her. Then she passed her hand over a small hidden control panel on the wall, dimming the lights and changing all the surfaces in the chamber to a mirror-like finish. Instead of turning around, she just pushed off the wall and backed into me, drawing my arms around her and rolling her well-rounded hips against my cock. I could see in the mirror that her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. She licked her lips with just the tip of her tongue. She rolled her head back and offered me her cheek. In a hoarse whisper, she said, “Now, not later.” I couldn’t help myself. Since my first contact with these creatures, I had been surrounded by exquisitely formed nude bodies. They all moved in a most sensuous way. And being in free fall / low gravity enhanced the erotic effect they had on me. Being naked was erotic in itself. I’ve heard that nudists get so used to nudity that they ignore it and forget about it as a sexual experience most of the time. But these people seemed to seek sexual arousal whenever they could. Two years of celibacy since becoming a widower did not reduce either my desire or physical need for sexual activity. As 7 had said, I had only suppressed my natural instincts and denied pleasure to myself. But I had been living in a culture which required that behavior. This culture was just the opposite and encouraged sexual activity. In addition, 3 was a very desirable woman and frankly, I could not resist her advances, nor did I want to. As our momentum drove my back against the wall, 49

Homecoming: First Contact she turned around to face me. She arched her back, thrusting her breasts upward towards my face. Her nipples were swollen, erect. She drew my head to her breasts. I licked them and then sucked each one. She shuddered in orgasm as I licked up under each breast. She had my cock trapped between her muscular thighs. I kneaded her buttocks with my hands, holding her body tightly against my own. She wrapped her right leg around behind me. Then she moved her left thigh between my legs and rubbed it up and down against my groin. Then she straddled me with both of her legs locked around behind me. She kneaded my buttocks with her legs and feet. By now, she had my penis trapped between us, rubbing up against her mons. I reached under her leg with my hand and found the slit between the lips of her labia. As I entered her slit with my fingers I could tell she was ready. Her juices made her slippery. When I found her clitoris, she moaned and shuddered. Then she pushed her torso away from mine, keeping her legs locked around me. “Now,” she moaned hoarsely as she reached down and grabbed my erection. She inserted it in her slit, just the tip of it, and slid it over her clitoris again and again until she shuddered once again in orgasm. At this point I couldn’t stand it anymore. I drove up into her, holding her buttocks and sliding her up and down. She used her legs to keep us locked together. Her breasts jounced around wildly as we thrust at each other, bouncing off the walls. She shuddered over and over again in orgasm. In free fall 50

Alex J. Alex as we were, we would have flown away from each other if we hadn’t been holding on. Having sex in free fall was unlike anything I had experienced before. Both of us were perspiring profusely. Her eyes were closed. Her head was thrown back. She grabbed me at the sides of my waist and pulled me into her as deeply as she could. I finally exploded into her, thrusting into her again and again. It had been so long since I had had sex that I had almost forgotten how good it was. She jerked back and forth in the most uncontrollable multiple orgasms I had ever seen or felt in a woman. I came so powerfully and so much that I could hardly believe it myself. Finally it was over. We floated there in free fall, exhausted, our combined juices dripping out of our joined union. As we recovered and I relaxed, 3 opened her eyes, licked her lips and grinned at me. She reached for the towel. As I slid out of her, she cleaned herself, being careful not to allow any of our juices to escape into the free fall atmosphere in her room. She cleaned me as well. She was very expert at it. “Good?” she finally asked. “Great.” My wife and I had been deeply in love. We had had sex regularly and sometimes it had been spectacular. But I had never experienced anything like this, ever. Having sex with this beautiful, exotic, hairless, wanton, bodybuilding woman from space while in free fall was such an extraordinary experience that I could hardly believe it had even happened, except for the fact that the exotic creature in question was still smiling at me. I couldn’t help but 51

Homecoming: First Contact wonder how the tabloid newspapers would cover an event like this. I remember thinking that they probably couldn’t make up a story as bizarre as the truth. 3 reached her arms around me and pulled me close again. “Sleep now.” She closed her eyes and seemed to go to sleep almost instantly. I suddenly realized that I was very tired, too. There was no bed or restraint system for the two of us to sleep in. 3 just drifted there in free fall with one hand on my chest and one arm wrapped around me. I yawned, and then I drifted off to sleep, too. When I awoke, I found 3 nibbling on my ear. Her body was floating perpendicular to mine. “Sleep good?” she asked. “Fine,” I answered. She put her arms around me and pulled us close together. I had woken with an erection, which she was apparently fully aware of. She wriggled against me and kneaded my buttocks with one hand while the other one held us together. I had no choice. I put my arms around her, too. “Ready?” she asked. There was nothing subtle about 3. When they said they enjoyed sex often, they weren’t kidding. I didn’t have to answer her. She wrapped her thighs around me and impaled herself on my erection. She held me tight, licking my ear and neck. She did all the work, thrusting over and over until she could feel me about ready to explode. Then, she speeded up. She shuddered in multiple orgasms just before I came, and she continued all the while I was ejaculating 52

Alex J. Alex inside her. It only took a few minutes, but let me tell you, that’s a heck of a way to wake up. As soon as it was over, she used her towel and then flashed her smile at me. “Bathe,” she said while strapping on her dagger. Then, taking my hand, she drew me out of her cubicle and down the hall to the elevator. This time I was able to manage a not-too-clumsy dive out of the elevator and into the river. It was so refreshing. We washed each other and she tried to teach me how to jump to the rings. I managed to grab one on the third attempt and swung to grab another. This was enough to allow me to swing onto the ledge. When we went to the bathroom alcoves, she indicated that I should use an unoccupied one and she used another one. I entered on my own, used the facilities, washed my teeth, and exited to find her waiting. Next, we went to eat. It was pretty much the same stuff, vegetables and fruit, grains, bread, and pasta. We went back and washed once more and then she said, “7.” She led me to the room where I had first met both 7 and 3. 7 was waiting for us with the translator. “Bill, you look much better,” said 7 through the translator. “I trust you had a refreshing sleep and I hope our food suits your taste. 3 will continue to be your guide, but we will issue quarters to you for your own use.” I was sure 7 knew that 3 had seduced me. I was also sure he expected it. “You will exercise with 3 and 53

Homecoming: First Contact she will see that you are issued a personal protective blade. You will need to know how to use it and 3 can teach you. But most important, you will need to begin learning our language. We are learning yours.” 7 spoke rapidly to 3 without the translator. She gave me a grin and left. “I will begin teaching you our language,” said 7, “I asked 3 to rejoin us later. Let’s begin.” With that he began saying words in his own tongue and then using the translator to give me the English equivalent. We started by just working on simple vocabulary. 3 had been able to communicate with me by using only about ten words in English. I would need a lot more than that to communicate with her, however. I had never been particularly good or bad at learning foreign languages. But this seemed much easier to pick up than the French I had taken in college. It was obviously designed in a logical manner to be easy to learn and use, so even someone like me could catch on. Apparently they have a relatively small vocabulary and the words are almost all one or two syllables. Unlike English, words only have one meaning. They have no situations like: to, too, two, or plane, plain or sale, sail. They stay pretty much with nouns and verbs with very few modifiers, articles, prepositions or other words that embellish language and make it interesting. But it is not complicated or confusing like most of our mature languages. The grammatical rules are simple, too: subject, verb, object, period. 54

Alex J. Alex But there is a complicating factor. We sometimes make fun of people who gesture with their hands too much, saying they couldn’t talk without their hands. My hosts really couldn’t. They have a system of hand signals that is as complicated as those used by the deaf to communicate with each other. Apparently this grew out of the need for silent communication in combat. It was necessary to learn this mode of communication along with the verbal mode. The written form of the language is also fairly simple. It uses simple figures like circles, squares and triangles in different configurations with lines between them to connect letters into words. Words are read in columns from top to bottom of a page. A line under a word indicates the end of a thought. Columns are read from left to right. I was lost, however, when I started trying to figure out their numbering system and mathematics. I’m an engineer and math was always my subject, but I just couldn’t figure out how they were figuring things. Nothing seemed to add up. So I asked 7 to explain it to me. He laughed when I explained my dilemma. “I’m an engineer too, by training,” he said, “and I found it very difficult to understand your system. Really, though, they are remarkably similar. Once you understand the differences, you may even see that our system is easier to use than yours. “First of all, you have two radically different systems. Actually, your military uses a system similar to ours, but everyone else uses degrees, minutes and seconds to describe a circle. This is a mathematical 55

Homecoming: First Contact and navigational nightmare. As I said, though, your military has adopted a system of sixty-four hundred mils to identify azimuth or vectors. “I have no idea where you came up with the base of ten for the rest of your mathematics. It must correspond to the number of digits we have on our hands or something. I guess it goes back to counting on your fingers. “We use essentially the same mathematical rules you do, but everything is base eight. Eight is a natural cube and using it as the base simplifies so many things. We also divide a circle by eight. Each segment is divided by eight, then each of them by eight, etc. This makes life simple for the mathematician. It is all one system based on eight. For instance, one of the most important constants in mathematics is the relationship between a circle’s diameter and its circumference, what you refer to as pi. In your system, base ten, this is a never repeating decimal, impossible to calculate. In base eight, it is 3.11111, ad infinitum, an easy number to remember and use. “Eight converts easily to the binary system we use in our computers. You will get a chance to use our computers and see how they work. They are much simpler, smaller, faster, and smarter than yours, but they operate on much the same principals, we think. Ours are much more reliable than yours, also. “We took a look at the equipment in your spacecraft and were impressed. Your equipment is rather primitive but it works, and frankly, you seem to have the technology to be much further along in space exploration than you are. By the way, your 56

Alex J. Alex crewmembers landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base and I presume they are undergoing a thorough de-briefing. We placed the remaining satellites in the appropriate orbits to finish your mission. We think this action was seen as a friendly gesture. “Your broadcast media is speculating rather wildly about you and us. They seem to consider you something between a martyr and a prisoner. Your leaders are not sharing much information with the general populace. They have contacted us only once, to make arrangements for your President to talk to me. They wish to have you present at the interview which will be conducted on a secure VHF channel. Several other leaders will be present and we will answer any questions they wish to ask. We’re not too sure about your protocol for a teleconference like this.” 3 suddenly appeared through a door on the left. I greeted her in her own language and she was delighted. She was carrying a belt with a sheathed dagger attached. She handed it to me and helped me adjust it. I really didn’t need help, I think she just wanted an excuse to fondle me, which she did. “I can see you have things to do,” said 7. “Be back here tomorrow morning. By the way, 3, you had better explain how we tell time. He can understand enough to get by, so no more English. He needs exercise and warrior training. Make sure he understands what you have given him just now, and how to use it.” 3 acknowledged 7’s instructions and then led me out the door through which she had entered. 57

Homecoming: First Contact In the elevator, 3 explained, very slowly, what she had on our agenda for the rest of the day. I was pleased with myself, and not a little surprised, to find that I could understand what she was saying. We were on our way to the mess hall for lunch. After that we would bathe. Then she indicated that we would exercise, and she let me know that I looked like I needed it. Now, I was in better than average shape at the time, but I had never been into bodybuilding. All of these people were very muscular and obviously worked at it. I had wondered how they did it in free fall and low gravity and I was finally going to find out. Lunch was about like our other meals had been. I was a bit of a curiosity, though, and drew a crowd. 3 said she would find me later and left with a man who she obviously knew and found attractive. Before she left, she whispered in my ear the English word, “Share,” while caressing my groin. After lunch I went out to the river to bathe with the same group I had eaten with. Our little group included three women and two men, plus me. One of the men indicated that all of the women were vying for my attention—I could see that for myself—and that I would have to choose one. All three had been making passes at me since 3 had left. We swam and cleaned and jumped to the rings. One of the women was on a set of rings facing me. She had large round greenish eyes, a small nose, and a very small mouth. Her ears were flat against her head. I realized that ears looked much different on these people without hair. When hair covers the ears 58

Alex J. Alex they do not add or detract from appearance, but the lack of hair makes them a big part of how an individual looks. I noticed that my companion’s number was 4, from the mark on her breast. She had apparently claimed me. She was tall, almost as tall as me. She had the same small breasts I had seen on most women since meeting these folks, not that she was that small. I remembered that both Janet and Phyllis had much larger breasts than 4, but she was built about the same as Alice McBride. All of the women here seemed to be smaller in that department than most of the women I remembered on Earth, and I suspected it had something to do with their exercise regimen. 4 had impressive muscles on her arms. Her relatively small breasts were full, though, and pointed right at me while she hung from the rings. Her waist was so small, however, that it hardly looked as if it could hold her torso to her large, flared hips and muscular thighs. The next thing I knew, those long legs were locked around me and she was trying to do a pull-up. She couldn’t do it until I helped, so I did. Talk about an erotic experience. My cock was trapped up between us and the movement of our bodies was as close to having sex as we could get without actual penetration. But, what we were doing was quite a workout in addition to being very sexy. Even in low gravity, pull-ups are hard to do, especially if there is a gorgeous member of the opposite sex attached to you. Every time she pulled herself up on the rings, her breasts pointed up at my face. 59

Homecoming: First Contact “This is good exercise, isn’t it?” she said. It was more of a statement than a question. “Great exercise,” I said, “but we had better stop before I ejaculate in your navel.” She laughed and unhooked her legs, all the while staring at my erection. “Exercise first,” she said. Then she started maneuvering her body like an Olympic athlete on the rings. I just hung there watching. She was so graceful. And she was strong. Even in low gravity, she had to be in marvelous shape to move the way she did. She ended her performance with a spectacular spinning dismount onto the ledge and stood there waiting for me. I swung onto the ledge next to her. After we used the facilities, she took my hand and led me to her quarters, which were identical to 3’s. Before removing our weapons, she wrapped her arms around me and drew me close, piercing my chest with those small but marvelous pointy breasts. She reached down behind me to knead my buttocks. I did the same to her. She squeezed one thigh and then the other between my legs. I was straddling her. She pulled me up her body until my erect penis lay between her breasts. She then wrapped her arms around my legs, trapping it in her cleavage. She petted the top of it. I leaned back and reached around behind me to find her mons. I inserted my finger in her slit, stroking her clitoris. As we worked on each other, her eyes glazed over and she shuddered repeatedly in orgasm. Her tiny mouth was slightly open and she licked her upper lip. She finally opened her eyes and said she couldn’t 60

Alex J. Alex take anymore. I slid down so we were face to face again and we embraced. She turned around so her back was to me. I licked her ears and the nape of her neck while caressing her breasts. My penis was between the cheeks of her buttocks. She was flexing her buttocks, first one side, then the other. She bent over, presenting her flared hips to me. She reached between her legs, grabbing my erection and sliding it in her slit. I slid up and down over her clit several times, eliciting squeals of ecstasy and orgasmic shudders. I grabbed her buttocks and pulled her toward me as I entered her. She held on to my leg with one hand and caressed my testicles with the other. I used my hands on her marvelously flared hips to hold on to her as I thrust deeper and deeper into her juicy canal. Over and over, it seemed I went in further and further each time. Then I swelled, ready to ejaculate. She felt it coming and shuddered, speeding up her gyrations. Faster and faster I thrust into her until I finally exploded inside her. She was wild and wouldn’t stop. She shuddered repeatedly and pulled me into her over and over again, holding my legs and slamming her buttocks against me. She was perspiring all over her body. Finally she slowed and stopped. She gently patted my testicles. Then she moaned and said, “We need a towel.” She was right. Our juices were oozing out of our junction. I pushed off of the wall behind me to move us over to the drawers on the wall, all the while holding on to her to keep us together. She opened the drawer and got a towel to clean us up. As we slipped 61

Homecoming: First Contact apart, I realized how important this was. In free fall, our juices got loose easily and floated off in all directions, making an awful mess. She was an expert at getting it all cleaned up, however. We bathed in the river again and then 4 said we were to meet 3 in an exercise area. Apparently, there were several of these with different degrees of difficulty. They were starting me off in the easiest one out on the rim of the rotating portion of the ship, like the river. When we got there, the floor beneath us looked open to the stars. 4 said it was a transparent material that could be covered from the outside with armor in case of attack. This was the area where the greatest amount of false gravity was generated and they told me that it should be the easiest for me to get accustomed to. The most difficult area was in absolute free fall, where opposing tension of one muscle group against another was the method used. Body building in free fall was done to promote coordination and grace, as well as strength. All the areas used opposing tension methods to build strength. There was also an aerobic exercise area where a construction, somewhat like two trampolines facing each other, was set up vertically. The idea was to bounce back and forth between them. Those who were really good at it twisted their bodies around, did flips and turns and all sorts of maneuvers. Some couples got together and did a coordinated version. There were even some groups of several couples doing complicated and intricate maneuvers. They were all so graceful and well practiced that I felt foolish, but 4 encouraged me to 62

Alex J. Alex join her. Then I saw 3. She was engaged with a small but muscular man. All I could think of was that this was sort of like dancing the way they did it. We went over to where 3 and her companion were doing some intricate twisting moves by slinging each other from one side to the other. We waited ‘til they slowed down and noticed us. 4 told me that to interrupt them and break their concentration could be dangerous and cause an injury. 3 and her companion were perspiring profusely. It was not warm, but they had apparently been working hard. They both seemed delighted to see us. 4 left with the man to find another trampoline. 3 took my hand and led me up between the ones she had been using. I looked down at the swirling sky beneath the floor. “Don’t look down there,” said 3, pointing through the transparent floor, “you’ll get vertigo.” We were out on the rim and it was turning rapidly to induce a false sense of gravity. There were four rotating hubs on this vessel, two on each end rotating in opposing directions. This allowed them to stabilize each other and they acted as huge gyroscopes. The main body of the ship was usually in free fall unless under acceleration. Wherever the ship currently was, there was no view of the sun or any large planets, only stars as we whirled around. “Here is where you will strengthen your skin,” said 3, “To go about as we do without protective covering, the skin must be strong to withstand abrasion and tearing. Your skin is soft and delicate where you have protected it with clothes. You can be 63

Homecoming: First Contact harmed too easily. Our skin is much tougher now than it used to be, and yours will be too, soon. We were just like you, once. But we found that exposure to much of the natural radiation in space tanned our skin like leather. “But there are drawbacks. We need to be supple and flexible, not stiff. That’s one of the reasons we swim so much. Also, a cancer can be caused if not dealt with effectively. We have found ways to deal with these problems. Diet is important. Bathing is important. Continuous exercise is important, too. Never just expose yourself to radiation, especially near a star or sun, unless you stay active almost all the time. When you rest, get under cover. Sex is important, too. It’s more than just fun for us. It stimulates the entire nervous system, including the brain, and all the muscular systems. There is no better stimulation than sex, and it actually makes you smarter and more alert. So sex is more than just recreation for us, but it is our most enjoyable pastime. We feel that it is very important to share with many others, too. Variety keeps it interesting. Without variety, we have found that interest usually wanes, and impotence among males is one result. Sometimes it happens anyway. When it does, several females will sometimes get together to stimulate the impotent male. We have some interesting ways of doing this. “Couples rarely keep to themselves, exclusively. Anyone who does that for a long period of time is considered a bit queer, somewhat foolish (tempting fate by inviting impotence), and quite selfish. It does happen, sometimes, but it doesn’t usually last long. 64

Alex J. Alex Of course there are many couples who work together or are very close and have regular sex with each other because it is convenient as well as comfortable. But they usually share each other with other couples or singles fairly often, too. It’s much healthier, emotionally as well as physically, to have a number of partners than to stick exclusively to only one. “Many of these couples have a deep love for each other. We know that much of your philosophy, culture, and moral ideas are based on the idea of love. But you seem to have missed the point that love has nothing to do with sex. And, sex has nothing to do with love. They are mutually exclusive, but can be compatible. One is an idea, a state of mind, an emotion. The other is a physical activity. “You will be approached by many women. You are different and they are all curious. You are also peculiar in that you have been circumcised. We noticed that all the men in your crew had been mutilated in the same way. We don’t understand why anyone would do such a thing to himself. We understand cruelty to an enemy, but we wouldn’t stop at just the foreskin. “We know you have many ideas which we find peculiar. This is one of them. We consider selfmutilation like this to be abhorrent and just don’t understand it. But it doesn’t seem to have affected your ability to perform sexually or to enjoy yourself. Are all of your men circumcised?” “Not all of them,” I answered, “but most of our advanced societies encourage the practice for hygienic reasons. You are much more obsessed with 65

Homecoming: First Contact cleanliness than we are. I’ve bathed over and over again since I came here. We usually bathe once per day at home. I usually shave and shampoo, too, once per day. Then, we usually use a deodorant of some sort so we don’t smell bad during the rest of the day.” “Oh, yes,” said 3. “We noticed the fragrances each of you had about you, especially the women. We don’t use anything like that. We bathe often so we can stay clean. We hate being dirty unless it is unavoidable, like when we’re in combat or in some other emergency situation. Essentially, we don’t like anyone who is dirty, either. We perspire while working, when working out, when having sex, or when engaging in any strenuous activity, but that is all natural. We don’t use artificial fragrances because we don’t wish to smell at all. We use mostly natural remedies for everything. We can usually find everything we need for healthy survival anywhere on any world in a natural environment. “Come on and I’ll show you how to really improve your body.” She jumped against one of the trampolines and rebounded off it toward the other one and then back at me. She caught me off guard and knocked me down with a cross-body block worthy of an NFL tight end. Laughing, she helped me up. “You should always be prepared to defend yourself, too,” she said. “This is where we practice and prepare for hand to hand combat. You can be paralyzed, temporarily or permanently, or killed, very easily, even once you are in better shape. Our bodies are very fragile. You must 66

Alex J. Alex learn to defend yourself. Combat in low gravity or free fall is much different than under regular high gravity conditions. I’ll teach you. “Let’s begin,” she said. What a workout. I thought I was in pretty good shape, but I was breathing hard in five minutes and sweat was rolling off me in ten. 3 was relentless, however. She pushed me to go faster and faster and to try turns, twists, and flips. Now, I was not ignorant of the martial arts either. I had boxed as a youngster in golden glove tournaments, I learned hand-to-hand combat techniques in the service, and I had gotten interested in Yoshukai Karate as a good way to stay in shape over the past several years. But I was not prepared for 3. She was much stronger than I thought. Her body rippled with muscle. She hit and kicked like a pile driver. She had absolute control over her body at all times. And she was pulling her punches. Instead of breaking my neck with a chop, she slapped the back of my head. Several times she struck dangerously close to my groin. Then, when I tried to defend myself and strike back, she was all knees and elbows. That is, when I could find her at all. I felt extremely vulnerable and not a little foolish. Here I was, a pretty good example of middle-aged mankind in better than average condition, well trained and practiced in the martial arts, and this halfpint octogenarian was beating the tar out of me. I figured the only reason she hadn’t kicked me in the testicles hard enough to incapacitate me was that she 67

Homecoming: First Contact wanted me for a lover later on. I couldn’t help but wonder if my Sensei back home could have handled her. To finish her demonstration and my humiliation, she finally spun me around, straddled me with both legs wrapped around me from behind, wrapped one arm around my head with her forearm over my eyes, pulling my head back to expose my throat, and laid the flat blade of her dagger across it to let me know she could have sliced my head off if she had wanted to. “That’s enough for today,” she said. Then she let me up and sheathed her blade. “The first thing you must learn is how to protect your testicles. We don’t want that area damaged, do we?” She flashed that smile of hers at me and winked. I guess I just gave her a deadpan look. I was exhausted and embarrassed by my inability to protect myself. “Don’t feel bad,” she said. “Remember, I’ve been doing this for longer than you have been alive. But I’m far from being an expert. Some of the male Marines are truly awesome. “Can you throw a knife? Can you shoot a handgun or a long gun? We know you are a pilot. Are you a fighter? We are warriors, all of us. If you are going to learn about us by becoming one of us, you will have to become a warrior, too. “Let’s get cleaned up. We have an appointment with 7 to speak to your President.” While I was absorbing the fact that I would be talking to the President of the United States, she embraced me and nibbled on my ear while rubbing her thigh against groin. As exhausted as I was, I 68

Alex J. Alex couldn’t help getting excited. First she took me to a cubicle, which looked like all the others except instead of a number above the opening, it had the letter T in English. She explained that this was to be mine while I remained aboard. She showed me how the simple controls worked for lighting and security. The drawers held my NASA jumpsuit and gear. It had all been cleaned. There was also a pistol belt with a strange looking gun in it, a black pair of boots, and a cape. “You’ll learn to use all of this,” she said. She showed me how to insert the dagger I had been issued into the wall sharpener. Then, with a grin, she showed me that there were several towels in the top drawer. “You know what these are for and how to use them, don’t you?” she said as she removed one and let it hover in the air. Then she attacked me sexually just as strongly as she had attacked me in the exercise area. “Exercise always arouses us.” She didn’t waste any time. She threw her legs around me and impaled herself on my erection. She was wild, and she was so wet inside that I slipped out and had to insert myself again. All this lovemaking was taking its toll. I no longer could come right away. This time, I could tell it would last a while. I told her so and she just moaned. Both of us were glistening with sweat. It was hard to hold on to her because we were both so slick, inside and out. She pulled my face down to her breasts. I licked and sucked on them as she shuddered uncontrollably in 69

Homecoming: First Contact orgasm. Then she turned around, swinging one leg over my head and turning one hundred and eighty degrees so I could approach her from the rear. She rose up, leaning her back towards my chest, all the while holding my cock inside her and stroking my testicles. The way she was moving would have been impossible in any gravity. I held on to her hips. Her buttocks were slapping against my belly. Then, just before I was about to climax, I reached under her arms and grabbed her breasts. We climaxed together. Then we just drifted for a while, exhausted. I got the towel and held it around our union as I slipped out of her. I figured it was about time for me to learn how to clean up after myself. She smiled approval as I cleaned us both up. The towel went into a disposal chute. Then we embraced and held on to each other for a while. I thought she was going to sleep, I knew I was about to, but then she disengaged herself and said we had to clean up and get ready for our teleconference with 7 and the president. We bathed quickly. She asked if I was hungry and when I said yes, she said we would eat after the conference. She suggested that I might want to put on my NASA clothes, so we went back to my cubicle. I wasn’t sure I could find it without her so she explained how the quarters were laid out and how I could find mine. Like everything else on this ship, it was all designed in a simple and logical way. As I dressed, I was surprised to find how uncomfortable and restrictive the clothes felt after 70

Alex J. Alex going around without them for a couple of days. It also made me feel self-conscious and more aware of everyone else’s nudity. As we made our way to the conference room, everyone stared at me. The curious looks were more pronounced than the friendly, welcoming feeling I had been receiving while moving about on their terms and in their way. My Florida tan was nowhere near as deep as theirs, and the pasty white area where swimming trunks had covered me set me apart, but while naked, I almost felt like one of them, and they had reciprocated. Clothed, I felt like an alien. We entered the conference room.

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The Journal Chapter Three Interview With The President me. He showed me where to sit and where 7togreeted look. The camera was an integral part of the monitor, so he said that if I spoke directly to an individual and looked him in the eye, he would see me just as if we were face to face. Since the President and any others on the surface would be offended by nudity, all video transmissions would be close-ups of the face. I was almost tempted to ask why I had been asked to wear my jumpsuit. The screen came to life. I recognized the President’s Chief of Staff. “Hello,” he said, “Is anybody there?” 7 nodded to the side and then faced the screen. “Greetings,” he said, “I am 1122437.” He gestured toward 3. “This is 3434673.” She smiled winningly at the screen. “And this, as you know, is Bill Thomas of your NASA organization. We shorten our numbers for convenience, so please call me 7. We refer to Bill 72

Alex J. Alex Thomas as simply T.” 7 was not using the translator. He was speaking perfect American English. The Chief of Staff looked surprised and a little bit frightened. He introduced himself. Then, as the camera swung from one individual to another, he introduced Alice McBride, for whom 7 had a warm smile and hello, and the Secretary of State. He then introduced the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Ambassador to the U.S. from Russia. Last of all, he introduced the President of the United States. “Greetings,” said the President. The President and 7 looked each other over, sizing each other up. I wondered how the President felt and how he would handle this situation. Up until a few days before, Earth and those living there had been the whole known universe, for all intents and purposes. This man had been the single most powerful individual in that universe. Now he was about to meet a representative of a much more powerful organization than he could ever have imagined. “Mr. President, please call me 7. We have asked for this preliminary interview for a number of reasons. Primarily, you and I need to see and understand each other. We are both fortunate indeed that T has volunteered to learn our ways. We are learning from him, too, but he is learning all about us. Would you like to ask him anything?” “Mr. Thomas, are they treating you O.K.?” asked the President. “Mr. President,” I said, “I’m being treated as more than a guest, certainly not as a prisoner or hostage. 73

Homecoming: First Contact I’m sure Colonel McBride has told you that I volunteered to stay. I do not regret that decision, sir. They are teaching me their culture, their language, their mathematics... I’m learning all about them. The way they have chosen to accomplish this is to treat me as one of their own.” I didn’t say anything about all the sex I had been enjoying. I felt a little guilty about it. It was so pleasurable, and I sort of felt that I should not be enjoying myself as much as I was. I was not a very religious man, but I had always believed in God and enjoyed the fellowship of my church. I realized that I had been reluctant to ask about God for fear of getting an answer that would negate everything I believed. “Sir, they have a great deal to offer us,” I said. “I consider myself fortunate to be the first to learn from them. Some of their ways were pretty strange, at first, but I’m getting used to them. “When in Rome, so the saying goes, do as the Romans do, so I have gone native, so to speak. “They know more about us than I thought at first. They want me to understand them so I can be a real link between our different cultures.” “Do you need anything from us? I’m sure there are affairs of yours which must be taken care of,” said the President. I found it hard to believe that the President of the United States was asking about my affairs. But he sounded sincere. I said, “I’m sure, sir, that someone could pay my bills and throw away any junk mail I get. That’s about all I need.” 74

Alex J. Alex “I’m sure it is. We’ll make sure everything’s taken care of for you,” said the President. “Mr. President,” said 7, “staying here was a courageous act on his behalf, but believe me when I tell you that he is the perfect choice for a liaison. He is an apt student, and he has been able to shed some of the ideas prominent in your culture so as to be able to adapt to ours. Things have changed a lot while we’ve been gone. “First, Mr. President, I would like to explain a few things. Then I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.” “That sounds O.K. to me,” said the President. “I’m listening.” “First,” said 7, “We are your ancestors. We are all the same, but a lot of time has gone by. You are the descendants of those we left behind to rebuild. We are the military. “If Colonel McBride has not told you, this star system was invaded a long time ago. The livable worlds were almost all destroyed. But we fought the invaders off. Then we chased them back to their home worlds. We beat them badly, but we did not destroy them utterly as we had hoped to do. We have a truce. We have also pretty much destroyed their ability to attack us, for the time being. We, of course, left sentries who could warn us if they re-arm, but communications are at the speed of light, and they can travel almost that fast. They could be right behind us and we wouldn’t know it. If that happened, without us to defend you, you would be completely destroyed. They would not take the time to enslave 75

Homecoming: First Contact you. If they tried that you might be able to put up a fight. You seem to have the same deep-rooted ability to be vicious that has characterized us, even if you don’t recognize or admit it. But your weapons are primitive. “I command a vessel which is similar in function to a space-going version of your seagoing aircraft carriers. This is not the most powerful of our ships, it is not the flagship. My superior is on a ship that can destroy whole worlds. We have thirty ships in this advanced party, the way you count. The main fleet is still light years away and consists of thousands of ships, again base ten. There are millions of us left, all together, after the war, but there are only about twenty thousand in the advanced party. We count differently than you do, so some of these numbers might be a little off, but the order of magnitude should be about right. “The war significantly reduced our ranks, but we still believe that our forces represent the most powerful military organization in the galaxy. We have liberated a number of other systems from the invaders. We consider the inhabitants of these systems friends, or at least we did when we left them behind in both space and time. So much can happen while we are traveling. We approach the speed of light and move vast distances in what, to us, is a short period of time. We only age at the rate relative to the time experienced in our vessel. The relative time in a static or slow moving place is enormous, however. “For example, we fought a war, beat off invaders, chased them across the galaxy, fighting battles all the 76

Alex J. Alex way, and almost destroyed their system. We have now returned home. I am about ten years older, as you count years, than I was when we left. But, hundreds of thousands of years have passed, here. The differences in time occur when one approaches the speed of light, which we have been able to do. “Your academicians and scientists will understand the effect, even if they don’t understand how we manage to go that fast. We will share all of our knowledge and technology with you, anyway. We must. You must be able to defend yourselves. We don’t live forever. I don’t know why your lives are now so short, but we can probably help you there, too. “We are warriors. We are a military force. We are necessary. But we are tired. Most of us have fought to preserve this system so we could come back here and retire in peace. But someone will have to defend the system. Eventually, we will recruit volunteers to join us and then to replace us. “We must also do something about the environment on Earth. Fortunately, you haven’t let things get nearly as bad as we did before we realized what we were doing on the home world. And Earth has always been the cleanest, most pristine world in the system, anyway. It is also fortunate that planetary ecology is remarkably hardy. As bad as we treat our worlds, the natural environment always seems capable of recovering. Natural forces can be much more devastating than Man’s puny efforts at destruction, and they can cure the ills of man, too. “We know what to do and how to go about it. We 77

Homecoming: First Contact just help nature to take its course, but we help guide it. We will also try to re-claim Mars, but it appears to be uninhabitable, now. You realize that Mars is the home world, don’t you?” The President nodded his head. “Colonel McBride mentioned it, I believe.” “Basically,” said 7, “we’re returning home after a long hard war. We want a comfortable home to retire in. That means we have to educate you, help you fix some of the things that are ruining your planet, bring your technology up to an appropriate level, train a replacement defense force, and make sure you understand us as we understand you. “Then we can hope to relax. “Now, Mr. President, do you have any questions?” 7 looked at the President who looked like he was in shock. The Secretary General of the United Nations cleared his throat and promptly appeared on the screen. “Where do you propose to live when you... retire?” he asked. “We hope,” said 7, “that there will not be any restrictions on where we go. I know you have hundreds of little political entities, now. But this is one world, and we are all one people. You are used to fighting among yourselves. That is something that must cease. You need a common language. When you speak different languages, you think differently, and you cannot understand each other, even with a translator. Not only can you not understand each other’s speech, you cannot understand basic motives, mores, and thinking processes. 78

Alex J. Alex “Forgive me, sir. I did not mean to preach or lecture. Suffice to say we are used to freedom and liberty within our self-imposed military discipline. We are intolerant when confronted with tyranny, slavery, bondage and what has been called “Man’s Inhumanity to Man”. Believe me, if you want to fight, there are plenty of non-humans out there. “On the other hand, we have little respect for weaklings who won’t stand up to a bully. Appeasement only delays a more vicious attack later. We believe it is the responsibility and duty of every citizen to be armed and ready to fight for what he believes is right. We have asked T to voluntarily stay with us until he understands us. When he does, he will be able to explain us to you and you to us. He has volunteered to do this. He will learn our language, our history, our science, and our culture in general. When he begins to think like us, he will be one of us for a time. This will not take as long as you might think since he will be immersed within our society. He is a very good student, too, and has already adapted quite well. “We plan to stay out of your affairs until we feel we really understand you. Then T will return to you and brief you on us. After that, we will negotiate the best way to go from that point in time. He will be our guide, both yours and ours. We would like to recommend that you share with other leaders what you learn today. Make sure they all understand that we are here to help and we can pull your primitive technology up to a level that would take centuries without us. But remember, too, that we are not 79

Homecoming: First Contact patient. “Do you have any more questions?” The President asked, “How long will it be before we hear from you again?” “It depends on T,” said 7, “but let’s allow several months as you keep time. That will be less time for us because of our clock. We still use the old calendar we used on Mars, years ago. It isn’t accurate anymore because Mars has changed so much - orbit, rotational period, axis tilt, and of course it no longer has the Moon for a satellite. Our days are longer than yours approximately thirty of your hours. T has been here several of your days, but only two of ours.” He looked at me. “They’ve been action-packed, though, haven’t they?” I nodded an assent. “You can contact us on this frequency, if you wish, any time you want to. We’ll monitor your other transmissions as well. We recommend that you not alarm people with stories about us. But we also recommend that you do answer questions truthfully. If you lie, you lose credibility later. If you say nothing at all, people will make up their own stories and start rumors.” “Your recommendations are noted, but easier said than done. Our free press media can be insistent,” said the President. “You, of course, know your ways better than we do,” said 7. 7 and the President stared at each other for a moment. “Do you have any other questions?” asked 7. The President looked around at the others on his 80

Alex J. Alex end. Then he looked back at 7 and said, “No, I suppose we will just wait for you to contact us again. I don’t mind telling you that we feel threatened by your presence. Many people here think Mr. Thomas is being treated as a hostage. We do not hold hostage takers in high regard.” “Excuse me, sir,” I said. “I’m sure you’re taping this. Why not release portions of this interview to the press? I can state that I do not consider myself a hostage. Colonel McBride can confirm that I stayed here voluntarily. I’m sure 7 would allow me to communicate with you any time I want.” I knew I might be overstepping my bounds, but I was sure that 7 could not refuse. I looked at him. He nodded his head in the affirmative. “You may communicate using this equipment whenever you wish,” said 7. “3 can show you how it works and you can gain access here whenever it is necessary. Mr. President, you may contact him by using the same equipment. We will see to it that he gets any messages and responds to you. “Will that be satisfactory?” The President looked at 7. “Will he have privacy?” “Of course, that can easily be arranged,” said 7. The President nodded in the affirmative. “I’m sure we could ask no more,” he said. The rest of the teleconference consisted of 7 and the President saying nice things to and about each other. When it was over, 7 asked me how I thought it went. “7,” I said, “You just got through talking to the most powerful man on the planet. And remember, until a few days ago, the planet was the whole known 81

Homecoming: First Contact universe for us. I think he is a very cautious man and really doesn’t know what to make of the situation yet. But I’m sure he recognizes the advantages of negotiating with you rather than resisting. He won’t hide his head in the sand. But he knows that he holds some high cards, too.” “How about your situation?” asked 7. “What do you think he really thinks of that?” “Well,” I said, “I think he believes that I stayed voluntarily. I’m sure he questions my freedom to return home if I wish. More than likely, he’s much more worried about what the press thinks and says than he is about my real situation. He will downplay any stories about my being a hostage. He couldn’t do anything about it if it were true, and that would hurt him politically.” “Very well,” said 7, “we don’t want to foster political chaos. That leads to strife. “3 tells me you are learning fast. I will not be instructing you anymore. 3 will introduce you to 7670140, who is a teacher. She can do a better job of teaching you our language, math system, and history than I could. And I’m sure you have noticed, we believe in pairing up the sexes. Besides, I have a ship to run. I think you can understand that.” “Certainly,” I said. Then 3 and I left. I couldn’t wait to get out of my jumpsuit. It felt confining and scratchy. I had gotten used to the freedom of not wearing clothes much faster than I thought I would.

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The Journal Chapter Four ‘40’ out to the rim to eat. On the way, 3 told Wemeheaded a little about 40. Apparently, she had once

been one of the best fighter pilots in the fleet. She had been seriously injured in combat when her ship was completely blown to pieces. It was unusual for anyone to survive such damage. She, however, not only survived, she had excelled at another career. Unfortunately, her injuries were such that she would never be able to fly again. “Wait until you see her,” said 3. “She was once considered to be among the most beautiful and sexy women in the fleet. In some ways, she still is, and she’s the kind of person everyone likes right off. Add to that the fact that she is smart, well educated and a great teacher and you have an individual who can make you forget her injuries. But treat her kindly. She is handicapped, and the mental scars are greater than she will usually admit. Her psychological trauma has 83

Homecoming: First Contact been as devastating as her physical loss.” We stopped at my quarters to drop off my clothes and then went to the cafeteria to eat. We saw 4 and some of the other folks I had met the other day. 3 told me that I was the main topic of conversation, especially among the women. After dinner we went to bathe. “There’s 40,” said 3, pointing to a woman bathing alone on the other side of the river. As we swam over to her, her back was to us so I couldn’t tell much about her. I had no idea what to expect after what 7 and 3 had said about her injuries. She had a long slender neck and smallish ears. Her shoulders were muscular but not overly broad. “40, this is T,” said 3 as we approached. As she turned and looked at us, I was struck by her physical beauty. She flashed a brilliant smile at us and said hello. She had a heart-shaped face with a very small mouth and the bluest eyes I had ever encountered. She had a very fair complexion compared to all the others I had met, and what I could see of it above the water was flawless. The most obvious difference between 40 and the other women I had met so far, however, was her breasts. They seemed so much larger than anyone else’s as they floated in the water in front of her. 40’s breasts were not just large for these people, who were smallish compared to those on Earth, she had breasts that would be considered extremely large, anywhere. She did not appear to be a very large woman, however. I would almost say she seemed petite in all her features except her swollen breasts. I 84

Alex J. Alex couldn’t see any evidence of injury either. She was absolutely beautiful in every feature I could see. “40 will teach you our language, history and math. She can also show you our computers and how they work. She is well versed in all the sciences, too, so there will probably not be many questions she cannot answer for you,” said 3. “I will continue to teach you about our culture and physical/martial arts. We will work together to make you one of us.” “We’ll get to know each other tonight,” said 40. “Just leave him to me, 3. We’ll see you in the morning for breakfast, or in the exercise area.” “O.K.,” said 3. “Get to know each other real well tonight and I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, 3 swam off. 40 flashed that brilliant smile at me and put a hand on my shoulder. “So you’re mine for the evening,” she said. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you. You’ve caused quite a stir, you know. Most of us have had sex with the same folks over and over again. Every now and then we run into someone new, but over ten years confined to a ship, even a relatively large one like this ship, you pretty much run out of new partners after a while and get in a rut with the same old folks over and over again. I sometimes can’t find a partner at all because of my handicap.” I couldn’t believe that this gorgeous creature would ever go wanting for company, and I said so. “Didn’t 3 tell you about me?” she asked. “Well, yes,” I said, “she said that you were a fighter pilot and that you were injured severely in combat. She also said you couldn’t fly anymore so 85

Homecoming: First Contact you became a teacher. But you seem fine to me. In fact, you’re about the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and you appear to be in excellent condition like everyone else around here.” “She didn’t tell you what happened to me, then?” asked 40. “Well,” I said, “not exactly.” 40 paused and looked down at the water for a minute. Then she told me her story. “I was a fighter pilot,” she said, “one of the best. We were attacking a squadron of invaders, trying to break through to attack their carrier. I had just destroyed an enemy fighter and was maneuvering to clear the debris and confirm the kill, when I was hit myself, from behind. I lost my engine and my ship careened through the debris of the enemy fighter I had just destroyed. My ship collided with part of the debris and it sheared off the nose of my ship, right in front of me. “When it happened, it sheared off my legs, too, right at the top of my thighs. I was able to rig a containment area in the cockpit with enough oxygen to sustain me for a few hours. I was able to rig tourniquets on my legs, but realistically, I thought I would bleed to death before I ran out of air. “I was able to get off an emergency signal but I didn’t know if anyone had heard it or not. Eventually, I lost consciousness. I woke up in sickbay. They had salvaged all the debris and I just happened to still be alive. They found me by accident while looking through the junk that had once been my fighter. Of course, both of my legs were gone for good, so that 86

Alex J. Alex ended my flying career. 7 asked me if I thought I could be a teacher, and that’s how I ended up talking to you. It’s been six years since I lost my legs so I’ve had time to adjust. I can’t work out as much as I used to, but I stay in shape. I always had large breasts, but they’ve grown even larger since my physical activity has been reduced. “Sometimes I go to my quarters alone. Large breasts are not considered very sexy among us, but I understand it’s different among you.” I cleared my throat. “Large breasts are considered very sexy by some of us. I think you look incredible. I didn’t know about your legs, but I won’t hold it against you.” I smiled at her, trying not to look down through the water to see her deformity. “I’m tired,” she said. “I’m also very horny.” “Do you need help to get around?” I asked. “No. I can get around on my own,” she said. “But it might be nice to have help until we get back to free fall.” “O.K. What should I do?” I asked. “Well, let’s bathe first. Then we can swing on the rings. Then, if you will, catch me as I swing off the rings and carry me to a bathroom,” she said. “Sounds good to me,” I said. With that, she flipped over and presented her private parts to me for bathing. Her legs had been sheared off, as she said, right at the top of her thighs. I used one of the sponges to clean her up. She tickled my scrotum and shaft while I worked on her. Then it was my turn. I fondled her mons while she cleaned me up. 87

Homecoming: First Contact “These are alive, you know,” she said of the sponges. “That’s why they work so well. They keep the water clean, too.” The way she got to the rings was unusual. I had wondered how she would do it. I had to get up first. Then she swam at an angle from the floor, breaking the surface just below me. She grabbed my legs and climbed up my body ‘til she could reach a ring for herself. “Now do you see why I don’t get as much exercise as I need?” she asked. “It’s too much trouble for my partners. You’ll have to wrap your legs around me, now.” I did as she suggested. Then we did some pull-ups the way 4 had shown me. “I love to do this,” she said. “But I don’t get to do it often enough.” We worked together to work up a sweat. I could tell she was enjoying the physical activity as well as the erotic embrace with my legs locked around her hips. Finally, after a good workout, we dropped down and rinsed off. Then I jumped up again and she climbed up too. I swung to the platform and she swung after me into my arms. She was quite a bundle of flesh—warm and cuddly. I carried her to the bathrooms and took her into one of them with me. I set her on the facility and held her over the sink so she could wash her teeth. Then she waited while I finished. When I asked, she said that there was a special bathroom that she could use when she was alone, but it was in an out of the way place. 88

Alex J. Alex I carried her out to the elevator. She kept her arms around my neck and her face next to mine. I suddenly realized that she had tears in her eyes. “What’s the matter?” I asked. “It’s just that you’re so kind and gentle,” she said. “I don’t let people help me much—it’s a matter of pride—but it was so nice to have you help me and carry me and treat me as though you cared.” I didn’t know what to say. Here was this absolutely gorgeous creature with these perfectly formed breasts lifted up in free fall over a tiny waist and beautifully flared hips, admittedly horny and telling me she is thankful for me being kind. I could almost imagine how she had been with legs. Suddenly, she grinned at me and reached for my hand. “Don’t worry,” she said. “Now I’m in my element—free fall. I can do things in free fall that you won’t believe. Sometimes, legs are just in the way.” We went to my quarters. We were hardly inside before she attacked me. She pulled my face to her breasts and I licked and sucked on each of them, all the time holding her close by the buttocks. She ground her mons into me. With her head thrown back and her eyes glazed over and partially shut, she shuddered over and over again. She was wild. I hadn’t even touched her genitals, never mind entered her, and she was having uncontrollable orgasms. She moaned softly and writhed violently against me. Perspiration just rolled off of her. It was contagious, of course. I was as excited as I had ever been. I pulled myself up so I could kiss her, but as I tried, she pulled back away from me with a 89

Homecoming: First Contact wild frightened look in her eyes. “We don’t do that,” she said. “Didn’t 3 tell you?” I thought about it for a second. I had never tried to kiss either 3 or 40 on the mouth. “No, I’m afraid she didn’t tell me anything about it.” “Well,” she said, “mouth-to-mouth contact is filthy and spreads disease. Oral-genital or anal contact, as practiced in some of your cultures, is just as bad. Some of the diseases that are developed and spread through such contact are deadly. “This is no silly taboo like some of the peculiar beliefs you subscribe to. I’ve been studying some of your mores. Frankly, I don’t understand much of your thinking or where it comes from. You think it’s wrong to be natural so you cover yourselves. But then you attempt to make the coverings as sexual as possible, at least the females do. But the females appear to be uninterested in sex. You even have rules and laws about harassment and rape, which indicate that your females are so against sex that they need legal protection from having it. Your males, on the other hand, make minimal attempts to be sexually attractive, but they appear to be the most interested in sexual liaisons. “You protect and allow homosexuality, and by doing so, you promote it. Even your primitive investigations must have shown that this is where the deadliest sexually developed and transmitted diseases start. It’s pretty obvious that male and female humans fit together very well in a natural way. When you start putting your penis and your tongue in places where they don’t belong, you are asking for 90

Alex J. Alex trouble, and you get it. The problems encountered with promiscuity come from unnatural acts and poor hygiene. You talk a lot about promiscuity being immoral, but then you promote it in all forms of entertainment and advertising. “I must admit that I’m unusual among the people on this ship in that I’m handicapped and have a difficult time getting around and finding regular partners for sex. We like to have sex three times a day. We have found that it is important to our health to have sex at least once each day. Most of us don’t have a problem finding partners. I don’t have too much trouble, but occasionally, as I said, I go to my quarters alone. I used to have long, beautiful legs, too. They were voted best legs in the fleet, once. But I shouldn’t feel sorry for myself. I’m fortunate to be alive. And I’ve got you all to myself tonight. “You and I are the two most exotic creatures on this ship, you know. You’re a primitive descendent, of course, and I’m about to show you why I’m exotic.” During this harangue, my erection had gone limp. 40 reached her arms around me and pulled me close again. She pulled me up her body until my cock lay between her breasts. Then she pushed them together and started moving. She kneaded my buttocks and ran her hands up my back and down my legs. As my erection grew again, she pulled herself up and guided my tongue to her nipples once again. I had never actually seen breasts or nipples that large. They seemed to swell as I touched them. 40 ground her body against mine, trapping my cock between our bodies. Then she turned around 91

Homecoming: First Contact and drew my arms around her. My penis lay between the cheeks of her buttocks. With one hand I caressed her breasts, with the other I searched for her clitoris. When I found it, she jerked and moaned, laying her head back against my cheek and offering her ear for a nibble. As I accommodated her, she shuddered in multiple orgasms. Then she pushed away and looked at me with an impish grin. “Now I’m going to show you what exotic means,” she said. She mounted me and I entered her. She was perpendicular to me, straight up. “Don’t thrust now,” she said, “or you’ll ruin it. Hold on and move with me.” She started to turn us like a pinwheel with her body as the pivot. We started spinning around and I held on to her. I helped and we spun faster and faster. Then, suddenly, she grabbed the drawers on the wall and stopped her body from turning while mine continued to spin. The effect was incredible. It was as if my erection was drilling into her. I wanted to thrust but was afraid I would slip out if I did. When I came, though, I couldn’t help but grab hold of 40 and thrust into her. It happened that I grabbed her while her breasts faced me. As we thrust against each other, still spinning around the room, those magnificent breasts jiggled wildly all over the place. When it was over, she didn’t want to stop, but I reached for a towel and cleaned us up. She turned her back to me and pulled my arms around her. “Let’s rest like this. Sleep if you will, but if you get aroused, I want you again,” she said. 92

Alex J. Alex I just held her tight and licked the nape of her neck. Then we drifted off to sleep. It had been a long day. She woke me up about an hour later and we made love in a long slow gentle way. The climax, while not as spectacular as the first time, was very satisfying. We both got a very good night’s sleep, and then she woke me up in the morning.

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The Journal Chapter Five 71 and 53, Bodybuilding And Continuing Education 0 woke up before I did and noticed that, although I was still asleep, I had a slight erection. Who knows what I could have been dreaming about? Well, she worked on me and impaled herself on my sleepy erection. I awoke to find myself already in the act of copulation. She had backed on to me and her buttocks were slapping against my abdomen. I thought to myself that this was a heck of a way to wake up. I was hardly awake. A few thrusts and I exploded into her. She had a towel ready and cleaned us up. We relaxed in each other’s arms for a while and then she said, “Let’s go wash up and eat.” I said, “O.K.,” and we went out to the river. 40 had to use her arms to push out of the elevator backwards into the water. We bathed. She jumped from the rings to my arms. We shared a bathroom. Then I carried her on my shoulders to the cafeteria. There, we met 3.

4

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Alex J. Alex “I guess you two got along O.K. last night,” said 3 with a smile. 40 said, “We’re going to get along fine.” Then she leaned over and nuzzled my shoulder. “Well, I hope he’s ready for some exercise,” said 3. “We’re going to a muscle tension room today after we warm up on the trampolines. You’ll have him back after lunch.” After breakfast, 3 and I took our leave of 40. We bathed and then did some pull-ups on the rings. My penis was pooped out and she noticed. I think that’s why she worked me so hard. I was barely able to hang on when we finished on the rings. Next we went to the exercise area and worked out on the trampolines. She made me work up a real sweat. I also scraped my skin in several places. 3 let me know that my skin would toughen up gradually, but it was very tender at that time. Then 3 said she would show me how they really stayed in shape. On the way, we discussed the knives or daggers everyone had. “We don’t depend on the daggers much,” she said. “They are simply an easy, quick and quiet way to kill. They can also be thrown, but even in the most skilled hands, dependence on a knife is dangerous. We depend on hand-to-hand combat techniques for close in work. Anything out of that range should be shot or closed upon. The knife is only used for the coup de grace, to quickly dispatch an enemy already at a disadvantage. A knife can also be used in a stealth attack. A throat slit from behind can’t yell for help. And, of course, a knife can be used as a last resort 95

Homecoming: First Contact when your enemy has you at a disadvantage. But remember, you always know where the attack will come from if your enemy has a blade and is using it just watch the hand wielding it. Without a weapon, the attack can come from anywhere. A dagger is really most effective when used for lunch.” We exited the elevator in very low gravity, but not free fall. As we got off, a group of three couples got on. We half floated, half walked down a corridor and entered a large room full of exercise equipment. There were a lot of people working out in the room. Much of the equipment was mechanically spring loaded, but some of it required two people, one working against the other, and was little more than a lever and a fulcrum. Although the temperature was cool, perspiration covered just about everyone in the place. “Men are built differently from women,” said 3, “and much of this equipment requires either two men or two women. So we’re going to work out with another couple.” 3 led me over to some equipment that was not being used. There was a couple hovering there, waiting for us. Like everyone else I had met here, they each had the incredible physique of a bodybuilder. They both smiled broadly and greeted us. 3 turned to me. “This is 71 and this is 53. 53 and I sometimes work out together, and 71 is what you might call a coach or an instructor. He will show you how the equipment works and instruct you in proper low ‘G’ bodybuilding techniques. I’ll be right over here with 53 and I’ll collect you for lunch. You better call me 73 while we’re with 53, so we don’t get mixed 96

Alex J. Alex up.” 73 and 53 propelled themselves a few meters away to some equipment and began to set it up for certain exercises. I turned my attention to 71. He had a high sloping forehead and a long thin nose. His eyes were close together over shallow cheeks. He had a very small mouth. But the most striking feature of his face was a massive jaw. He had more of a neck than some of the men, but his massive shoulders, arms, and chest left no doubt about his strength. He had a fairly slender waist, but his buttocks, thighs, and calves were as massive as his upper body. Like all the other men here, he had not been circumcised. He was watching me as I made this mental evaluation. He seemed amused. “It will take some time,” he said, “but you can have a body like this if you want to. We have a number of reasons for working out like this. First, of course, is to avoid muscle atrophy. Any muscle not used will atrophy, very quickly, as a matter of fact. Even short periods of time in free fall can cause serious problems when you return to a strong gravitational environment. Second, as warriors, we rely on hand-to-hand combat to a great degree. Technique will only take you so far. Consider two combatants, equal in skill, but one much stronger than the other. The stronger one usually has the edge.” He looked at me and seemed to chuckle to himself. “One other reason is also pretty important to most of us. A flabby, out of shape individual is not attractive to the opposite sex.” He looked me over in somewhat the same way I 97

Homecoming: First Contact had evaluated him. “You are an unusual and different sexual partner for all these women, so I know they are all lining up to have sex with you, but the novelty will wear off. You need work. But you’ll really feel much better. You’ll be healthier and you’ll feel better as well as looking better.” “Well, let’s get started,” he said. “This equipment is designed for two people with approximately matching physiques. We will work together, against each other. When you push, I push against you. You do the same for me. When I pull, you pull against me, and vice verse. There are also bending, turning, and twisting exercises which we can do using this machine. Then maybe we’ll work on another machine where we work together, you push, I pull, and vice versa. “We need to start slowly and gently or else we will break down muscle tissue instead of building it, but we will work hard, and it may not take as long as you think to get in shape.” We started. I had never done any bodybuilding, so I really didn’t know what to expect. At first, it seemed too easy. I figured I should have to strain to the utmost all the time, but 71 said we would have to gradually work our way up to that point. We rested often, and he advised me to use total relaxation techniques between sessions. We would work for about five minutes and rest for one. It wasn’t long before I realized that it wouldn’t be easy at all. As fatigue started to affect me, I started to think about how stiff I would be tomorrow. We worked on all the major muscle groups, but 71 let me 98

Alex J. Alex know that his initial objective was to firm up my waist and eliminate the hint of flab that was developing around me in a roll at that part of my body. After a couple of hours, I thought I could almost feel it disappearing, but it was still there whenever I looked. The equipment was really pretty simple. It only guided the efforts of the two people working out. The people provided all the effort. We worked out all morning, at least four or five hours. 71 hardly spoke. He occasionally smiled, however, and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. We both worked up quite a sweat. Finally, he indicated that we would stop for today. “You’re a lot stronger, in some ways, than you look,” he said. “It’s probably from living all your life in heavy gravity. When you spend extended periods of time in free fall or low gravity, you have to work extra hard to maintain any strength at all. Frankly, you surprised me. You’re in better shape than you look. I’m pleased.” He approached me and felt of my body with his hands. It was somewhat like a cross between a massage and a chiropractic exam. “You have strength and good tone in a lot of areas. But in others, you need lots of work. I understand that you will warm up with 73 on the rim and then join me daily. We can do a lot of good with a workout like this each day.” 73 and 53 were approaching. They brought us some towels to wipe off the perspiration. “Did you two have a good time?” asked 73. “We had a real good workout,” said 71. “I’m ready 99

Homecoming: First Contact for some sex and some lunch. How about you?” “Sounds good to me,” said 73. She took his arm and headed for the exit. 53 and I looked at each other. She wasn’t ugly, none of these people were, but she wasn’t beautiful, either. I was just thinking that she had a rather plain face, but then she gave me the biggest smile and, grabbing my arm, she nodded in the direction 73 and 71 were going. “How would you like to bathe?” she asked. “Sounds good to me,” I said. “We sure need it.” We both laughed. We caught up with 73 and 71 at the elevator. We rode out to the rim together. 73 said they would meet us for lunch at the cafeteria. 53 was a thickly muscled woman. Especially from the waist up, she was more heavily muscled than most of the women. She had very small breasts. We washed each other. Then we worked out on the rings for only a moment. After our toilet, she took me by the hand expectantly. I took her to my place. On the way, she couldn’t help fondling my testicles. Although she looked more savage and barbaric than most of the other women I had had sex with, 53 was a gentle lover. We both kept our eyes open through it all. We made love face to face. When I came, she moaned, ever so quietly. Even her orgasms were gentle and restrained. After a quick dip in the river, we went to the cafeteria. 73 and 71 were both there waiting for us. We had lunch with 71 and 53. Then 3 said she had other commitments and that I had an appointment with 40. We met her in the river and then 3 took her leave. 40 and I bathed and then she took me to a 100

Alex J. Alex classroom. It could have been used for a class of about twenty, but we had it all to ourselves. “Do you ever use this for teaching or training people other than me?” I asked. “Of course,” said 40. “And we have a lot of these classrooms scattered around the ship. But this one is reserved just for us, now. “As a matter of fact, we are using the classrooms quite a bit, right now, because we are trying to prepare for what we hope will be an amicable assimilation of our various cultures, one to another.” I looked around. There were several computers floating around the room. There was no ceiling or floor because we were in free fall so I decided to call all six surfaces walls. Each computer was essentially what looked like a Darth Vaderesque face shield. When I slipped it over my head, it came to life. I could see all of my surroundings, but there was a computer menu projected in front of me. “You can interact with the computer by voice or by just looking at something on the menu,” said 40. “It will respond in voice mode as well as visual. If you pay attention, you will soon learn enough of our written language to be able to manipulate the various menus and prompts. If you need help, just ask—the computer, not me. It can help you better and faster than I could. “You can come here any time you want, by the way, with or without me. You can have pretty much a free hand in where you go and what you do. If you get lost, most anyone will set you straight. I must warn you, though, we have all kinds of people in the 101

Homecoming: First Contact crew. Most will just be curious about you, but you could run into someone with a mean streak who would like to try his or her skill against you. By skill, I mean your combat/martial arts skills. You could easily be hurt. And if you were successful in defending yourself, someone else might like to try a hand. “This might sound a little exciting and relatively innocent, but it could easily get out of hand. We are warriors, and we like to fight. We like to hurt others if we can. Usually, no one gets really hurt, or killed, but it happens. And you are not ready to mix it up with most of us. “As I said, you can come here any time you want. You can also use the transmitting equipment that 7 used to communicate with the surface. If you stay pretty much in the general areas we have shown you, nothing untoward should happen, but you might be better off with an escort.” I was surprised, to say the least, at what 40 had just said. Everything here seemed so orderly and under control—almost tame. It was a shock to realize that I could get mugged here just as easily as back home. In a way, it was a disappointment to find that this was not the Utopia it seemed to be. We started the learning process. 40 started me off with basic language and math skills, just as if I was starting off in kindergarten. I learned to think in their language and calculate in base eight. I followed the same routine day after day for what must have been weeks: Breakfast, workout, lunch, school, dinner, sleep, breakfast, etc. All this was of course 102

Alex J. Alex interspersed with sex, several times a day with 3, 40, 53 and occasionally someone else who I met or was introduced to. I became immersed in the language, mathematics and culture. 40 played music for me, too; computer generated sound. Then, she finally introduced me to some of their literature. I had been absorbing it all and trying to ignore the temptation to look for parallels in our culture. But one day when she asked if I had any questions, I asked the one which had been bothering me all along. “40,” I said, “We have certain beliefs. We have what we call religions, which purport to explain the unexplainable. You have never shown me anything which remotely parallels this in your culture.” She looked at me with a blank expression on her face. “Well,” she said, “I expected you to ask sooner or later. You know we’ve studied a lot of your culture through your broadcasts, so we know a little about your religions. Frankly, I personally think that the perpetrators of the broadcasts are little better than con men on a grand scale. Why you allow these unscrupulous individuals to ply their trade is beyond me. They solicit gifts and give absolutely nothing in return, and unless I miss my guess, the ones who respond and support these so called ‘Holy Men’ or ‘Evangelists’ are those who can least afford it. “I have studied much of your history, too. It appears that most of these religions claim to be in favor of peace and love of individuals for each other, but the cry of “God is on our side” has rung out in every war you seem to have fought. More blood has 103

Homecoming: First Contact been spilt in the names of your Gods than for all other reasons put together. “Of course, I’m sure you realize...or maybe you don’t. It is obvious to me that many ruthless leaders have used God as an excuse to get their followers to kill the followers of someone else. “What really amazes me is that there is such a minor difference between many of your religions, and still you use these differences as excuses to kill each other. “Well, enough about what your people believe. What you really want to know is if we can confirm any of your beliefs. I’m sorry to tell you that I can’t. We had similar, but less deadly beliefs once, but they all fell apart in the face of scientific investigation. We can’t answer the question you want to know about most of all. “This question of the soul or spirit is unique to your mythology. We never developed such myths. Is there another life after you die? That’s an interesting question that we’ve never thought of. I doubt it, but it has interesting possibilities. What I can’t understand is why, if there are so many miserable people alive on Earth, why don’t they just kill themselves and go on to this supposedly better life after death? I suspect that the answer is that they really don’t believe in any such thing at all, but just say that they do.” “Most of our religions,” I said, “teach that it is wrong to take a life, even your own.” “Well,” she said, “if that is true, can you explain why so many people with different religious beliefs are fighting among themselves right now?” 104

Alex J. Alex “I don’t know,” I said. I hung my head and felt...I don’t know how I felt. I was sure she was missing something, but I didn’t know how to explain it to her. I was never an eloquent or convincing person. If someone said something I didn’t agree with, I tried to see it from their point of view. If that didn’t work, I usually just kept it to myself, especially when it came to subjects like religion or politics. I thought about the Bible as a reference, but its role as the authoritative text of many religions is based on its antiquity and the assumption of divine inspiration from the beginning. 40 predated it by an enormous amount of time and knew nothing about it. Why? Shouldn’t she know something about God, at least? “Many of us believe in what we call the Universal Continuum,” she said. “We are all just part of a larger living body. And we in turn are made up of smaller living bodies. The Galaxy is a living cell, sort of like an amoeba, and, with the other galaxies, makes up much greater bodies, some of which may be sentient like us, but on a huge scale. By the same token, there are sentient beings alive on the surface of electrons, and atoms are just small star systems within small galaxies making up cells. “We may be on part of a brain cell or in a lump of lead. Who knows? In any event, this supposedly goes on indefinitely in all directions with infinitely small things and beings made up of even smaller particles with sentient beings living on them, and infinitely large particles made up of atoms the size of solar systems and cells the size of galaxies. 105

Homecoming: First Contact “We were never arrogant enough to think that a god would think so highly of us that he or she would talk to us. The known universe is so enormous that such a thought is ludicrous. There are so many other peoples scattered across this Galaxy alone that the idea that a god would be preoccupied solely with us just doesn’t make sense. And we have missed most of the populated worlds and don’t even know how many there may be. “The Universal Continuum, of course, is about as verifiable as your religions. Anything which cannot be verified will have its critics. And anything which cannot be disproved will have its believers. The hopeless and the poorly educated are the prey of the religious leader. At least that’s the way it was on Mars among the civilians. “We in the military are what you would probably call agnostics. We believe what we can see and prove, but we don’t disbelieve anything simply because we cannot explain it. We continue to look for answers to questions like you ask. We pride ourselves on our enquiring minds. “We always looked on the civilian population as a chaotic and, for the most part, uninformed mass of people who could be swayed by any charismatic speaker with a good organization behind him or her. All some self-proclaimed leader had to do was promise something for nothing. Or, even better, vow to take something from someone else (who probably worked hard and earned it) and distribute it to those who were too lazy to work for it themselves. “The military was always very selective. It was 106

Alex J. Alex difficult to get in and even more difficult to get through the training without being thrown out. We have an elitist, cocky attitude, but it is earned. We were the best-educated and the best physical examples of mankind. We rarely mingled with civilians. When we retired, it was usually to a community entirely populated by ex-military personnel. We sometimes traveled, but usually in groups. The civilians envied us, but they needed us, so they kept us around. We did what they wanted as far as policing the laws, protecting property, and ensuring the rights of citizens. When it came to policing ourselves, we did that too, but we never answered to the civilian authorities about military discipline. We were the explorers, too. And then, eventually, we had to defend the whole system against the invaders. “Personal honor is important to us. Not so, however, many of the civilians. Some of them delighted in subterfuge and cheating at anything. It was a thing to be proud of to have cheated someone or lied to someone and got away with it. In many ways, the population of Earth today is much like the civilian population of Mars in our time. “People whine about every perceived injustice, no matter how slight. Rarely do they do anything about it, however, except to whine louder and demand that someone else change their ways. What these wimps should do is stand on their own two feet and take care of themselves, rather than expect someone else to care for them. “We find it amazing that ignorance seems to 107

Homecoming: First Contact triumph so often. For instance, given your level of technology, nuclear power is by far the cleanest and safest way to generate electricity. It would really be the most economical, too, if the power companies didn’t have to spend so much time and so many resources fighting unnecessary regulations and ignorant opponents. Why people will follow instigators who cannot even pronounce the word ‘nuclear’ is beyond me. “Then you have your so-called ‘environmentalists’. Natural forces destroy species much more effectively than man ever could. Think about it. Man against the dinosaurs. Who would win? It may not be as clear-cut as you think. We found evidence that the dinosaurs were smarter than you think they were, and they were every bit as fierce as they appeared. I’m not too sure that Man would have triumphed at all. Thank goodness they were unique to Earth and nothing like them ever developed on Mars. They ruled the Earth for millions of years, but they were wiped out in a few short decades by natural forces. Man couldn’t have done it. “You have people who delight in preserving old wilderness areas. But every year, natural forces burn more forests than your lumber companies could hope to cut down. At least some of your people recognize that a clear-cut forest area is as close to natural burning as you can get. That’s how the underbrush is cleared away so new trees can grow. Why don’t your environmentalists recognize that nature is a constantly changing state of renewable resources? Try as you may, I’m sure you couldn’t turn the lush 108

Alex J. Alex greenery we knew in North Africa into the Sahara Desert as it exists today. “But the silliest thing I’ve heard from these selfappointed experts is the story about the ‘hole in the ozone layer’. That’s been there since we fought off the Invaders long ago. You wouldn’t understand the weaponry involved, but it had nothing to do with small amounts of chemicals being released by your people into the atmosphere. “What makes you think small releases of chemicals in the Northern Hemisphere can affect the upper atmosphere at the extreme southern point of the world? Believe me, one really violent eruption of a volcano does more damage to the ecology of any world than your puny technology could do in centuries. You really think you are much more powerful and dangerous than you actually are. “Of course, I suppose it is just a way for some of these people to get attention, and some people will follow anyone. As I said before, ignorance is like a vacuum. Someone who purports to be able to answer the questions of the ignorant need not be right, he just needs to be convincing to enough gullible people. Then he gets respectability and can set himself up as an authority. After all, he must be right if all those people believe him. Right? “Don’t you see how absurd this seems to an outsider like me?” “Well don’t worry. We had some problems with the environment on Mars, too. And we can help straighten out the Earth. We want it to be right because it’s our world too, you know. We have no 109

Homecoming: First Contact place else to go. We might even be able to re-claim some of the deserts.” We floated there in silence for a moment. Then she said, “You know, there might be a grain of truth to some of your religious books. They might be interpreted in different ways by different people, but there may be an underlying truth to them. And remember, they have been transcribed and translated by thousands of people over the millennia. Some of those people probably had a point to prove in the slant they gave to the stories. Some of them might have been misguided. Some of them might have just been not too bright, or poorly educated. And of course, faulty memories probably contributed to the stories drifting away from their original text, not to mention their original meaning. “Your Bible, for instance. Much of it appears to be just factual history, embellished, of course. But the oldest parts in Genesis could be true too. We lived on a world that we considered a large garden. Eden? We lived, we still do, in innocence, without clothes, and see no need for them. We were invaded by aliens, Satan - the serpent? Then we were thrown out of our garden and it was destroyed. “There are a lot of possible parallels with your oldest books. But I can’t confirm anything in any of them for sure. It’s only speculative rationalization. Of course, that’s really all your religious teachers do anyway, isn’t it? Don’t they take little pieces from your holy books, out of context, and try to make them fit certain circumstances?” She sounded so cynical. But I couldn’t really 110

Alex J. Alex disagree with anything she said. “You don’t understand the place religion holds in our culture,” I said. “On the contrary, I think I understand it too well much better than you do. You won’t admit the flaws that I can see so clearly,” she said. “It’s always that way. I’m sure you can see the flaws in our culture much more clearly than we can. We won’t admit to ourselves that we have any faults, but of course we do. We know it too, rationally, but to admit it and to really change is much more difficult.” She floated over close to me. “Hold me,” she said. She drew my face to her breasts. I put my arms around her and held her close as I sucked her nipples. “You know, you are firming up quite nicely,” she said. She was right. I had worked hard at what they referred to as exercise and my abdomen was flat, my muscle tone was improved, my endurance was much better, I was more coordinated in free fall, the little roll around my waist was gone, and I had developed a nice tan. I was also aware that my muscles were developing and were more defined, especially my upper body. “Do you like the new me?” I asked. She was grinding herself against me and breathing hard. I could tell she was close to an orgasm. So I helped her by licking her all over and using my fingers to caress her and stimulate her clit. I slipped my fingers into her pussy to massage her G-spot. “Let’s go somewhere and have sex,” she said. “I 111

Homecoming: First Contact know a place you will enjoy.” “What kind of place?” I asked. “It’s a meeting place,” she said. “It’s a place where many couples meet and enjoy themselves. You might call it a party place. It’s an organized orgy of sex. There is food, too. It serves the same purpose for us as one of your nightclubs does on Earth. But you know we don’t have any intoxicants or drugs. If we did, we would avoid them at all costs. I am beginning to understand why you use them, however. It’s because you need to be released from your unrealistic moralistic taboos, isn’t it? Or is it an excuse to do what you really want to without having to explain that you like doing things that your culture calls wrong? “Come on,” she said, “I’m horny.” She took me by the hand and led me out the door.

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The Journal Chapter Six Orgy At The Party Place went out close to the rim. There was some Wegravity, at least. As we approached I heard music and laughter. I was carrying 40 in my arms because of the gravity. A couple I didn’t recognize rushed past us going the other way, hand in hand and laughing. We came to a closed door. There was a large man there with his arms crossed who appeared to be guarding the door. I figured he must be the bouncer or something from the scowl on his face. He brightened and smiled when we approached. “Hello, 40,” he said, “I haven’t seen you for a while.” “I’ve been busy,” she said. “This is T, the man from the surface, 60. T, this is 60. He runs the best high gravity party place on this end of the ship. He’s got good food, good music, and a civilized clientele.” “They’re all officers,” said 60. He was smiling now, obviously pleased at 40’s description of his 113

Homecoming: First Contact establishment. “I rarely have trouble with anyone, here,” he said, flexing his muscles. “You don’t look near as bad as I thought you would,” he said, looking me up and down. “I’d heard that you were hairy, flabby, and pasty white with a small penis. You look O.K. in all departments, though. 40, 73 and 53 must have been keeping you busy. That circumcised penis sure looks funny, though. Is this your first visit to a party place?” “Yes, it is,” I said, with a nervous little smile. I looked down and could feel myself blushing. As I looked down, I noticed that he had about the largest organ I had ever seen. In the past, I had rarely looked at any male genitals other than my own. In our culture, that sort of thing is frowned upon. But up here, it was an inescapable part of life. He was a big man anyway, tall and heavily muscled. He had a hawk-like face with a nose that looked like it had been flattened several times. He looked like the kind of man I would want on my side in a fight. He had large hands and feet. And, as I said, he had the largest genitals. His scrotal sac looked like he had a couple of oranges in it, and his penis, which wasn’t really erect, was at least four centimeters in diameter and hung halfway to his knees. His uncircumcised foreskin made it look even larger and longer. “60 is one of my special lovers,” said 40. “Not every woman can handle a man like 60.” She reached down to fondle his shaft, which started to grow. “And not every man knows how to handle a woman built like you,” said 60. “We used to be an 114

Alex J. Alex item, even before she lost her legs, and we still get together whenever we can. Go on in and enjoy yourselves.” He gave 40 a pat on her buttocks and me a wink. “It looks like you know how to treat her.” In we went. It was relatively dark, lit with red lights around the ceiling. To our right was a buffet with light fare and lots of beverages. There were only a few people standing there eating and drinking. To our left was a carpeted floor that looked like it had been molded into various shapes. As I looked closer, I could see that it was moving slowly like waves in slow motion. It turned out to be like a big waterbed, but the liquid beneath it was much more viscous than water so it moved much more slowly. A number of couples were there, some just lounging, some embracing, all relaxing. It was about ten meters across. “That’s the recovery area,” said 40. I wondered what they were recovering from. The wall immediately to the left was full of lockers. 40 showed me how to access them with my thumbprint so I could deposit our daggers. “Remember which one is ours,” she said. “It will only open to your thumb print until we remove our stuff and clear it.” Beyond the buffet/eating area and the recovery area, which had several bathrooms leading off of it on each wall, was another door which was sealed by a membrane. It was slit vertically in the middle, and the sides overlapped one another. As we approached it and I touched it, I found that it was slippery to the touch and left a light oily film on my skin. 115

Homecoming: First Contact “Come on,” said 40 with a grin as she indicated we should enter. As we slipped through, we both got covered by the oily film. The floor inside was the same membrane as the door flaps, and it extended about halfway up the walls. The upper portions of the walls were tilted toward the middle and were mirrors as was the ceiling. Lighting was in the joints where wall met wall and wall met ceiling. The floor was undulating like the recovery area, only faster. It might have had water underneath it. Everything was warm, too. And one thing I noticed above all else, as we entered, was that it smelled of sweating bodies and sex. There was no perfume, but there was an underlying odor of what smelled like olive oil. There in front of us, as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw something I never had expected to see and was totally unprepared for. The room was approximately twenty meters square, and was filled with a writhing mass of bodies all piled up in a heap. Every one of them was slipping and sliding all over each other. Here and there an erection entered a ripe pussy and pumped away. “This is what it’s all about,” said 40. “Put me on the pile so I can participate, will you, please?” I did as she asked. “Thanks,” she said with a grin. Then, with a shriek of delight, she slithered into the pile. That’s the only way I can describe what she did. The whole thing was a writhing mass of bodies. Everyone was trying to have sex with everyone else all at the same time. 116

Alex J. Alex A hand slid up my thigh and caressed my testicles. “Come on,” a husky female voice said. Then another hand slid up the back of my other leg to my buttocks and pulled me toward the pile. More hands groped for me. It was almost surreal, but it was incredibly erotic. I was pulled into the pile and immersed in flesh. Breasts, thighs, buttocks, backs, arms, feet, male and female gonads, and always hands caressing me everywhere. My face was jammed up against two breasts, on different women, pointed in different directions. Just beyond them was a female impaled on a male, both pumping away. My whole body was being caressed. Then I felt a moist heat slipping onto my penis. A hand was caressing my testicles, and helping our union to occur. I had no idea whose hand, or whose opening it was. I couldn’t really tell whose breasts were in my face either. Well, I could see one woman’s face, but the other’s was turned the other way and her face was against my chest. She was licking me. The feeling was incredible. This was pure uninhibited raw sex. As I thrust into the mysterious crevice, every other fiber of my being was fondling and being fondled. I was surrounded by others just like myself who were all engulfed in this microcosm of utter sexual pleasure. The smell of sex pervaded everything. After I climaxed, I thought I might exit to the recovery area, now that I figured I knew what it was for. But I couldn’t get out. I almost got out of the pile, but then a woman slid over me. She slid her face, breasts, and abdomen over my face, but stopped—she 117

Homecoming: First Contact probably couldn’t go any further—about the time her slit reached my chin. I moved my chin up and down from her pussy to between her buttocks and back again rapidly. She bent her legs to get a better purchase on my head. Either she or someone else was working on me, too. I started to get another erection. My head was now trapped between the thighs of the woman who had slid over me and I was looking at her amply spread buttocks as she wriggled to move around. Suddenly, a huge breast slid up against my face and into my mouth. It could only be 40. As I licked and sucked and fondled and caressed, I again felt an opening slipping on to my hardon. Someone’s hands were helping to get us together. This time I was sure I wouldn’t climax too fast. As it was, I thrust into a number of different slits with the same erection before I climaxed the second time. For all I know, one of them might have been 40. I became aware of the sounds of sex, too. Moans and grunts, squeals of surprise and delight, the slithering ,sliding sound of oiled bodies rubbing against each other, and the ever present fluid sound of thrusting into bodies. After my second climax, I was successful in disengaging from the pile. I didn’t see 40 anywhere, so I decided to get something to eat and relax a while in the recovery area. I was sure it would take me quite a while to recover enough to raise another erection. The food was delicious—mostly very spicy concoctions which required a beverage to cool off with. The beverages were cool juices, some very 118

Alex J. Alex sweet and some sharp, but all delicious. Then there was a section on the table covered with sweets. I couldn’t decide whether I should call them candy or dessert. They were all delicious. “You’re the man from the surface, aren’t you?” said a male voice. I turned to him and said, “Yes, I am.” He was a small man, one of the smallest men I had seen here. He had a slender build, muscular like everyone else, but not the bulky muscles I had come to expect on the men I had been working out with in the muscle tension rooms. He was short, too, only a meter and a half or so. His penis was shriveled up like mine. He had a pleasing smile. His number was 5743442. “I figured it was you. You don’t have a number tattooed on your chest like the rest of us. But, you know, you don’t look near as bad as I had heard. You’re supposed to have a pasty white skin and flab around your middle. And I guess I thought you would be hairy.” I was sort of pleased that I looked enough like the rest of them that he had to tell me apart by noticing my lack of a tattoo. “I’ve been working hard to get in shape. I thought all the men around here were over two meters tall and built like Hercules,” I said. “Who?” he said. “A legendary strong man,” I said. “But you’re not like most of the other men I’ve seen.” “I may be small but I’m tough,” he said. “We’re not all big muscle-bound hulks like 71. You’ve been 119

Homecoming: First Contact working out with him, haven’t you? I’m a fighter pilot, one of the few who are male. Fighter craft are small high performance machines from which every bit of excess mass has been removed. Does it make sense to put in a big heavy person or a small nimble one for a pilot? Anyway, we’ve found that women make better pilots than men in fighters, overall. Of course there are exceptions, like me, but, for the most part, women are just better at it. Of course only the most aggressive women can do it, like 40—her exploits made her a legend.” “I wonder where she is,” I said. “Oh, she’ll stay in there longer than you could,” he said, “all the women do. They don’t have to keep up an erection to enjoy themselves like us. I came here with my main squeeze, 35. She’ll probably stay in there until she’s so sore she can’t stand it anymore. Who are you here with?” “40,” I said. “Oh, ho!” he said. “It figures. 40 has broken in more men than most women. I’m sure she’s performed some of her more exotic free fall sexual tricks for you.” My silly grin gave him his answer. Talking like this about a woman on Earth would make me feel like a cad. But here, I guess it was more complimentary than anything. It seems that 40’s sexual exploits were as famous as her military combat records. We chatted a while and then he suggested that we go back in once more and try to get it up again before getting the girls out. I said, “O.K.,” but I really doubted my ability to raise an erection. 120

Alex J. Alex In we went. 42 jumped right up on top. I noticed that he was already getting an erection before he slid away. I got down on my hands and knees and slid in between two women who were back to back and going at it with men facing them. I slid right into 40 who had a great big grin on her face. “Isn’t this great?” she asked. Then she grabbed my face and crushed it against her breasts. Someone at my other end was working on my cock, and it was sure enough growing. 40 was having an orgasm and was moaning. I could tell that someone was working her over. Someone else was grinding her mons against the back of my head and her legs were around both me and 40, crushing my face into 40’s magnificent breasts. I could hear the wet sound of someone thrusting into her pussy. In the meantime, I had gotten hard and I felt it slide into a very smooth, tight but juicy crevice. It jerked in and out very quickly as if its owner was desperate to make me climax. To my surprise, she was successful, in very short order. I came powerfully and quickly. But then I knew that it was all over for a while. I wouldn’t be able to raise an erection for quite a while, I was sure. My eyes had been closed. When I opened them, 40 was looking into them, over her breasts. “Had enough?” she asked. My expression must have answered her question. “Let’s go, then.” We slid off the pile and I picked her up in my arms. We went to the recovery area. “Do you want anything to eat?” I asked. 121

Homecoming: First Contact “Let’s just bathe and then go to the cafeteria,” she said. “O.K.” I picked her up and was about to carry her out when I thought about 42. “I met a friend of yours,” I said, “a fighter pilot named 42.” She squealed with delight and clapped her hands. “He’s here?” she asked. I nodded assent. “Let’s wait for him,” she said. “Is he with 35?” “Yes, I believe he did say that’s who he’s with,” I said. “He called her his main squeeze.” “That’s right,” she said. “Wait ‘til you see her.” And she started giggling uncontrollably. She wouldn’t tell me why, but she thought I would find it hilarious when I saw 35. Apparently 35 was a surface combat marine with a real mean streak, but 40 was good friends with both of them. We did get something to eat while we waited. Then eventually 42 emerged with one of the largest women I had ever seen. Now, he was small, so she looked large next to him, but she was really big anyway. She had high cheekbones, widespread large blue eyes, and a broad oval face with a large Roman nose. Her large ears stuck out away from her head and her wide mouth was smiling. Her long slender neck grew out of broad shoulders. She had a thick figure, heavily muscled. She had large pendulous breasts, too, not as large as 40, but much larger than those I was used to seeing. They seemed to sag even in the low gravity. It must be that she had spent a lot of time on the surface of planets in 122

Alex J. Alex combat. Everything else about her was big, too: her hips, her thighs, her calves, and her thick waist. She wasn’t fat, she was obviously in good shape, but she wasn’t the least bit slender. I would guess she was half a meter taller than 42 and twice his weight. “40!” they both said when they saw us. “We’ve been waiting for you,” said 40. “I’m glad you did,” said 35, “or this little twerp wouldn’t have heard the last of it.” She bopped 42 on the back of the head playfully. “What do you say we bathe and eat and then get reacquainted?” said 35. “I’d like to try you out, one on one,” she said to me. “I understand you appreciate a woman with a figure like mine.” She caressed her own breasts while looking as if she would devour me. “Don’t let her scare you,” said 40. “She hasn’t hurt 42 in all these years, and he’s only half your size.” 35 jumped on 40 and they wrestled around playfully. “We’ve all been friends for a long time,” said 35. “These two birds flew together in the same squadron. 42 was in the same action that almost killed 40. We all thought she was dead, but these fighter pilots are tough. How about you? Think you can handle a real woman like me?” I just smiled. I figured I would let events just take their course and see what happened. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to have sex for a while, so I figured bathing and food would be in order. 42 picked up 40 and said, “Let’s go.” We retrieved our daggers from the lockers, then 35 took my arm and out we went. 123

Homecoming: First Contact We went to the river first. We were all a mess. Even though we had wiped ourselves off with towels, we were all covered with sweat, oil, and semen. The water was just what we needed. As we washed each other, the four of us continued to caress and fondle each other. I didn’t figure I would be having sex any time soon, so I just relaxed. If it happened that I ended up with an erection, OK, but I figured that if I tried to raise one, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. 35 insisted on being playful. We all got to the rings and worked out a little. 35 made me work more than I really wanted to. I was just starting to work up a sweat when she suddenly let go of her rings, threw her arms around me and crushed my face between her breasts while locking her legs around me. Between the surprise and the added weight, I let go of my rings and we splashed down into the water. We submerged all the way to the bottom and she finally let go of me so she could push off the bottom and rise to the surface. I did the same. As I surfaced, half drowned, she was laughing. She embraced me and licked my neck. Then she pushed away slightly and said, “Let’s find those other two and get something to eat.” I said, “O.K.,” and we started looking around for them. When, after a few minutes, we couldn’t find them, 35 said, “I guess they went off to re-hash old times. We haven’t seen much of each other, lately. You seem to have been occupying too much of her time. I intend to find out what the attraction is. You know she is assigned to teach you, but she doesn’t 124

Alex J. Alex have to spend all her spare time with you unless she wants to, so you must have something.” I hadn’t actually realized that I could have been completely on my own all this time, and I said so. “We, as a culture, wouldn’t ask anyone to spend their free time with someone against their wishes, but many times those who work together just automatically end up having sex because it’s convenient. You and 40 are spending a lot of time together, so I guess it’s just natural, but she seems to be genuinely attracted to you. We’re old friends—I can tell how she feels. She’s probably trying to coax an erection out of 42 right now, but she’ll have to wait a while. I know him well enough to know his physical capabilities.” “I’m not going to have much success in that department real soon either,” I said. “That’s O.K.,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting miracles. Let’s go eat and see what happens.” “O.K.,” I said. We went to the cafeteria and selected some food. Neither 40 nor 42 were there. 35 ate like a horse. And she seemed intent on trying everything. She made me try certain dishes that I hadn’t even noticed before. I am still amazed that everything was so delicious. There are so many foods on Earth that I really don’t like and will not eat, even though I usually will try anything, but I really liked everything these people served. 35 made a sensual experience out of eating, too. She constantly changed position, and she squirmed ever so subtly to indicate that she was hoping for my 125

Homecoming: First Contact sexual recovery. Her smoky looks were interspersed with a shy-like drooping of her eyes. She kept brushing against me, touching me on the knee, the arm the thigh, the foot...but never an outright caress. As we finished, she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “How about a massage?” No suggestion could have been more welcome. I smiled and nodded my assent. Then I asked, “Your place or mine?” “We need to start with gravity,” she said, “so let’s swim first and then we’ll go to the workout area on the rim. There are some areas out there with mats on the floor where we can work each other over in comfort.” We swam in a very relaxed manner, just taking it easy. 35 got behind me and started to massage my neck in the water. She had magic in her hands. She worked on my arms too. In the water, her breasts floated out in front of her and she gently brushed them across my back. She worked her way down my back to my buttocks and kneaded them with both hands. Finally she put her arms around me and licked the back of my neck and my right ear. “Now me,” she said in a hoarse whisper. I turned around slowly. Her eyes were closed. I maneuvered around behind her and started on her neck, just below her ears. As I worked my way down her neck, shoulders, arms and back, to her buttocks, I could feel her relaxing the way I had under her hands. I kneaded her buttocks the way she had mine. Then I put my arms around her, caressing her breasts, and pulled her close. She flexed her buttocks 126

Alex J. Alex and squirmed against me. My penis was beginning to show signs of life as it ground against the flesh between her buttocks. I rubbed my hands up and down her torso, pausing to fondle her mons ever so gently. My tongue was busy at the nape of her neck and at the base of her ears. She turned around and embraced me, grinding her mons against my leg. “Time for a massage,” she whispered. “O.K..” We made our way out to the exercise areas where she led me to a place strewn with mats. They were much like thin mattresses. There were few people in sight and they were occupied. Most were massaging each other, but one couple was in the midst of an intense sexual embrace. “Lie down and let me rub your back,” said 35. I did as she said. She was terrific. She started with my feet and worked her way up my legs to my buttocks. Then she worked back down again. She did my legs so well that I doubt if I could have stood up, I was so well relaxed. Then she straddled my buttocks and started to work on my back. She worked up to my neck and then back down to my buttocks, which she kneaded, first one, then the other. As she worked upward again, she leaned down and lay on me, rubbing her body against mine. She licked my neck and ears, embracing me from behind. “Turn over,” she whispered. She stood up over me as I rolled over. The view of her standing over me with one foot on either side of my head was very erotic. I’m sure she knew exactly what she was doing. She knelt at my head and leaned 127

Homecoming: First Contact over to massage my shoulders from the front. As she worked her way down my body, her pendulous breasts swung in my face. I licked her nipples as they brushed my mouth. Then she put her hands on the mat and just let me suck on her breasts, first one, then the other, then in between them. I reached up between her legs with one hand to caress her clitoris. With my other hand, I reached around behind her and squeezed her buttocks. She reached out with one hand and fondled my by now fully erect shaft. Then she slowly crawled forward toward it. As her navel and pelvis moved past my face, I licked everything within reach of my tongue including her thighs. She came to rest, straddling me with her buttocks on my chest, almost up to my chin. She massaged my lower torso and my legs. Then she started to work on my erection and my scrotal sac. She knew how to excite me almost to climax, then stop, let the tide subside and then do it again. I was sure I would explode all over the place without ever entering her. Finally, she moved off to the side, turned around to face me, and, with a smile, said, “Your turn.” With that, she lay down presenting her back to me. I did the best I could. I had never done much of this sort of stuff, so I was a real amateur compared to her expert manipulations. But I tried. I started with her feet, the way she had, and worked up to her buttocks. Working over her strong body was very sensual. I could feel her relaxing. I turned around and straddled her legs to knead her 128

Alex J. Alex buttocks. I then moved up and straddled her buttocks, laying my erection in the crack between them. I worked over her back, shoulders and neck. Finally, I lay down on her and licked her neck as she had done to me. She moved to let me know she wanted to roll over, so I let her. “Put it right here,” she said, indicating her cleavage. I straddled her and lay my erection between her breasts. She squeezed her breasts together around it and then she petted the glans. “Lick me,” she whispered. I got off to the side of her and began licking her breasts, sucking on the nipples. She reached out and stroked my cock and sac as I licked her all over. “Are you ready?” she asked. “I thought you’d never ask,” I said. “Lay down,” she said. I did as she asked. She got around at my head again as she had done before and leaned over brushing her breasts over my face. Then she moved down toward my erection. She straddled me, facing away and sitting straight up. She started moving her pelvis against mine. She inserted just my glans between her labia, rubbing it over her clitoris. Then, as I was about to explode, she impaled herself on me and thrust up and down in a most violent manner. I reached up and grabbed her buttocks to help her move and I could feel her shuddering in orgasm after orgasm. I thought I was going to explode right away, but I didn’t. We pumped against each other for what seemed an 129

Homecoming: First Contact eternity, but then we both felt my impending explosion. She came down hard on me and stopped. She squeezed the base of my shaft, turned her head and looked back at me. A drop of sweat dripped off her nose. We were both sweating profusely. “Think we can get a little more out of this?” she croaked with a grin. I rolled my eyes. I was sure that as soon as she let go, I would explode. She fondled my testicles and my thighs. Then she started thrusting again. She let it go this time. As I exploded into her, she almost fell over, she was moving so wildly. She had one orgasm after another and I came more powerfully than I thought I could, given the sexual workout I had had that day. Eventually, it was over and she rolled off of me and lay by my side. We cuddled and embraced. We even drifted off to sleep for a little nap of fifteen minutes or so. “It’s late,” she said as she nuzzled my shoulder. “I’ve had enough for tonight. I see what 40 likes about you so we’ll meet again. Count on it.” With that she was gone. For the first time I could remember since arriving here, I was alone. Most of the other couples were gone and I didn’t recognize anyone. I got up and looked around. I figured I needed a bath, and I was feeling tired and kind of sleepy. I found my way to the river, took a quick dip, used the rest rooms, and made for my quarters. I was still hoping to see someone I knew. It was eerie being on my own in this alien environment for the first time. I finally made it home to my room without incident. I 130

Alex J. Alex suddenly realized that I was really thinking of my little cubicle as home and that was a surprise. I entered and there was no one waiting for me. I put up my dagger and gear and then just nodded off to sleep—alone.

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The Journal Chapter Seven Call Home awoke, with an erection, still alone. For the first time I realized how immersed I had become in this culture. I missed waking up with one of the women I had been sleeping with next to me. I missed having someone to cuddle with, talk to, and have sex with. I felt awkward. Then I realized how much they had been controlling me. I never had to think or plan anything. I was in a rut. It was an enjoyable rut, but a rut nonetheless. I wondered if this was planned. Maybe they were waiting to see what I would do when I didn’t have someone to lead me around by the nose. I figured that the first order of business should be breakfast. But, then I would go right back into my rut. I would see 3 or 40 or maybe 53 and I would be right back in the routine. What if I didn’t do it? What if I just went off on my own? 40 had told me that I could do whatever I wanted, so why not?

I

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Alex J. Alex I thought about it, and I figured it would be interesting to see the rest of the ship. I gathered that I had been confined pretty much to the officer’s territory, but the ship was enormous and I had only seen a small part of it. I decided to go ahead and see if I could really do some wandering. They had said I could, but I had been warned that I could get into trouble wandering around without an escort. What the hell, I thought. I had grown up in a tough, Down Neck neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, and been a grunt in Viet Nam. I had also lived in some areas of the Carolinas and Alabama where it helped to have a friend named Bubba to stay healthy. I figured that I wouldn’t be too surprised by anything nasty I might run into. I was also in the best shape of my life. Even when I had been boxing and playing football as a boy I had always hated training. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t as good as I should have been. I was always too lazy. But here, I wasn’t given a chance to be lazy. They had worked me harder than I ever would have worked on my own, and no coach or trainer had ever gotten me in the kind of shape I was in. So I figured I could handle whatever I might run into, physically as well as socially. I strapped on my dagger. Then I broke out the boots and cape I was supposed to use to fly. They had told me that I could use the communication equipment any time that I wanted to. I suddenly wondered why no one from Earth had tried to contact me. I had essentially forgotten that I had ever had another life on the surface. It seemed that I should have been in touch with somebody all 133

Homecoming: First Contact along, but I hadn’t talked to anyone since my first interview with the President. I wondered why the news media hadn’t been all over this story. Then I wondered why I hadn’t even thought about it until now. I went to the communications room to see if I could use it to talk to someone on Earth. I didn’t see a single person I knew on the way. Inside there were two operators. They smiled and the male, 66, asked, “Would you like to use the system?” I said, “Yes.” They showed me where to stand and, all of a sudden, there was a man on the screen. He was wearing a gray suit and a slightly surprised expression, which disappeared quickly. 66 said, “Guess who wants to talk to you today?” The man in the gray suit looked at me with a deadpan expression. “It’s about time you called,” he said. “I’m Ray Carlson, C.I.A. We’ve been monitoring this frequency around the clock waiting for you to get ready to talk to us.” It was a shock to hear English again. Another man, in a U.S. Air Force uniform, came on the screen. “I’m Colonel Barker, Military Intelligence,” he said. “Since you are technically on a Civilian Aviation Patrol mission, you come under the auspices of the Air Force, so we’ve been here with the C.I.A. guys.” The C.I.A. agent came back on. “They have been telling us that you were adjusting to life in their society and couldn’t be disturbed. They indicated that you would contact us when you were ready. You 134

Alex J. Alex haven’t been harmed, have you?” I shook my head. “I understand that they have taken your clothes and that you have to live like a nudist along with the rest of them. We haven’t known how much of what they have told us we should believe, but if we take them at their word, you have been fitting in real well. Judging from what they have told us of your activities, you must be having a hell of a good time. Doesn’t anyone, even you, wear any clothes?” “Gentlemen,” I said, “I do live without clothes, but I have them available whenever I should want them. And yes, I must say that I’ve been enjoying myself.” Carlson had his hands in his pockets. Suddenly I felt naked. I felt foolish, and I really wanted pockets to put my hands in. “Learning how to live in this society has taken all my concentration. It has actually been fascinating as well as enjoyable. I have lost track of time and have been distracted by my activities. Some of it has been hard work, but I’m in the best shape of my life. And frankly, I don’t have any family or close friends on Earth that I wanted to talk to, so I didn’t bother. What I’m most curious about now is how the media is handling my situation.” “We’ve been keeping it quiet as much as we can,” said Carlson. “The tabloids have made up some stuff, but we really have had such a dearth of information to work with that the story just slowly died as far as the real press and TV organizations are concerned. The public is kind of fickle, you know. They just went on to other things. They want to know if anything happens, of course, so tomorrow parts of this conversation will be made public, but if nothing else 135

Homecoming: First Contact happens it will die down again.” “I could tell you some things that would make anything that the tabloids have made up seem tame,” I said. “From what 66 and 23, the female operator, tell us of their society, I’m sure you could,” he said. “We’ve gotten to know them over the past several weeks. It seems like they are always fooling around with each other, and sometimes one of them will have another partner to fool around with. Is everyone as sex-crazy as they seem? This has been like watching an X-rated movie.” I looked around and 66 and 23 were gone. “As a matter of fact, it is sort of like that, here,” I said. “Most of my instructors are female, and they all want to have sex on a regular basis, but I don’t think you should make stuff like that public, yet. It’s too much like what the tabloids and soap operas would make up, and you need to know the underlying reasons to understand what’s going on. Otherwise, it would just seem like a porno movie.” “Those guys weren’t kidding then, were they?” asked Carlson. “They’ve been telling us all along that you were fitting in real good, and that you were screwing everything that walked, getting laid about three times a day. It must be tough. What some people have to do for their country.” He made it seem so dirty and shameful. It also seemed like he wished that he could be in my place for a while, just to have sex. I was really starting to feel awkward, standing there with no clothes on while talking to these guys. The Air Force officer was 136

Alex J. Alex more businesslike, however. “We’ve got a sociologist who will want to talk to you,” said Colonel Barker. “Maybe we should enlist a sex therapist, too,” he said with a slight smirk. “We could borrow some from the Navy. They are still trying to explain away the Tailhook party and trying to figure out how to keep females from getting pregnant onboard ships. They finally decided not to let women serve on submarines, at least, but the Navy is trying to deal with the same problems that your hosts seem to take for granted every day.” “Bring on the shrinks, then,” I said. “There’s a lot more to this society than sex, you know. I’ve learned a lot about them and they have learned a lot from me. Like I said, I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m eating well and I’m probably healthier than I’ve ever been. I realize that, by the usual moral standards I was used to on Earth, especially in the Southern U.S., the way this society views sexual activity would be considered awful. But now I also realize that those same people in the South have some serious hang-ups about sex that really don’t make any sense. These people here have a radically different way of looking at life in general and morality in particular, but it’s a lot more logical than the way we look at it on Earth, at least where I lived.” “We’ll have to make an appointment with the doctors. You know it’s the middle of the night here, don’t you?” said Col. Barker. “Oh, I didn’t realize that. Where is ‘here’, by the way?” I asked. “Oh, we’re in Virginia,” said Carlson, “just outside 137

Homecoming: First Contact Quantico. We have a special control center set-up, just for this operation to monitor you. I hope you appreciate it.” “Well I’m glad there is someone there,” I said. “I take it there are others on different shifts.” “Yeah,” said Carlson, “we’re just the night shift tonight.” “I’ll try to come back at a more reasonable hour, next time,” I said. “Maybe the sociologists will be around during the day.” “When will you be back?” asked the Colonel. “I don’t know,” I said. “The way they tell time here is completely different from the way we do, and I have a hard time keeping up with the time at any particular place on Earth. I’ll try to call again sometime during the day in Virginia.” “O.K.,” said Carlson, “Everyone will be excited to know that you called. Some folks are probably getting out of bed and heading this way, right now. They’ll be disappointed if they miss you.” “Tell them that I won’t take so long to call again,” I said. “I’ll be in touch.” I turned my back on them and exited the communications area. I felt a bit more like a present day Earthman than a million year old warrior. I started to suspect that my hosts had done a subtle but thorough job of what we used to call “brain washing” on me which had been so effective that I didn’t even realize it. Apparently, they didn’t care whether I realized it or not since I was still left to my own devices. I headed for the balcony. I wanted to see the main 138

Alex J. Alex body of the ship—what I could only think of as the hangar deck. I wanted to associate with some other people, too. The select few I had been associating with so far were all hand picked instructors and officers, I was sure. Even those I met at the party place were part of the upper crust in this society. I wanted to get to know some enlisted men—some grunts. I had been one, and I could understand their point of view, I was sure of that too. I was also sure that it would differ from that of the officers. I was hungry, horny, and I needed a bath. I ought to fit right in with the grunts. I found the balcony. There were guards there, but they just waved me on through. “We’ve been sort of expecting you,” said one of them. “Are you sure you can fly out there?” asked another. I just nodded and smiled. I launched myself onto the balcony and grabbed the railing at the edge before I flew off into the open space of the ship. It was every bit as huge as I remembered. I looked out into the cavernous body of the ship. I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath. I opened my eyes again. I launched myself out into free fall. I knew from what 40 had told me that there were quicker ways to get around than flying under my own power. There were monorails, elevators and powered flyers, but it was a mark of puerility to use them except in emergencies or when an individual was in a real hurry. 139

Homecoming: First Contact I had to learn how to fly. I was quite accomplished at moving around in free fall by that time, but I had not really had to fly out into open space like this, so I was awkward at first. But it didn’t take too long to get the hang of moving in a straight line. Aero-dynamics is a subject with which I am intimately familiar, and I had seen others flying when I first arrived. I had flown a little myself in free fall when I first arrived. Actually, some gravity would have made things a lot easier, but I managed. The cape and boots were designed to make flying easier, but I felt clumsy trying to use them. I felt overdressed, too. I had lived a long time with no apparel at all. Of course I had felt naked while talking to the folks on Earth over the communication equipment. And then I felt constricted by the cape and boots while wearing them for the first time. The longer I flew, however, the more comfortable I felt. I started to look around. The hangar deck was truly enormous. I didn’t try to count the ships, but there were an awful lot of them. There were crews of people working on them. These were the people I was hoping to meet. I wondered what kind of reception I would get if I just flew up to one of these groups and said hello. I didn’t know how much, if anything, they might know about me. I couldn’t assume that everyone would be as well informed as the select few with whom I had been associated so far. For starters I figured I would just fly around and see if I could see anything interesting—sort of get the lay of the land. I soon realized that I was way too high to see any details, so I started a descent. No one 140

Alex J. Alex seemed to pay any attention to me, so I got right down on the deck, or about ten meters above it. I just strolled along, lazily. I was really enjoying myself. I noticed that many of these people were not as attractive as the officers. In fact, many of them were not in very good shape, physically. Some were downright fat or skinny, but there were still quite a few that looked like they would be a handful in a brawl. Suddenly I was hit from behind and above. “Get out of the fucking way, you asshole,” said the man who had hit me as we tumbled toward the deck. “I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch,” yelled another man who was pursuing the one who had slammed into me. The second one crashed into the two of us. I was caught in the middle between these two angry men who seemed intent on grappling with each other. A knife appeared in the hand of one of them. I didn’t even think about it when I disarmed him and elbowed him in the chin. He wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at his opponent, and he was shocked that I had interfered. The other one drew his dagger and tried to shoot past me. I missed his arm, as I tried to stop his attack, but I was able to punch him squarely in the testicles as he went by. With a howl, his knife went flying away too and he doubled up. His opponent then attacked me from behind. I spun around and kicked him in the head hard enough to almost knock him out. The two of them floated in front of me. I was almost as surprised as they were at the way my training had taken hold of 141

Homecoming: First Contact me. I hadn’t even thought about what I was doing, but I had disarmed them both and put them at a physical disadvantage. They glared at me. A woman who had been working on a ship nearby was approaching. “Who the hell are you, and what the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she said. I didn’t know what to say. “Let them fight,” she said. “They won’t hurt each other. They’ve been fighting over me for years.” I looked at her. She wasn’t particularly pretty, but she was attractive. She had a small heart-shaped face, a small nose, narrow lips and almond-shaped eyes. She was almost oriental-looking. She was tall, though, and really quite skinny, with small pointy breasts, flat buttocks and bony arms and legs. Her ribs showed. She had an extremely small waist and delicate feet. Once again she said, “Who the hell are you, anyway?” Then her eyes got big and round. She had figured out who I was. “You’re the primitive from Earth, aren’t you? You’re the New Guy.” I nodded. “Well, son of a bitch,” she said. “Do you want a piece of my ass? Is that why you kicked these two around?” Now it was my turn to look surprised. “He just hit me from behind and it kind of surprised me.” Then I thought, If I don’t appear to be attracted to her, it might insult the whole lot of them, and then I would be in a fix. I read the tattoo on her breast: 156. “156, you’re a most attractive woman. I guess I can 142

Alex J. Alex understand why these two have been fighting over you. But why don’t you all just share each other? That’s what I understand is the normal practice.” “Oh, we share, all right,” said one of the men, 21. “She can’t get enough, even when we both ride her, over and over again,” said the other one, 77. “She wears us both out,” said 21. “They both love my ass,” said 156, “But they hate each other.” She looked me over. “Do you fuck as good as you fight? I could use a change from these two twerps. They’re all fucked out, anyway. I screwed them both all morning, and neither one of them can get it up anymore.” “What did you have in mind?” I had heard about nymphomaniacs, never expecting to really meet one, but it appeared that I was in the presence of one now. She drifted over to me. “You boys just watch,” she said, “and I’ll show him how it’s done.” They both chuckled as if they knew something I didn’t. She knew how to move, all right. She was quite sensual. She licked her lips, leaving them slightly parted. She caressed herself, both her breasts and her crotch. “Have you ever licked a real woman’s cunt?” she asked. “The bigshot officers are afraid of real sex. Are you?” She was right about oral sex. All the people I had met were officers and they stuck to straight sex. They were quite creative, especially 40, but they didn’t kiss on the mouth and didn’t engage in any oral-genital sex other than an occasional lick of a man’s organ. I 143

Homecoming: First Contact had only engaged in oral sex with my wife, but we both had enjoyed it immensely. “Why don’t you sit on my face and find out?” I asked, as I reached out to rub her mons. “Oh!” she exclaimed, “You are different, aren’t you?” I was picking up the gutter vocabulary of these people. “You have a lot to learn about us,” I said. I wondered what they would think if I really let go. I decided to see how far she would go. I put my arms around her, squeezing her buttocks with one hand. Then I French-kissed her. Her eyes opened in alarm, but then she kissed me back and we played tongue tag for a minute. Then I worked my way down her throat to her breasts, sucking and licking all the way. I continued to work my way down to her navel over her mons and down to her vulva. She alternately moaned and squealed with delight. I pulled her legs to either side of my face and sucked her labia into my mouth while thrusting my tongue between them to lick her clit. Her female smell was almost overpowering, but I was extremely horny and ready for sex. I also wanted to show them that we knew our share of sex games too. As I licked and sucked and thrust my tongue into her, she twitched and jerked in multiple orgasms. She had a hold of me by the ears and I thought she would rip them off. “Suck my cunt. Oooo. Suck my cunt,” she said. She let out a whoop and pulled away from me for a second as she turned around. Then she straddled me 144

Alex J. Alex the other way and, grabbing me by the buttocks, she started to suck and lick as we 69’d each other. Little by little she took more and more of it down her throat as we thrust against each other. She was still having orgasm after orgasm as I sucked and licked her best parts. Then suddenly she stopped and pulled off of me. We just floated there about five meters from the ship she had been working on. She looked over at her two boyfriends. They both were getting erections. “Are you two guys ready yet?” she asked. They both just nodded. “Well, come on, then,” she said. Then she faced me and impaled herself on my cock. “I love to get fucked by a bunch of pricks at the same time, the more the better.” 21 was getting around behind her. He entered her rectum. I could feel him thrusting into her. The sensation was incredible. I had never done anything like that. Then 156 arched her back, pushing her face away from me. 77 spread his legs apart on either side of my face and forced his hardon into her mouth. He grabbed her ears and started fucking her face. I never thought I would see anything like this. His testicles slapped against her chin. The thought of male genitals this close to my face had always been repulsive, but watching it was extremely erotic. 156 was getting fucked in just about every way possible by the three of us. I was pleased that I was able to make it last for a while. As 77 started to come, he speeded up. His scrotal sac tensed up. His shaft 145

Homecoming: First Contact began to swell. He thrust all the way down 156’s throat. As he came, I could see her swallowing it. It appeared that she was swallowing it all. I couldn’t hold mine anymore. I thrust ever deeper into her as I watched her suck down 77’s climax. I could feel 21 getting ready to come too. We came almost together. I began to really think that when one comes in a situation like that, everyone else comes too. As I exploded into her, I could feel the same thing happening to 21. 77 was all done, but she wouldn’t let him out of her mouth. We just drifted there for a while. Finally, we drifted apart. 156 was covered with semen. 77 was using his cape to clean himself. 156 farted and a trickle of foul smelling semen, tainted with shit, oozed out of her ass. “Clean me up, boys,” she said. “You’re all right, New Guy. Does everyone on the surface fuck like you?” Now that it was over, the situation seemed kind of repulsive. “Some do,” I said. “Most of us would never survive a return to heavy gravity,” she said. “I’m just going to stay right here in free fall.” “We don’t get the exercise and all that the officers get,” said 21. “We’re just technicians, but we chose to remain here. We could have been in the combat forces, but we chose not to.” 77 just grunted. “What’re you doing here anyway, New Guy? I’ll bet the big shots would be surprised to know what you’ve been doing for the last half hour,” 146

Alex J. Alex he said. I grinned. “You may be right,” I said. “But they let me go. They must have known I would run into someone like you.” “Yeah, but they frown on the way we fuck. They fuck all the time, too, but they’re too straight-laced,” said 21. “We’ve got to get this ship ready to go,” said 77. “Yeah, even we can’t fuck all the time,” said 156, “but I sure would like to. I wish I could meet a man who could come about every fifteen minutes or so.” “Can I see what you’re doing to the ship if I want to?” I asked. “Sure, I guess so,” said 77. He seemed to be in charge. “Someone will come around and tell us you can’t stay if they don’t like it.” “You know, you’re all right,” said 21. He slapped me on the buttocks in a friendly manner. “We heard that you were fat, out of shape, hairy, and a pasty white color. You look more like an officer, though. You must have been working out with them pretty hard.” “I’ve had some pretty good teachers,” I said. “You handled yourself pretty well when these two birds came at each other with those knives,” said 156. “Who the hell taught you all those moves?” “Some of them I learned long before I ever heard of you folks,” I said. “I learned some from 3, 40, and 53, and there were others.” “40, huh,” said 156. “Is she a big-breasted bimbo with no legs?” “Well, yes, sort of. But I wouldn’t call her a 147

Homecoming: First Contact bimbo,” I said. “156’s always been jealous of 40,” said 21 with a laugh. “We used to work on her ship, sometimes.” “She was once the most beautiful woman on the big ship,” said 77, “maybe in the whole fleet. It’s amazing that she even survived the wreck of her fighter. Her and 156 never got along. And she wouldn’t fuck with guys like us. She stuck to officer’s dicks.” “She didn’t know what she was missing, did she?” said 156 with a look at me. “That’s for sure,” I said. “But 40’s a pretty good friend of mine. She’s taught me a lot about your society and your history.” “Yeah, sure. I’ll bet that’s not all she taught you,” said 156. “I would be less than truthful if I were to deny it,” I said. “Listen, it’s been an interesting time, but I need to get going. Is there a bathroom anywhere around here? And I could use a bite to eat. Is there a cafeteria close by?” “I’ll show you the bathrooms,” said 77. “You two start back on the ship. I’ll be back in a moment.” 77 guided me into a hatchway in the deck. There was a ladder in what I would describe as a companionway. Down one flight and there were bathrooms on both sides of the hall. They were similar to the ones I had been used to in the hub, but they were made for free fall. There was no way to wash your teeth or body that I could see, but the rest of it was there. “There’s an enlisted mess in the aft hub, if you 148

Alex J. Alex want to try it,” said 77. “The food’s about the same as the officer’s mess in the forward hub. There’s also a river, if you’re so inclined, and weight rooms, etc. We have just about everything that the officers have, but there are more of us, so it’s a little crowded sometimes. Officers are O.K., for the most part, but they take themselves too seriously.” With those words of wisdom, 77 was gone. I used the facilities and then returned to the hangar deck. None of them were anywhere to be seen. I decided that I had had enough excitement for one morning and started back toward the balcony. As I climbed for altitude, I realized that I felt dirty. I longed for a swim in the river and a chance to clean my teeth. I was getting really hungry by that time, too. As I approached the balcony, I saw 3 waiting for me. She seemed amused. “You stink,” was all she said.

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The Journal Chapter Eight A Bon Voyage Party acknowledged that I needed a bath. I also told her

Ithat I was hungry. She let me know that I was due

for a physical exam, and that after having sex with the enlisted, I probably needed one to make sure I hadn’t picked up anything dangerous. They have immunities to stuff that my system might not tolerate. I might even die as a result of contact with certain viruses and bacteria. We bathed, ate, and reported to sickbay. They went over me thoroughly. “We have to do this for everyone. The enlisted are especially reckless in some of their sexual practices. I can tell that you have been doing some things that I would not recommend. Good advice: don’t stick your penis any place except where it’s supposed to fit. And keep your tongue in your mouth,” said the doctor. I just grinned sheepishly. I was sure they had expected this. They might even have set it up. I was 150

Alex J. Alex beginning to think that everything I could do was planned ahead by them. I recognized the symptoms of paranoia, but since breaking out of the rut and starting to think like an Earthman again, it seemed that I had been manipulated into all the actions and situations I had encountered. I wondered what they expected me to do next. I wondered if there might be a number of scenarios that could take place. I was sure that I was being observed like a laboratory rat to see what actions I might take under certain circumstances. My first reaction to this suspicion was to do something so outrageous that it would take them completely off guard, but then I remembered that they would be judging all mankind on Earth by my actions. That was a sobering thought. “7 wants to see you,” said 3. “O.K.,” I said. We didn’t say anything as we went to 7’s office. I entered, but 3 closed the door leaving me alone with 7. “You have had quite an exciting morning, I understand,” he said. “Yes,” I said. “You seem to know all about it.” “That is correct,” he said. “Your suspicions about our methods are correct. We have manipulated your every move since you arrived here. I hope you also understand that our motives are not malicious. We have learned a lot about the way you react to our ways. “You adapted well and learned much about our culture, as well,” he said. “That is important, too, of 151

Homecoming: First Contact course, because we need you to be a bridge between our two cultures. You need to teach your leaders about us. They must know what to expect from us.” “I hope they will listen,” I said. “They have no choice,” said 7. “3 will accompany you back home to the surface. Today was sort of a final exam to make sure you were ready to think for yourself again. We have forced you to concentrate on learning about us and we have studied you in the mean time. We didn’t do anything underhanded, you were just such a perfect subject that you fit right in. We were very fortunate in having you volunteer to stay with us. They may not realize it yet, but Earth was fortunate to have you as a representative, and they will learn from you about us.” “When will I return home?” I asked. “As soon as you can get dressed and ready to leave,” said 7. “You should wear your clothes, don’t you think?” “I guess so,” I said. “3 has elected to go with you voluntarily,” said 7. “She has decided to wear her combat gear: Cape, Dagger, Pistol, and Boots. She will also wear a transparent protective second skin that we use whenever we leave the ship or whenever we encounter a dangerous situation, such as combat. This second skin is impervious to most knife attacks and projectile weapons, but it is supple and light. It is so thin and transparent that you would probably not notice that she had it on under normal circumstances. She will appear to be nude, except for her weapons, etc.” 152

Alex J. Alex “Well, I guess I had better get dressed, then,” I said. “I must say I’ve learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed my stay here. I just hope the rest of the people on Earth will accept you as well as you accepted me.” “Oh I think they will,” said 7. “You just get dressed and 3 will meet you at your quarters, shortly.” We shook hands and I left. When I entered my quarters, I found things quite crowded. In addition to 3, 40 and 53 were there waiting for me. They wanted to say good-bye. Of course they wanted to say good-bye sexually, too. “He’s all yours,” said 3 to the other two. “I’ll have him all to myself in a little while, so you two can have him for now. I’ll be back in a bit.” Then 3 left. 40 and 53 attacked me. 40’s breasts were about the largest I had ever seen and 53’s were about the smallest. They both wanted me to dwell on them, sucking and licking them. I massaged each of their buttocks with my hands as I sucked their nipples. I could get every bit of 53’s breast in my mouth, but I could barely do the same to the nipple and roseate on one of 40’s. Both of them were humping against my body. They were both breathing hard and we were all starting to perspire. My right hand found 40’s vulva and entered to rub her clit. 53 wrapped her legs around my waist and locked them together as she continued to grind her mons into my left side. Both of them held my head against their breasts as they crushed my face into them. I almost suffocated in between 40’s. 153

Homecoming: First Contact “We have a game we would like to play with you,” said 40. They were disengaging themselves from me. “Watch me,” said 53. “I’ll straddle 40 like this.” She wrapped her legs around 40 from behind and put her arms around her so they were back to front with both of their most interesting parts close together and facing me. “The idea,” said 40 “is for you to poke us both, one at a time, just one stroke at a time, holding off as long as you can. We’ll see who you climax in. It should be a surprise.” “Jeez!” I said. “Well, it looks like fun, at least. But I’m not too sure how long this will last.” “Poke me first,” said 40. “No,” said 53, “Me first.” I poked 40 first. “Oooh!” she said. “You asked first,” I said. Then I pulled it out and poked 53. Then out again and back into 40. Regular sex requires poking in and out, of course, but just sliding in and out of the same vagina without total withdrawal is tame compared to what we were doing. Each time I thrust into one of them, she shuddered. I found that I could last a lot longer than I had expected. But then of course, it happened: as I was all the way up into 53, she shuddered in multiple orgasms and her inner walls tightened up on the base of my erection. As I tried to pull out, I found myself about to explode. I couldn’t pull out and waste the climax. “Wow!” I said. “Here it comes.” Pun intended. 154

Alex J. Alex I thrust in as deeply as I could, over and over again. 40 disengaged herself and flipped around to crush my face into her breasts again, just as I exploded into 53. 53 shuddered and jerked in orgasm after orgasm. I reached my fingers into 40’s pussy, but it wasn’t the same thing. After it was over, they wouldn’t let me relax. They wouldn’t admit that it was over. They worked me over without a break, and although I wouldn’t have believed it, they coaxed another erection out of me. I used it on 40 while 53 made me caress her breasts with my mouth and tongue. It lasted a lot longer than the first one had. After that, however, they both knew it was over. “We’re going to miss you,” said 53. “At least she could survive in the gravity on the surface if she wanted to go with you,” said 40. “I don’t think I could survive. Free Fall is my element now. Come back and visit me.” “I’ll miss both of you,” I said. “I know you believe that sex and love have very little to do with each other, but I will miss you both for both reasons. You can be sure that I intend to return to see each of you. But I think I would prefer to see you one at a time.” “Didn’t you like our little game?” asked 53. “I sure did,” I said. “Couldn’t you tell? Especially you?” We all giggled. We talked a little and then 40 told me that they had to leave so I could get ready. I bid them both adieu and then turned my attention to the matter at hand. I had to get out my clothes and put them on. It was an 155

Homecoming: First Contact awkward feeling. I went to the river for a bath first, then I got out my NASA jump suit. It felt scratchy against my skin. As I was dressing, 3 arrived again.

156

Alex J. Alex

The Journal Chapter Nine Return Home are you ready?” asked 3. “Well,She was wearing a transparent full body

suit that looked like form-fitting Saran Wrap. She also wore a cape, knee length boots, her dagger and a pistol. She was careful to keep the cape off her shoulders and pulled around her waist on the left side so it wouldn’t hide her breasts or her buttocks. She looked smashing. I thought again how sexy these people looked without any hair. They acted sexy too, but they weren’t just teases like many of the women on Earth, they really felt sexy—all the time. Heaven help the poor fool who might tangle with 3 in a back alley. She would probably rape him and then beat the tar out of him. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” I said. “I can’t believe that I’m actually nervous about leaving here and returning to Earth. I’m glad you’re coming with me. You’ll have quite a bit of adjusting to do, too, you 157

Homecoming: First Contact know. I had to conform to your culture while I was here, so why aren’t you going to conform to ours and wear clothes?” “You have a point, I suppose,” she said. “But I’m not going to live like a filthy barbarian. The surface dwellers will just have to get used to me. They’ll have to get used to all of us, pretty soon. I’m willing to bet that a lot of people will want to adapt to our style very soon. Our research is showing that there are a lot of people who are frustrated with the silly hang-ups associated with your so-called morality. “Let’s go. We have a plane to catch.” With that, we left my compartment and headed for the balcony. 7 was waiting there for us. “You will be our liaison. Both of you,” he said. “A great deal depends on how you comport yourselves in the next few days. You will remain constant companions - the people down there will understand such an arrangement, we believe. I do not think it would be wise for you to become separated. And I think that you should remain official ambassadors, so don’t go off too soon to see the world, even though I’m sure you would like to.” “Well, I would like to show 3 around,” I said. “The world is a delightful place, for the most part, and I would like to show it to her.” “I sure would like to see it,” she said, “but 7’s right. We have a heavy obligation to see to it that our two cultures are able to meld without too much misunderstanding.” “You’ll have chances to escape and see some sights,” said 7. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll have 158

Alex J. Alex some fun. Just stay out of trouble. Now, off you go. And good luck.” With that, we walked out on the balcony. There was a shuttle there to take us to our ship. “You know,” said 3, “I might just go ahead and wear some of your Earth women’s clothes. Some of them are very sexy looking, and I can’t deny that they have an erotic effect on men.” “The clothes most women wear are designed to counteract the effects of gravity, too, you know,” I said. “Oh, I know that,” she said. “So is this body shield I’m wearing. It can do more than stop knives and bullets, it also holds up the parts of me that sag in gravity so I don’t look like an old hag. And you know it’s open in the right places, too, don’t you?” She spread her legs and placed my hand in her crotch to show me what she meant. Her warm vulva was just slightly exposed through a strategically placed slit in the fabric. I cooperated by caressing and fondling her in her favorite way. “I wish you didn’t have to wear that silly jumpsuit,” she said. “You really ought to consider wearing something yourself,” I said. “I conformed to your customs while I was in your society, you should at least start out conforming to ours. To do anything else would be quite a shock to the people you want to impress as being normal humans. Really, I’ve got to say this, you’re being rude and contemptuous of our rules of common decency if you don’t conform. And you will be breaking the law, as well.” 159

Homecoming: First Contact By that time we were approaching a large ship like the one which had swallowed Enterprise. Inside there was a vehicle which looked a lot like an old Northrup flying wing but the wings swept slightly more. It had no visible means of propulsion, however. We got out of the shuttle and climbed into the cockpit of the airplane. It was small. The seats were side by side. I remembered what 40 had told me about pilots being small and light—mostly women. I squirmed into the small seat on the right. I looked up at 3, standing on the wing next to the cockpit. “Oh, very well,” she said. “I knew you would talk me into it, so I brought this.” She reached down into the shuttle and brought out a small package. As she unwrapped it, I saw that it was a bag that said BLOOMINGDALE’S on the side of it. In it was a white blouse and a red dress. She removed her cape, dagger and pistol, and then put on the clothes over her bodysuit. She retained her boots, too. She looked stunning, but the boots were a bit much. She almost looked like a hooker. “Where did you get that?” I said. “Oh, one of your Air Force officers, a woman about my size, got it for me. I’m not sure how 7 managed to get it here, but he did. The important thing is that you’re right, and I have to conform, at first,” she said. “But I’m not going to be defenseless.” She had another package. In it was a garter with a holster. In the holster was a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson Ladysmith. She pulled it up her right leg and smoothed the dress over it. Then she removed her dagger from its sheath and slid it down into her left 160

Alex J. Alex boot. “Now I’m ready,” she said. “You’ll never get through Airport Security,” I said. “They wouldn’t dare stop me,” she said. I remember thinking that she was probably right. 3 snuggled down into the left seat. A couple of technicians checked us to make sure we were in properly, and then helped us position the clear canopy for flight. As the canopy clicked closed, the instrument panel came to life, a whoosh of air told me that the cabin was pressurized, and a computerized voice asked, “Are you ready for your checklist?” 3 answered, “Yes.” It was similar to the kind of checklist every pilot goes through before any flight. The computer read off each item and 3 had to perform each item before the computer would go on to the next item. “I usually pre-flight my plane before I board,” said 3, “and I know there have been more eyes and hands on this vehicle than you can count, making sure it’s O.K. 7 told me not to bother, there wouldn’t be time. But I’m a superstitious pilot, and a careful one. While you were saying good-bye to 53 and 40, I snuck out here and looked her over. This is a trainer similar to the plane I flew years ago in combat over the Invader’s Home world. I trained a lot of new pilots in this trainer. The only difference is the two seats. I still think of her as my plane. I know all her quirks, and I know what to look for in a pre-flight. But essentially, I just don’t trust anyone else to check out a plane I’m going to fly.” 161

Homecoming: First Contact “I know exactly what you mean,” I said. “Some of the airline pilots think I’m old fashioned, but I even like to go over a 747 before I climb aboard. Maybe I’m superstitious, too, but I know exactly how you feel. I think all real pilots have the same urge to see for themselves, just like sky divers like to pack their own chutes. And I’ll never get in a Cessna or any other small plane without performing a thorough pre-flight. When I get in one of them, I’m usually going off to look for someone who didn’t do something right and is missing. That’s what the Civilian Aviation Patrol does, for the most part.” The big front door on the front of the transport ship closed and the lights went out. The only lighting we had was on the instrument panel. A speaker on the panel came to life, “3, this is 36. We’re ready to exit the main ship. Are you all secure?” “All secure here, 36,” said 3. “Let us know when we can exit into the atmosphere.” “We’ll get you to about, let’s see, in Earth terms, about forty-five thousand feet MSL, That’s above ‘mean sea level’, right? Did I get it right, T?” “You sure did,” I said. I just realized that 36 and 3 had started speaking in English. “We had better speak English from now on,” said 3. “We need to be thinking in English when we are in your society.” I was astonished at how well she was speaking English. Most of the people I knew whose native language was other than mine spoke with a pronounced accent, but 3 was speaking in virtually 162

Alex J. Alex perfect American idiomatic English. “You sound like you grew up in Ohio, 3,” I said. “How did you learn to speak like that in such a short time?” “I practiced a lot,” she said. “I’m very good at languages, and I concentrate. I try very hard to mimic the exact sounds of a language. We had a lot of TV and radio broadcasts to choose from. And the majority of them are in English. There are others among us learning French, German, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese, as well as various dialects from India and a number of other places.” “Are they all as good at it as you appear to be?” I asked. “Some of them are, but everyone who intends to go to the surface will be required to learn English as well as the language of the area where they wish to settle. Those who wish to live in English-speaking countries will get away with learning only one language. There are a few others like me who are really good at mimicry when it comes to new languages, but most of them will speak with an accent. “We hope,” she said, “that we can convince most of you to learn our language. It is simple to learn, easy to pronounce, and is designed to be unambiguous. Any of you who wish to join our forces will have to learn our language, of course. It is the language of War.” “Hold on folks,” said 36 over the speaker. “We’re going to accelerate for about fifteen minutes, then turn around and decelerate for the same amount of time. That should bring us close enough to establish 163

Homecoming: First Contact an orbit around the Earth. From there, we’ll drop down into the atmosphere to release you over the Eastern United States where you should contact your Air Traffic Control System. They will give you instructions as to where you should land. “I understand that you are a pilot, T, so you should know your way around the Air Traffic Control system.” “Well I suppose I can do that. I’ll handle the communications and 3 can fly this bird. Are they expecting us, or are we just going to suddenly appear in Class A airspace? We could really upset a controller if that happened. By the way, do we have a transponder that they can pick up?” “They’re expecting you, alright. You’ll probably have a military escort all the way down. And, yes, we have installed a transponder for you. 3, show him where it is, he’ll have to adjust it to follow their instructions.” 3 pointed out a relatively familiar looking instrument. It had the usual four digit squawk code and the familiar look of an old Mode C altitude encoder. It was set on 1200, the code used by general aviation for VFR flight. We would be in Class A airspace which is the positive control area above eighteen thousand feet. I would need a squawk code as soon as we were airborne. “Ready?” asked 36. “Here we go.” We accelerated, then floated in free fall, then decelerated, just the way 36 had said we would. Then 36 called again. “We’ve established orbit, T, we’ll drop down slowly and let you launch at forty 164

Alex J. Alex thousand feet. You should have an indicated airspeed of about four hundred knots. We’ll try to get you as close to normal airspeeds as we can. 3’s ship is capable of speeds in excess of Mach 4, but she can slow it down to less than seventy knots without stalling. Maybe she’ll let you fly some. She has a great bird. “Your radio is tuned to 124.7, the frequency for Washington Approach. Just follow their instructions. Good luck.” “Bye,” said 3. “Thanks,” I said. Then, the bottom dropped out from under us and we were out in clear air over the East Coast of the U.S. I had a relatively familiar instrument panel in front of me which must have been put together carefully to give me just the information I would need to get us on the ground at the right airport. The indicated altitude was forty thousand and the indicated airspeed was four hundred knots. We were on a heading of three hundred and sixty degrees, due North. I keyed the mic. “Washington Approach, this is an alien aircraft. I have no flight or tail number. We’re at forty thousand feet on a heading of three-sixty. I hope you’re expecting us.” The controller didn’t miss a beat. She was cool as a cucumber, and she was obviously waiting for us. “Alien, squawk 2345 and ident.” I set the transponder and pushed the ident button. “Alien, I’ve got you at twenty miles south of Washington National, over the Maryland Airport. 165

Homecoming: First Contact Just stay on your current heading and you’ll see the airport at twelve o’clock. We’ll bring you in to Washington National. You had better reduce airspeed and start your descent now.” 3 throttled back to drop our airspeed and start descending. “We’ve arranged for you to make a VFR Approach. Expect to enter a downwind for runway one eight at Washington National. We’ll vector everyone else around you. I’ll hand you off to the tower when you have the airport in sight. Have you ever flown the approach to DCA?” “Center, this is the alien. That’s a negative, and I don’t have any charts or approach plates with me,” I said. “Alien, that’s O.K. We’ve got no ceiling and over ten miles visibility. You’ll have no problem finding the airport. Can you pick up ATIS?” “Center, that’s affirmative, but I don’t have any frequencies.” “O.K., Alien, are you ready to copy?” Luckily I had a pen and a pad of paper in my pocket. “Go ahead, Center.” “Alien, ATIS is 132.65, the tower frequency is 119.1, and ground is 121.7. Do you copy?” “Center, this is Alien. I copy ATIS 132.65, tower 119.1, and ground 121.7,” I read back. “What’s the pattern altitude?” “Field elevation is sixteen and pattern altitude is fifteen hundred feet for light aircraft, two thousand for heavy. Which will you be using?” I looked at 3. 166

Alex J. Alex “Light. Fifteen hundred,” she said. “Washington, we’ll enter the pattern at 1500.” “Roger, Alien,” said the controller. “Alien, your escort is approaching. You have an escort of two Citations flown by Air Force Reservists. They are overtaking you from the South. Let me know when you have them in sight. By the way, the reason we’re getting you instead of the military is that your Alien friends insisted on these radio frequencies instead of the military band. It seems that they want to bring you in to a civilian airport and wouldn’t be talked out of it. But we re-routed everyone else, anyway. I’m handling you all alone. You have quite a crowd waiting for you.” “Oh, great,” I said. “Permission to switch frequencies to ATIS.” “Alien, frequency change approved,” said the controller. “Let me know when you’re back.” I switched to the ATIS frequency and listened to the automated weather and airport report. While I was listening, the two Citations joined us, one on either side. “There’s the airport,” said 3. I switched back to the approach frequency. “Washington, we’ve got the runway in sight at twelve o’clock,” I said, “and our escort is here. We have information delta.” “Roger, Alien, contact the tower on 119.1. Good day.” “3, do you know how to fly a standard pattern?” I asked. “Downwind, base, and final? I think I can handle 167

Homecoming: First Contact it,” said 3. I switched frequency. “Washington National Tower, this is Alien,” “Alien, this is National. We have no reported traffic. Everything’s been re-routed or is holding until you are on the ground and clear of the runway. You are cleared to land on runway 18. Just call your downwind. This is a right hand pattern, you know,” said the tower. “Stay clear of the restricted areas over the Capitol and the White House.” “Roger, tower. I copy: we’re cleared to land, fly a right hand pattern, call our downwind, and stay clear of the Capitol and the White House.” “That’s affirmative,” he said. “Washington, this is Alien. We’ll be entering a right downwind at a forty-five degree angle for runway one eight.” 3 leveled off at fifteen hundred feet at one hundred and fifty knots with the runway right ahead of us about a mile and a half away at a forty-five degree angle. She knew what she was doing. As she turned to enter her downwind, she reached for the mic. I gave it to her. “Washington National tower, this is Alien, downwind for runway one eight,” she said. She grinned at me. “I just wanted them to know that I’m human, too,” she said to me. As she came even with the runway numbers on her downwind leg, she dropped her flaps and landing gear. She flew a perfect square pattern. As we turned base, I pointed out the Capitol in front of us and the White House off to the left. She turned final, extended 168

Alex J. Alex full flaps, reduced her airspeed to practically nothing, and just squeaked her wheels on the numbers as she made a perfect landing at about 55 knots. “For such a fast aircraft, this plane must have an awfully low stall speed,” I said. She grinned at me. “At slow speeds, it handles about the same as a Piper Cherokee, if what I read about them and if my calculations are correct. I had to convert knots from base ten into base eight, and then convert that into our measures, but I think my figures are right. At the high end, it will outperform anything you’ve ever built, even an SR-71 Blackbird.” As she rolled out, the first thing I noticed was the gravity, it seemed crushing. The tower controller said “Alien, switch to ground on 121.7. Good Day.” I switched frequencies. “Ground, this is Alien.” “Alien,” said the ground controller, “Exit right on the first taxiway. There will be a jeep there for you to follow. You’ll de-bark at Signature Flight Support. That way you can get a head start on the reporters. We understand that the State Department has arranged a car to take you to the White House for lunch. I hope you’re hungry. You can contact Signature on 122.95. Do you need anything else?” “No, that should about do it.” We were turning off the runway and the Jeep was leading us. “Alien, clear of the active,” I said. “O.K.,” said the ground controller. “Good luck. Frequency change approved.” Signature was ready for us. They had a couple of new servicemen. Well, one of them was a woman. They didn’t speak English too well. But they knew all 169

Homecoming: First Contact about 3’s ship. They had worked on it before. The man was bald. The woman must have been wearing a wig. At least they were wearing clothes. 3 knew them, but didn’t let on. They looked infirm, but they didn’t look particularly old. The gravity must have been getting to them. The people from the State Department met us on the ramp. A tall, slender, distinguished looking man with graying hair introduced himself, “My name is Felix Lassiter. I’ll be your guide while you’re in Washington. We set up a slight diversion at the main terminal. We didn’t want you to be mobbed. And frankly,” he looked at 3, “we were afraid you might be naked. That might have started a riot. There are nudists up there who think your ideas on nudity are great. Then there are some religious groups who think you are just short of an incarnation of the Devil. Every nut cake group in the country is here. And there are some from other countries, as well. Pacifists, militants, the N.R.A., several gun control groups, environmentalists, Greenpeace, Veterans, you name it, probably even some terrorists who would like to blow you up. Everybody’s there except the people who have jobs and have to work. “We misled the networks, too. We really didn’t want to, but we felt we had to, to keep everyone else away.” He looked at 3 again. “I guess you noticed who is caring for your aircraft.” 3 nodded. “Signature has cooperated with us in keeping their identities a secret. Nobody knows who they are or where they came 170

Alex J. Alex from. They are having a hard time with the gravity.” “So am I,” I said, “especially my ankles and knees.” “That always happens,” said 3, “But we’re in good shape, so it will pass in a few days.” “It may take longer than that,” said Mr. Lassiter. We were almost to the car. “Astronauts who have been in free fall for a lot less time than you have had severe problems. A couple of Cosmonauts died, years ago, after a record stay in orbit.” “Yeah, but they didn’t have access to the kind of regimen we do,” said 3. “Plus, they didn’t have any gravity at all. We have some, just not a full G.” “The NASA guys wanted to be here to study you. They insisted that you probably wouldn’t even be able to walk. But your 7 insisted that we do it this way. We just have an ordinary State Department car, no limousine, no motorcycles, just a couple of Buicks.” He held the door for us. We got in the back. “We’re going to put you up at the Marriott,” he said. “I don’t know what your relationship with each other is, but we got you separate adjoining rooms. We can arrange to take you shopping for clothes. I hope you intend to wear clothes. There are laws, you know...” “I’ll comply with your laws,” said 3. “Oh, and the motel management asked me to remind you that there is no skinny dipping allowed in the pool, so we’ll have to get you a bathing suit if you intend to swim. It’s a beautiful spring, so I’m sure you’ll want to.” “That’s for sure,” said 3. 171

Homecoming: First Contact “We’ve already got your rooms,” he said. “Here are your keys.” He handed the keys to me. I gave one of them to 3. She looked at it curiously. “I’ve read about these,” she said. “You just fit it in a slot and twist it. Is that right?” “That’s right,” said Lassiter. “Then you turn the doorknob and open the door. This old fashioned kind of lock has certain advantages over the electronic card locks.” The motel was only about a mile from the airport. Traffic was heavy, as usual. Lassiter said, “We thought you might like a chance to freshen up.” “Yes, thank you,” I said. We went directly to our rooms. A young lady met 3 at her room. “3,” said Lassiter, “This is Lisa Weaver. She’ll be a special aid to you. She can help you with fashions and with our customs, courtesies and etiquette. I know you will find certain ways to be peculiar, but 7 assured us that you would try to conform, at least at first.” Lisa was a smallish fair-skinned woman with short raven black hair. The eyes behind her glasses were just as black. She had a red ribbon in her hair that matched the bright red lipstick on her full lips. She was wearing a short black dress. She had a very slim figure. She was very attractive. She was also married, according to the ring on her finger. She looked 3 up and down. “Didn’t they buy you any shoes?” she asked. “You look like a hooker.” “I don’t think I can walk in those instruments of 172

Alex J. Alex torture you call shoes,” said 3. “They bought you high heels?” asked Lisa. “No wonder you couldn’t wear them. You’ll have enough trouble with the gravity. Don’t worry. I’ve got some nice comfortable clothes and shoes for you in the room, but you’ve got to lose the boots. Come on in, I’ll show you around.” They entered her room. Lassiter said, “We’ve got the place all to ourselves. The State Department took every room. Some of the rooms are occupied by Secret Service Bodyguards, and there are a few CIA guys here, but nobody from the general public. Most of the rooms are empty. We don’t want anything to happen to either of you. “You’ll find clothes in your size hanging up in your room: suits, shirts, ties, shoes, socks and underwear. Why don’t you take a shower and get dressed? We have an appointment with the President in an hour and a half at the White House. We’re going to drive in a car, by the way. It’s less conspicuous than a helicopter. “Oh, and before I forget,” he said, “Here are the keys to one of the cars. We want you to be able to see Washington. You may be able to sneak around without being recognized. You’ll both have to have hairpieces on to get away with it, though, so we have provided appropriate wigs for both of you.” We entered the room. He showed me all the stuff they had for me. They knew my size from before I left on the Space Shuttle, but I was in considerably different shape than I had been then. My waist was slimmer and I had gained muscle mass in all the right 173

Homecoming: First Contact places. In short, most of the stuff didn’t fit. Lassiter called someone on the phone and a man showed up immediately. He must have been a tailor, because he measured me and took the clothes with him. “Mr. Willis will have them ready for you by the time you finish your shower,” said Lassiter. I hadn’t had a good hot shower in a long time and it felt good for a change. When I emerged, I had to dry off with a towel. I wrapped the towel around my waist and left the bathroom. The tailor was as good as Lassiter’s word. The clothes fit very well and felt comfortable. As appropriate for a visit to the White House, I suppose, I was wearing a navy blue, lightweight suit over a white shirt with a conservative tie. In deference to my aching feet, they supplied a pair of loafers, nicely broken in, obviously still new, and highly polished. “We figured you weren’t ready for wingtips, yet,” said Lassiter. “How are the legs and feet holding out?” “Actually,” I said, “I feel pretty good. We worked out and spent time in half G artificial gravity every day. My ankles and feet hurt the worst, at first, but the more I walk around, the better I feel. I wonder how 3 is doing.” “Well, it’s about time for us to find out,” said Lassiter. “Mr. Willis, please help Mr. Thomas with his hairpiece.” Mr. Willis was an expert at making me look like I really had my hair back. It was my natural color and it was even styled in the same manner I had favored. Eventually, I was ready for the great outdoors. We 174

Alex J. Alex exited the room. 3 had not emerged yet. We knocked on the door. Mrs. Weaver opened the door. With a smile, she said, “Are you ready for this?” It was more a statement to the effect that we couldn’t be ready. “Come on 3,” she said, “strut your stuff.” I would never have recognized her. They had given her a short black wig, similar in cut to Mrs. Weaver’s hair. She was dressed in a light, tastefully cut tweed business suit over a light pink blouse with black buttons. Her skirt was hemmed just above the knee. Her legs were clad in sheer black hose and she had on low-heeled patent leather shoes. She looked stunning. They had even managed to place some eyebrows on her, and somehow they got her to wear lipstick, a bright red. Her figure was just right for clothes like this. She looked both businesslike and sexy at the same time. She smiled at me. “What do you think?” she asked. “I think you look marvelous,” I said. Then I said, using their language, “I never would have thought you could look better with clothes on than you usually do, but you really look great.” She smiled at me again. Surreptitiously using sign language, she let me know that she was pleased that I approved, but she thought we should speak English. She did a little pirouette to show me how she looked from all angles. I applauded and smiled foolishly. “It just feels so awful and confining, though,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it, but I’m glad you approve. You look O.K. too. I take it this is customary business attire?” 175

Homecoming: First Contact “It is,” said Lassiter. “Well, let’s go. We’re due at the White House in a little while.” We entered the car. We sat in the back. Lassiter drove and Mrs. Weaver sat in front with him. “We do have a little time for a quick tour of Washington,” he said, “so we’ll drive by some landmarks. You can give 3 an ‘up close’ tour later on, if you want to.” Eventually, we got to the White House and entered by an entrance that I didn’t even know existed. We were ushered into a small private dining room. Our escorts, Lassiter and Weaver, did not join us. The President and First Lady were already there, seated and waiting for us. I was surprised, I guess, that they didn’t both make a grand entrance to strains of ‘Hail to the Chief’. “Welcome,” said the First Lady. “Please sit down.” We sat. “We understand that you are vegetarians,” said the President, “so we have prepared an appropriate menu. I hope you enjoy it.” “Well,” said 3, “we’re not vegetarians by choice. It’s just that it’s next to impossible to raise cattle in space, especially in free fall. And remember, we’re on a warship, there is little room for such luxuries. I’m sure your vegetables will be delicious, however.” “Would you rather have a steak?” asked the President. “Sure, I’m game,” said 3. “I suppose all the domesticated animals I remember are either extinct or have evolved into something I wouldn’t even recognize, but I’ve been looking forward to a change 176

Alex J. Alex from the same old diet I’ve had for the last ten years.” I was as surprised as the President and his wife. I had made the same assumption, especially after tasting the marvelous dishes they prepared. But I could understand 3’s anticipation of a change after all that time. A man who must have been listening just outside the door to the kitchen appeared. “Shall we prepare something different, Mr. President?” he asked. “Er, yes,” said the President. “Let’s have some shrimp cocktails and clam chowder.” He looked around at us. “And then let’s have some nice thick Porterhouse steaks with baked potatoes. How does that sound?” “It sounds good to me,” said 3. The President looked at me expectantly. “It’s fine with me, too, sir,” I said. The man taking the orders looked at the First Lady. “Medium, for Milady and medium-rare for you, sir?” “Right,” said the President. “And you, Madam?” he asked 3. “Rare, if it’s O.K. to eat it that way. I don’t want to pick up any nasty microbes or anything, but we never liked our meat overcooked. Frankly, in a combat situation, most of us would eat any meat we could get, and eat it raw. Fish, too,” said 3. “Cooking it destroys a great deal of the nutrients as well as making it safe and unappetizing.” She was absolutely full of surprises this afternoon. “A lot of those veggies on the ship were cooked,” I said. 177

Homecoming: First Contact “We had to do something to make that stuff palatable,” she said. “They do a very good job,” I said. “I thought it was all delicious.” “Oh, it is good,” said 3. “It’s just that the same thing over and over for ten years gets old after a while. I’m looking forward to trying all sorts of new food, like hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza.” “Well, I hope you enjoy your steak today,” said the President. “Why, thank you,” said 3, “I’m sure I will.” She looked at me expectantly. “I’ll have mine rare, too,” I said. “Very good, sir,” said the steward. As we small-talked our way through the first Earth food that 3 had eaten in a long time—some of it she had never had before—it became apparent that she was voracious and enjoyed everything placed before her. She got along famously with the President. She spoke excellent English and was well prepared to interact socially. I guessed it came from studying TV shows, but she must have gotten a copy of Emily Post’s little book on etiquette somewhere along the line. She did everything right. As we were finishing dessert, the President finally asked the one question we had all been waiting for. “Well,” he said, “What happens next?” 3 paused for just a second. Then she said, “Well, Mr. President, I would like to see the world. We would all like to. But we need to do some things first, before we can all retire. First, we need to recruit people for a number of things. Educators and 178

Alex J. Alex scientists must be given new knowledge. We must share medical knowledge and techniques with physicians. And we must recruit replacements for our military organization. “You must decide who will direct these efforts. By you, I don’t mean you personally, but the inhabitants of Earth. We know that your country is the most advanced, wealthy, and powerful organization on the planet, but that is not enough. All the inhabitants of the planet should have a say in the future. Regardless of the minor differences between what you call the races, there is really only one race. We’re all a part of it. Skin color is no more significant than eye color. The biggest obstacle to unity is the diversity of language. You must all learn to speak one language. More important, you must all learn to think in one language. People who think in different languages think in different patterns. They come to different conclusions from the same information. We speak a language that is easy to learn, and we are going to insist that it become the official language of the whole planet. That is the most important thing we think is necessary. “It is easy to learn, isn’t it T?” she asked. “That it is,” I affirmed. “Mr. President, I’m not very good at languages, but I picked up enough to communicate effectively in a few days. I can now read it and write it, too. But most important, I do think in their language, and 3 is right, you do think differently when you think in a different language.” “I guess I can understand some of your reasoning,” said the President. “There has been a move afoot to 179

Homecoming: First Contact make English the official language of this country.” “Think about it, Mr. President,” said 3. “Every great empire in your recent history spread its language. Greece, Rome, Spain, France, England, not to mention Portugal, Russia, and of course China all were held together by their languages. What happened to the great empires of the Scythians, Huns, Vandals, Mongols, and Tartars? They disappeared quickly because they didn’t share or spread their languages. “China and Rome are the best examples. They lasted thousands of years because their languages were so widely spread and spoken. Even after Rome ceased to be an Empire, it remained an imposing idea simply because of Latin and its derivative dialects. Chinese is still holding half of the World’s people together, but it is too complicated, especially the written aspect, and it is divided up into too many different dialects. But language is probably the most important and cohesive aspect of a culture.” “So you mean we, all mankind, will have to learn your language?” asked the President. “That’s probably the one and only specific thing that we are going to insist on,” said 3. “We need a unified world government, but we don’t care how you do it. We need a single armed force to defend this star system, but we can take care of that. We will probably insist that all armed forces be placed under one unified command responsible to the World Governing Body. But language is first and foremost. It will allow unification to take place. Without it, the world will remain fragmented. 180

Alex J. Alex “I would like to spend some time on Earth as a normal tourist, with T as my guide. I guess I might have to speak to the media and be covered by them. I might even be persuaded to appear on some of your TV shows. We will escape and disappear, eventually, though, T and I. We will be able to do this, by the way, no matter how good you think your cloak and dagger agencies are. But we won’t get in to any trouble that we can’t handle. “Our commanders will send a liaison officer to your World Governmental Body, once it’s in place. We will take orders from you. We won’t be a police force, however. You have to do that on your own. You will have to do it, too. All these little wars you have going on will have to cease. We can help, if you need us to, in the beginning, but we don’t really want to have to fight other humans. There are enough nonhumans to fight out there. “We will want to establish camps on the ground. We will put them in barren places that can be reclaimed. I know that you’ll have some environmentalists complain about it, but we will probably attempt to re-claim parts of the Sahara, the Gobi, parts of the Outback in Australia, and parts of the American West, maybe even Death Valley. We have turned deserts green before. We made a mess of our planet once and had to fix it, we can do it again, here, but the barren ecology of the desert will have to suffer. The environment and ecology of the world is constantly changing. Anyone who insists on preserving everything just the way it is, forever, is fighting a losing battle that will eventually make 181

Homecoming: First Contact things worse. We will also attempt to re-claim Mars, the home world. That has already started as a matter of fact. It is a massive job, just to make it barely livable, but we will try. We will also fortify the Moon, and begin mining operations again. It is rich in minerals and can be a major factor in the defense of the System if we are ever invaded again. Unfortunately, that is something that we must be prepared for.” The President nodded at 3. “I guess we’ve all known that eventually wars among ourselves should stop. We talk about it, but nobody ever really expects it to happen. Of course, nobody really expected the Berlin Wall to come down, or for the Soviet Union to crumble, but they did. We will need your help to force cooperation among some groups. There is too much hate and vendetta mentality in the World today. There are hot spots all over the world. We have not been able to do much to stop it. The U.N. has not been a very effective policeman. Neither has NATO. The old Soviet Union ran into trouble in places like Afghanistan and was not able to hold Eastern Europe together in the long run. And the U.N. hasn’t been effective since the Korean conflict, and even that didn’t end up very well. “I guess we need to have you scare the hell out of all the combatants. If even the Irish, who are some of the most delightful, creative and artistic people on Earth, and who live in a beautiful, some say an enchanted island, take such pleasure in killing each other that they’ve been at it for over half a century, we really need help.” 182

Alex J. Alex “What we may do,” said 3, “is recruit the worst of them for ground forces and send them out to colonize other worlds. We can make them into a reliable force, don’t you think so T?” “Sir,” I said to the President, “She’s not kidding. They changed me so thoroughly in such a short period of time that I really became one of them. As a matter of fact, I am one of them. You are too, by the way, but you don’t know it and have not been absorbed by their culture. They are just like us, to turn it around. I’m sure they will absorb a lot of our culture, won’t you 3?” “Oh yes,” she said. “But I don’t think I will ever get used to these clothes and this stupid hair.” She looked at the First Lady and said, “It’s a wig, you know, and it itches like crazy.” The First Lady looked back at her and said, “You’ll have a hard time going incognito without it, you know.” “It may not be worth it,” said 3. “I may just strip down and go au natural, and if anyone doesn’t like it, it’s too bad.” I could tell that 3 was getting anxious. I noticed her squirming in her chair. I couldn’t tell for sure, but I figured it was that she was uncomfortable in the clothes and wig and she was probably getting horny. In any event, I figured I had better get her out of there before she insulted anyone. “Mr. President,” I said, “We had better get going.” “You know,” said 3, “We might be able to seduce some of these leaders who are causing all the trouble.” She looked at both the President and the 183

Homecoming: First Contact First Lady to see if they appeared shocked. “You know that sex plays a large part in our culture. Well, the old saying you have that you can get better results with honey than you can with crap holds true. And we have some real experts at it, don’t we, T?” Now I was getting embarrassed. They had essentially seduced me into their culture. “She’s right,” I said. “But we’re not whores,” said 3. “We really love our work. I don’t see why you people have so many hangups about sex.” Well, I thought, I might as well let her tackle this subject now. There would be no point in avoiding it. It would have to come up sooner or later, anyway, and since it is such a touchy subject, we might as well bring it up. The President and First Lady clearly had not expected to be talking about it at this point and were not prepared. “Mr. President,” I said, “perhaps I should explain things since I am the only one familiar with both points of view.” The President gave me an exasperated look and said, “Please do.” I took a deep breath. “Mr. President, I have thought about this quite a bit, and there are a number of ways to approach the subject, but...are you a religious man, sir?” “Well, yes, of course I am,” said the President. He reached for the First Lady’s hand. “We attend church every Sunday. We used to be active in our church back home, but I’m too busy being President right now to be too active. Where are you going with this?” 184

Alex J. Alex “Mr. President, if you will allow a literal translation of the Bible, these people could be from Eden before Eve gave Adam the forbidden fruit,” I said. “Now, they have no knowledge of our religious writings except that which they have studied since returning from the war, so I don’t expect them to make this claim, but, I think it was 40 who mentioned how this scenario would fit the current facts. They have no shame associated with the body. Frankly, they think it is beautiful and should be displayed. “Now, you know that there are people among us that look at things the same way—nudists for example. But 3’s people go farther. They believe that the body should be used and displayed in such a manner as to attract the opposite sex for intercourse. They think that marriage is a selfish and selfdefeating institution and that men and women should engage in sexual activity quite often, and with numerous partners. Sort of like the free love ideas of the sixties. “Somebody told me that love and sex have nothing in common. Love is emotional and a function of the mind and can be for any individual, regardless of sex, male or female. Sex, on the other hand, is simply a physical activity engaged in by opposite sexes. It is an extremely pleasurable activity, as well, so they engage in it several times a day. They have researched sexual activity as a purely physical activity and have found that it produces many positive results.” “In fact, sexual activity affects and improves the conditioning of every system in the body— cardiovascular, digestive, neural, including brain 185

Homecoming: First Contact activity, and general physical conditioning,” said 3. “Mr. President,” I said, “this is not just speculation, they have done some really thorough research on this over a long period of time.” “Centuries,” interjected 3. “Their data and conclusions are irrefutable,” I said. 3 looked at the First Lady. “Would you mind if I got out of these clothes?” she said. “I’ve got to take off this wig.” And she took it off, dropped it on the floor, and rubbed her head. The President’s mouth was hanging open. He didn’t know what to say or do. The First Lady surprised us all. She reached out and patted 3 on the arm. “Go ahead, dear,” she said. “I think I understand.” The poor President appeared to be completely flabbergasted. “You’ll have to get dressed again before you leave,” said the First Lady, “but I think we might as well start getting used to your ways as well as expecting you to get used to ours. I’m afraid that I’m not ready to remove my clothes, yet, but I think I can understand how you feel if you have never worn them.” She took the President’s arm. “Some of our undergarments can be especially uncomfortable.” She got up from the table and headed for the door. “Just a minute, dear,” she said. She opened the door and spoke softly to someone outside. When she returned, she had a grin on her face. “Go ahead and get comfortable,” she said. “We won’t be disturbed. I’m a little curious, anyway. I understand that you are completely hairless. As much 186

Alex J. Alex trouble as our hair is to keep attractive, I suppose that’s a blessing.” 3 was just sitting there. She seemed to be as stunned as the rest of us. The President and First Lady were both close to 70 years old and were showing the ravages of life in full gravity and a lack of exercise. I’m not sure what she expected, but it was obvious that it was not to be invited to strip down by the First Lady. “Are you sure it’s O.K.?” asked 3. “I really don’t want to offend you. We find clothing offensive. Unless it is utilitarian—necessary for something—we look at someone wearing clothes as trying to hide something. T conformed to our ways while he was with us, so I suppose I should conform to yours, at least for a while.” The First Lady and the President exchanged a meaningful look. “Go ahead and disrobe, if you want to,” she said. “We promise not to be embarrassed. Mr. Thomas, I know you’ve gotten used to this too, so if you want to, you may join her.” “Madam,” I said, “I don’t think I could bring myself to strip naked in front of you and the President. And 3, I think another time might be more appropriate.” “Perhaps you’re right,” said 3. She addressed the First Lady, “Would you help me with this wig, please?” “Certainly, dear,” said the First Lady. We all stood up. 3 got her wig back on. We said the usual good-byes, shook hands, and left by the same 187

Homecoming: First Contact door through which we had come in. Mr. Lassiter and Mrs. Weaver drove us back to the motel. Nobody said much of anything, but 3 whispered in my ear, “I hope we can have a bath when we get back. And I’m horny.”

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The Journal Chapter Ten Terrorists we got to the Marriott, Lassiter said, “Listen, When I wish you would call us Lisa and Felix. We’re to

be your guides during the day for any official stuff you have to do, but we get to go home to our families at night. You’re on your own for the rest of the afternoon and evening. You have the keys to one of the cars, which is parked right out front. You’ll probably be shadowed by the secret service guys if you leave, but they’ll be unobtrusive. Just ignore them and be thankful they’re there if you get into a fix.” “Are you sure you can handle that wig?” asked Lisa. “Getting it off and, more importantly, getting it back on again?” “We’ll manage,” said 3. “O.K.,” said Felix. “Well if you need anything, just call room service or ask anyone you see, they’re all either State Department or Secret Service except for 189

Homecoming: First Contact some of the hotel staff. Good night.” “We’ll see you in the morning,” said Lisa. 3 and I both said, “Good night.” 3 gave me a look that said she was ready for action. I could tell by the little grin on her face. We entered her room. I unlocked the door to my adjoining room and then told her that I would be right back. I went into my room and opened the other door and went back into her room. She hadn’t wasted any time getting the wig off, and it lay on the dresser. She came over to me and took the wig off of my head and put it next to hers. Then she put her arms around me and pressed her cheek against my chest. In the low gravity of the ship, I had never noticed her height. Her head came just to my chin. I kissed her head. She looked up at me. “Earth custom?” “Sort of. I just wanted to kiss you, and I know that mouth-to-mouth kissing is frowned upon.” “It’s dangerous,” she said, “and a little disgusting, to us at least. But it’s O.K., except on the lips or genitals, if you’re clean.” She pulled away to arm’s length. “You sit down in that chair. Just watch me.” She kicked off her shoes. Then she stood on the bed. The mirror was behind her. She proceeded to do a striptease worthy of Minski’s. First, she removed the jacket and dropped it on the floor. Then she loosened the scarf around her neck that had been used as a tie. She was continuously in motion, walking up and down the bed. She slowly unbuttoned her blouse, but turned around before taking it off and dropping it on 190

Alex J. Alex the floor, showing me her back. Next, after turning around to face me again, she unzipped her skirt at the side and dropped it down to her feet and kicked it off the bed. She slowly lifted her full slip up over her head and threw it to the side. She turned around away from me again and slowly wriggled out of her black panty hose. Then, she undid her bra, her back still to me, and dropped it to the side, all the time flexing her buttocks and rolling them from side to side. She flexed her biceps and her back muscles for me. She still had the scarf around her neck, and draped it over her breasts as she turned around several times. Then, with her back to me again, she slowly wriggled out of her panties, spreading her legs while looking at me upside down through them when she was through. Lastly, she stood up and faced me, throwing the scarf to the side to stand there in all her glory without a stitch to cover her, and with a big smile on her face. She did a little shimmy, throwing her breasts from one side to the other. That’s when I first noticed how they sagged in full gravity. She flexed all her muscles in a little bodybuilder display of strength. I couldn’t help getting excited, it was so erotic. I applauded. But I could tell that gravity affected her body quite a bit, especially her breasts. Even though she was in excellent condition, her skin hung on her frame the way it does on all of us, especially women, when we get some age on us. Her buttocks were lower than I remembered, too. But in any event, she was still a desirable and muscular woman, and one I 191

Homecoming: First Contact had come to love and enjoy. “Now you,” she said. “Let me undress you.” She came over to the chair and straddled me. She undid my tie and started unbuttoning my shirt. I arched my back and helped her slide it down my arms and over my head. She pulled my T-shirt over my head and then slipped down to the floor sliding her hands over my chest and abdomen. She undid my belt and the top button of my trousers and then rubbed her hands over my crotch, feeling my hardon throbbing inside my pants. She laid her head on my lap and rubbed her cheek against me. Then she looked up at me with her famous grin, and winked. She undid my zipper. As she pulled my trousers down, my cock escaped the opening in my boxer shorts and stood up at attention. She pulled off my shoes, socks, and trousers, never looking at my penis. Then she reached up and started pulling down my drawers. I arched my hips to help her and she threw them to the side when she got them off. She looked up at me and licked her upper lip. Then she did something I never expected her to do. She licked my shaft from the base to the top. Then she grabbed it in one hand and licked under my scrotum, around the sides, and back up to my penis. She licked up each side and then flicked her tongue from side to side just under the tip. “You’d better watch it or you’re going to have me all over your face,” I said. She just grinned and licked her lips again. Then she put her lips over the end of it and licked around it in circles with her tongue. I didn’t want to ejaculate in 192

Alex J. Alex her mouth, but it was becoming harder and harder to resist. I found myself pumping my hips, thrusting up into her mouth. Then she deep throated me—once, twice, three times, and I was sure she wouldn’t stop until I came, but she did. She squeezed the base of my cock and tickled my testicles. She knew exactly what she was doing. “I thought you didn’t do things like that,” I said. “We usually don’t, except with special lovers that we enjoy most frequently. You’ll sometimes find that it happens in a party place, too, when nobody knows who’s doing what. We are experts at sex. Didn’t you know? “The problem occurs when it becomes indiscriminate, combined with blatant promiscuity. But there aren’t many techniques that we don’t know about. “Now it’s your turn,” she said. “And I want at least an hour-long orgasm.” She got up and took my hands. Then she pulled me over to the bed and lay down on it. “You can start with my back.” She turned over, flexing her buttocks, and stretched her legs. “O.K., if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get,” I said. I remembered times when my wife and I had felt like this. I had started by rubbing her back, too. There were times when it seemed she could stay in an orgasmic state forever if I did all the right things. I determined to give 3 the ride of her very long life, one she would remember ‘til the end of time. I started by rubbing her back slowly, up and down, 193

Homecoming: First Contact from just above her buttocks to her neck. Every now and then I stopped and massaged her neck. I kissed her in the small of the back and kneaded her buttocks slowly and gently, biting them just enough to get a squeal of delight and an orgasmic spasm out of 3. I massaged her legs, first one and then the other, licking them as well as using my hands. She spread her legs a little, and I licked up into her hairless crotch. I licked from her knees to her buttocks and bit her again, just lightly. Then I straddled her, laying my erection in the crack between her buttocks, and massaged her back and neck, licking her neck and the backs of her ears. Then I lay down on her and moved up and down on her back, sliding my shaft between her buttocks and rubbing my chest up and down her back. She was enjoying it. I could tell from the way her body was trembling. “Turn over,” I said as I licked under her arm and to the side of her right breast. She turned on her side and I started sucking her breasts, first one and then the other. I sucked and licked between them and from one to the other, circling her nipples with my tongue, and licking up from underneath each breast over the nipple and up to her throat. I thought about giving her a hickey, but I didn’t. Her lips were parted slightly. She was breathing from her mouth. She was perspiring and moving in ways that would have thrown us bouncing from wall to wall in free fall. She was really enjoying herself and right on the edge of the ultimate orgasm. I licked her all over, once again—around her 194

Alex J. Alex nipples and breasts, around her navel, down and up her legs, and on the last pass, I licked over her mons and into her vulva. I used my tongue to spread her outer labia and lick up and down over her clitoris. Then I sucked her labia into my mouth and flicked my tongue inside her to find her clitoris again. On and on, into her inner flesh and up and down and up and down again and again. My tongue thrust up into her opening a couple of times, then back to her clitoris. Her muscular legs and hips were thrusting up and down and up against my face. She moaned a couple of times. I moved my legs up toward her shoulder. She noticed and reached out to fondle my groin. She kneaded my buttocks. I hoped she wouldn’t get the kneading and the fondling of buttocks and testicles mixed up. Finally, I just settled down and slid my tongue over and around her clitoris over and over again, occasionally sucking her labia into my mouth and occasionally licking around her vulva between her legs and down around her buttocks but never leaving her clitoris for more than a moment. She was bucking like a wild woman. My warm tongue sliding over and around her clitoris was keeping her in a constant state of orgasm. I felt her pull my legs closer to her face. Then I felt her tongue licking my cock. She pulled me into her mouth and sucked me all the way down her throat. I have never understood how some women could do that. I knew that I couldn’t stand any more of that without ejaculating in her mouth, and I didn’t want to 195

Homecoming: First Contact do that. So I pulled away from her and kneeled at her side. She looked up at me through heavily lidded half opened eyes. “Get up on your hands and knees,” I said. She did and I got around behind her. She had her legs together and I put mine outside hers. I spread her buttocks and gave her one last lick on the clitoris and a bite on the butt. Then I entered her. She was very juicy and slippery, so I was able to slide right in. We were both sweating profusely. I held on to her hips as I pumped into her, deeper and deeper on each thrust. She slammed her body back against me. I could see her breasts hanging down and swaying in time to our movements in the mirror. Just as I was about to come, she sensed it and slammed against me and stopped. She reached through her legs for the base of my penis and squeezed. She turned her head back to look at me and grinned. “Are you sure you’re ready?” she said. I couldn’t say a word. I pumped in and out and in and out, slamming myself against her ass while holding on to them and kneading them. As I started to come, she sensed it and moaned. I thrust into her faster and faster. She jerked and shuddered in orgasm after orgasm as I ejaculated explosively into her over and over again. After I was empty, I was able to stay hard for just a little while and kept going until I started to go limp. Finally, when it was over, I got dizzy and almost fell over. She shuddered one last time and collapsed. I fell on her back, my flaccid organ slipping out of our union. Our combined juices made a mess on the bed. I 196

Alex J. Alex rolled off her and we embraced, intertwining our legs. I kissed her on the neck. She kissed me back on the cheek. We were both worn out. We just lay there for a while. “This is nice,” she said. We almost fell asleep. Then, “Let’s go for a swim,” she said. “And I don’t care what they say, I’m going like this.” I grinned at her. “I’m game if you are. After all, what can they do to us? We might even invite them in. Let’s take some washcloths and some towels to dry off with.” We got our stuff and opened the door. Sure enough, there were about a dozen agents, men and women, standing around looking as if they expected an assault on the facility. I looked back inside the room to see what was keeping 3 and saw that she was putting on her dagger belt. “I do feel naked without this,” she said. “You should get yours, too. You never know what might happen.” “Nothing’s going to happen.” I certainly didn’t think anything would happen that would require my having a dagger strapped on, but I decided to humor her and went and got mine anyway. “Ready?” I asked. “Let’s go,” she said. We ran across the lobby to the pool, dropping our towels and diving in. I don’t know if our guards noticed that we were in the buff or not. If they did, they must have been in shock, because they didn’t come close or bother us in any way. Maybe, they had 197

Homecoming: First Contact been instructed to expect this and not to interfere. “I guess we’re O.K.,” I said. “I guess you’re right,” said 3. So we just played in the pool. We washed each other and embraced. We swam back and forth and under water. 3 looked like her old self in the water. “I noticed that they have an exercise room,” I said. “Do you want to work out a little?” “That’s a good idea,” she said. We left the pool and walked toward the signs that told you where everything was in the hotel. “Let’s wrap the towels around us,” I said. “No need to embarrass these folks. They have a lot of getting-used-to to do, before they are ready for us to just walk by them without a stitch on as if there was nothing to it.” “O.K.,” said 3. The agents were stoic in their expressions, but nobody said a word. “Is the exercise room down this way?” I asked one of them. “Just down the hall and follow the signs,” he said. We found it without any trouble. There was nobody there. We worked out with weights for the most part. 3 could handle quite a bit more than I thought she would be able to. I knew she worked out all the time on the ship, but I wasn’t sure how well she could handle it in full gravity. I should not have worried. She could handle almost as much as me. Even her legs were up to it. They looked so muscular because she worked them so hard, but not walking in gravity was sure to have had an effect. 198

Alex J. Alex “You were on our ship for weeks of your time,” she said. “Yet you are walking just fine. Our workouts on the ship are designed to prepare us for the time when we have to re-enter a full gravity environment. Knees, ankles, and other joints are the hardest hit as far as structure goes, but the things that we cannot prepare are our internal organs, especially the heart, digestive tract, and urinary tract. The only way that these organs can adjust is to return to full gravity. In free fall, they just float. Free fall is great for the heart, it has to work much harder in gravity, but most of the other organs work better in a certain amount of gravity, if not full Earth gravity.” We both worked up a sweat. We were just rubbing each other down when we heard a blast and the building shook. We looked at each other. A few seconds later an agent burst in carrying a gun. “Agent McLeod, FBI,” he said flashing his I.D. “They’ve found out where you are. The press was gathering outside, trying to get in, and somebody drove a car bomb through the lobby and blew it up. They apparently called just before the explosion and said they were Muslim fundamentalists and that you were an abomination that had to be destroyed. “The whole front of the place looks like the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. You’ve got to get out of here. Have you got any clothes?” “I feel more comfortable like this,” said 3. “No,” I said, “we don’t have any clothes, but we won’t let that slow us down.” We left. McLeod guided us out a back door to a waiting car. We got in back and McLeod got in the 199

Homecoming: First Contact right front seat. “This is Agent Knox,” said McLeod, indicating the driver. “Get us out of here, Annie,” he said. She sped away through the parking lot. As we left the hotel site, we could see fire engines, police, military police and I don’t know what else all over the place in front of what was left of the building. We were unobtrusively waived through to leave the parking lot. The car had darkened windows, but nobody was looking at us anyway. We noticed that the media was there in full force with TV cameras rolling. “Were a lot of people hurt?” I asked. McLeod nodded, “There were some agents in the front of the lobby. They had stopped a number of reporters and were trying to tell them that they couldn’t see you yet. I’m sure all of them are dead, the reporters, too. I was around back with Agent Knox, here. We got a call on the radio to get you out of there, that there was a bomb threat. They told us that you were in the workout room. Then we heard the blast and I went to get you while Agent Knox got the car. “We had figured on some security problems, but we never expected anything like this.” “See what’s on the radio,” I said. Agent Knox had been communicating on her hand held radio all along. “They know where you were and just about everything, by now,” she said. “They don’t know if you’re dead or alive, though.” McLeod turned on the car radio to an FM station reporting the news. We were the news. The general 200

Alex J. Alex suspicion was that we were dead. “We’re going to let them think that for a while,” said Knox. “That will give us a little time to get away.” “We’ve got to get you some clothes, too,” said McLeod. “You can’t go around like that if you want to be unobtrusive.” “I hate it, but for once, I have to agree,” said 3. “I suppose we’ll have to get some of those awful wigs, too, won’t we?” “Jim,” said Agent Knox, “give her my kerchief. You can wear it over your head, if you want.” I helped 3 to put it on. It hid her baldness fairly well. “I think there’s someone following us,” said agent Knox. “Look at that black Mercedes back there, Andy.” We all looked, of course, and, sure enough, there was a black Mercedes with darkened windows behind us. “Make a few turns,” said McLeod. “Let’s see if they stay with us.” “O.K.,” said Knox. “Hang on, here goes.” “You’d better buckle up,” said McLeod. “I’ve driven with her before so take my word for it, you need a seat belt.” We did as we were told. Just in time, too. She made a quick left turn across two lanes of traffic and down a side street, tires squealing. The Mercedes stayed with us. She ran a yellow light and turned up a ramp on to the beltway. Our pursuers stayed with us by running the red light and almost causing a wreck. 201

Homecoming: First Contact There was no question that they were after us. “Virginia, here we come,” said agent Knox. Agent Annie Knox wasn’t afraid to push that Buick to the limit. According to her, the traffic was just heavy enough to make a one hundred MPH chase interesting. Agent McLeod called someone on his radio for help. “There’s never a cop around when you need one,” said agent Knox. “If I just wanted to get out here and get somewhere in a hurry, there would be five local police cars chasing me, but where are they now?” I was getting the idea that she had a bit of a lead foot. She seemed to really be enjoying herself. Agent McLeod said, “They won’t catch us in this traffic, but I don’t think you can outrun them on I-95 if we go south. You could stay on the Beltway all the way around and loose them at a toll booth going north.” The Mercedes was staying with us, but wasn’t gaining. “Don’t worry, McLeod,” she said, “You know me better than that. I’ve got a few tricks even you haven’t seen.” McLeod turned to tell us, “In addition to her FBI training, she’s been through the Bondurant School of Driving.” “Bob Bondurant was a famous racing driver,” I explained to 3. “He set up a driving school to teach people how to avoid accidents and how to handle emergencies, including situations like this, apparently.” Suddenly I realized that 3 was frozen. She seemed 202

Alex J. Alex to be scared to death. “Are you O.K.?” I asked her. She looked at me and then reached for me, putting her arms around me and holding on. She hid her face against my chest. “I’ve never been in a vehicle like this before,” she mumbled. “I could handle the rides from the airport and so forth, but this is extraordinary. I’m sure it will take a little getting used to. I don’t mind going fast, but I’ve never done it this close to the ground with all these other vehicles doing the same thing.” I hadn’t thought about it before, but hurtling through traffic at a high rate of speed might not be the best way to introduce a space traveler like 3 to our ground motor vehicle and highway system. We were being thrown from side to side, just barely missing other vehicles as we barreled down the highway. And, for the first time since I had known her, 3 was not only not prepared, she was really scared for her safety. She could handle light speed, but not our highway system. “You people are crazy,” she said. I didn’t know how they moved around on Mars before the Invaders had showed up, but it was a cinch they didn’t do it like this. “Hold on,” said Knox. The Mercedes was right behind us and trying to get along side of us. We were going 120 MPH with a little open road ahead of us but coming up on another group of cars going about half that. The Mercedes slid over to the left to come alongside of us. I saw the right front window going down and a bearded man in dark 203

Homecoming: First Contact glasses was holding a semi-automatic pistol at the ready, just waiting to get alongside so he could take a shot at us. Knox slammed on the brakes. The Mercedes shot ahead of us as she coolly guided us across four lanes and off an exit ramp. They were way past the ramp before the driver knew what had happened and slammed on their brakes. We were lost in traffic heading back into the city before they could ever figure out what to do. “That’ll lose them,” said agent Knox. “They either have to go down to the next exit or go against the traffic. I think they’ll probably give it up for now.” “Nice driving,” said McLeod. “Now let’s get them some clothes.” McLeod had been on his cellular phone. He turned around to talk to us. “Another agent will meet us and bring you some clothes,” he said. “There were some clothes that had not yet been delivered to the hotel. Just relax. We’ll take care of you.” He talked to agent Knox and she apparently agreed to whatever he was saying. I was unfamiliar with the Washington area, so I didn’t know where we were going. She stayed in downtown traffic for what seemed a long time and then got back on the Interstate. She stopped at a rest area and pulled up next to a marked police car. A man got out of another car next to the police car and approached us carrying a suitcase. McLeod opened the door and talked to him for a moment, then re-entered the car and nodded to Knox, 204

Alex J. Alex who drove off. He turned and passed the suitcase over the seats to us. “There are some clothes in there for both of you,” he said. “It should be jeans and T-shirt type casual stuff. Go ahead and get dressed so you won’t be so conspicuous.” “We figured that pulling up next to a marked police car would be the best way to avoid contact with the curious,” said Knox. “You can still draw a crowd with those bald heads and no clothes on, even hiding in a car.” We did as we were told. Everything fit well. We also found an envelope in which there were wallets with money and identification cards. I found what looked like my original driver’s license, pilot’s license, medical certificate, and several credit cards. They had made up similar identification for 3, giving her the name Jane Thomas. “Is she supposed to be my wife?” I asked. “I guess that’s the idea,” said McLeod. “Since you’ll be traveling together, it might make things easier for you. “By the way, we have instructions to take you out of the city. We’re headed to a rendezvous with some other agents at a small airport where you will get on a plane and go to another location. We don’t know where you are going, but it should be safer than here.” “What airport are we going to?” I asked. “You ever been to Fredrick, Maryland?” asked McLeod. “Really? Sure,” I said. “That’s where AOPA 205

Homecoming: First Contact headquarters is located.” “What’s that?” asked McLeod. He was obviously not a pilot. “It’s the Aircraft Owner’s and Pilot’s Association,” I said. “I’ve been a member since I first learned to fly. I wonder what kind of aircraft they have waiting for us?” “I wouldn’t know if they told me,” said McLeod. “Knox, do you know anything about airplanes?” “Not really,” she said, “but whatever they get you will be inconspicuous and safe. The agents you are meeting are pilots, so they can fly you wherever you are going. Both of you are pilots too, aren’t you?” “Yeah,” I said, “and it might be nice to fly myself, rather than let an agent do it for us. By the way, do you know these agents?” “I don’t,” said McLeod. “Do you know either of them, Annie?” “I remember meeting one of them years ago,” said Knox. “But I don’t know if I’ll remember him. He’s a tall fellow named Richfield. He left the Bureau to join the CIA.” We rode in silence for a while. The sun went down and it began to get dark. I explained to 3, no Jane, about pockets in jeans and how to keep her wallet in the back pocket. “It must be awful uncomfortable to have to sit on it all the time,” she said. She refused to wear the brassiere they supplied her. She said it was uncomfortable, unnecessary, restrictive, and she didn’t need to be harnessed like that when she might need to fight. 206

Alex J. Alex I didn’t know whether we would need to defend ourselves or not, but I was beginning to doubt the effectiveness of the U.S. government against really serious assassins or terrorists. I was glad we had brought our daggers. We took a little nap. When we woke, we were at the airport. It was dark. McLeod was talking quietly to someone through the window. He finished his discussion and rolled up the window. “Pull through the gate over there,” he said to Knox. “Then drive out to where that light is.” There was someone out on the tarmac with a flashlight. They opened the gate for us and she pulled through and up to a plane. It was quite a plane - a Beechcraft Baron, a B-58. Another agent was greeting us. “Hi, I’m agent Bubbas. Agent Richfield is in the plane. We’re from the New York office of the CIA, and we have instructions to take you to a little place in New Jersey where you will be safe.” “Say hello to Richfield for me,” said Knox. “Oh, do you know him?” said Bubbas. “We met years ago when he was at the Bureau,” said Knox. “I think I ought to make a positive identification, if I can.” She got out of the car. We all got out, me carrying our suitcase. “We’re just about ready to take off,” said Bubbas. “There isn’t much time.” Agent Knox was climbing up on the right wing to look inside the cockpit. She froze as she looked in the 207

Homecoming: First Contact door and then backed off. A man with a pistol came out after her. He had a swarthy and grizzled complexion. “You had to make a positive I.D., didn’t you,” he said. “Well you’re certainly not Richfield,” she said. “Richfield is a blond, blue-eyed, fair skinned hunk who stands about six-six or six-seven. “Not anymore,” said the one who had identified himself as Bubbas. “Neither of them will ever stand anywhere again.” “You killed them?” asked McLeod. “They were in our way,” said the one with the gun. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that 3 was using hand signals to tell me that she intended to attack the one on the plane. He was half in and half out of the door. I nodded to her. Suddenly, she leaped at him. Her dagger was in her left hand and she was reaching for the gun with her right hand. I whirled on the other one ducking to half my height and planting my left fist squarely in his groin. As he doubled over in pain and surprise, I brought an uppercut up from the deck that laid him on his back. He was reaching inside his coat for what I assumed to be a gun of his own. I kicked his arm away from his chest and dropped my knee across his throat. I reached inside his coat and removed the gun. Meanwhile, 3 had the other one throttled and had managed to pull him out of the aircraft. He had dropped his gun and 3 had gotten behind him. She had her dagger at his throat. It was over in just a few seconds. 208

Alex J. Alex “You guys are good,” said Knox. Neither she nor McLeod had so much as moved. McLeod leaned over and picked up the gun dropped by 3’s victim. “We’re always ready for a fight, where I come from,” said 3. “T can handle himself pretty well, too, and we taught him a few new tricks.” “I suppose you can take care of these two, can’t you?” I said to McLeod and Knox. “We can fly the plane and we’ll let you know where we are somehow.” “I don’t know where you were supposed to go,” said McLeod. “There are agents waiting for you somewhere.” “I don’t think I want to go anywhere that someone is waiting for me,” I said. “I think we just might disappear for a while.” Agent Knox had handcuffs on the two bad guys by that time. “We’ll take care of them all right,” she said. “I don’t think they need much help from us, McLeod. They just disarmed these two bums before we could think of anything to do.” “I guess you’re right, Knox,” said McLeod. “OK, Mr. Thomas,” said McLeod. “We’ll take care of these two. But what do you intend to do?” “Well,” I said, “we have identification and some money, and we seem to have an airplane. I think we’ll come up with something. I propose that we fly it somewhere and when you find it, you’ll know where we are. If you don’t know where we’re going, nobody else will either. Make sense?” “I suppose,” said McLeod. “I hope my boss understands.” 209

Homecoming: First Contact “Well, we could take you with us,” I said, “and drop these two out the door at ten thousand feet. How do you think your boss would like that?” “Come on, Knox,” said McLeod. “I know when to let go.” “O.K., McLeod,” said Knox, but she didn’t sound convinced. “Bye,” I said. We watched them put the bad guys in the back seat of the car. We waved to them as they left. “I’ve got to pre-flight the plane.” I found a fuel tester and a flashlight in one of the pockets inside the cockpit. I did a thorough walk around pre-flight, then 3 and I got in the plane. I have a couple of hundred hours in Barons. I took the left seat. I found the checklist in the pocket behind the seat. After starting both engines, I listened to the AWOS and then the UNICOM/CTAF frequency to determine what was going on at the airport. Things were quiet, no traffic. “I’m not going to broadcast on the radio,” I said. “It’s not really wise, radio silence can get you into trouble, and no one can help you if you need them. But you never know who might be listening, so I’m not going to even file a flight plan or ask for flight following. I’m just going to taxi out on the runway and take off. There’s no tower here so we’ll be O.K. Help me look for approaching aircraft. They’ll have lights, so they’ll be easy to see.” “O.K.,” said 3. I did my pre-takeoff checks as we taxied to runway 5. I stopped short of the runway threshold and set my flight instruments and did a run-up on each engine. I 210

Alex J. Alex knew it took time, but I just can’t bring myself to fly an airplane without making sure it will fly. That’s the first rule I learned as a student pilot. It sounds silly and obvious, but that’s what the FAA always says is the cause of accidents: pilot error—the pilot is responsible for making sure the plane is airworthy before attempting to fly, and too many pilots just don’t do it. “We have full tanks and a clear sky with plenty of stars and a full Moon,” I said. “I want to keep an eye on the weather, though. I don’t want to get into IFR conditions without filing and talking to flight controllers. If it starts to close in, I want to get on the ground quickly. O.K.?” “O.K.,” said 3. “Where are we going?” “I’m going back home to where I grew up. I still have friends in New Jersey. Maybe we can see a bit of New York. You’ll like the city, I think. I have an apartment in Newark, but I don’t think we should go there.” “Ah yes. The Big Apple,” she said. “The city that never sleeps.” I found a couple of Sectional aeronautical charts— Washington and New York. I also found a set of approach plates, but I didn’t intend to need them. I showed 3 the general area I intended to fly to, and gave her the charts. We took off. The lightly loaded Baron climbed quickly and I headed northeast as we crossed over the Carrol County airport. There’s a noise abatement in effect at Fredericksburg and I didn’t want to alarm anyone by making too much noise. It was a beautiful 211

Homecoming: First Contact night to fly, one of those crystal clear, quiet nights with incredibly smooth air and unlimited visibility. I dialed in the Lancaster VORTAC on the NavCom and headed towards it. We tracked straight as an arrow, there was no wind to speak of. If anything, we might have had a slight tailwind according to the AWOS at Fredericksburg. I took her up to 9500 feet and eased back on the manifold pressure to cruise. The instrument panel was loaded with goodies: Radar, Stormscope, Loran and GPS, and a three-axis autopilot. The Loran, GPS and autopilot were slaved to each other and had a moving map display. The plane had extended tanks with a long-range fuel capacity. Our ground speed was reading right at one hundred and seventy-five MPH, so I knew we were making pretty good time, but wouldn’t alarm any air traffic controllers. I kept squawking twelve hundred for VFR. “I’m going to put in at a little airstrip just outside of New York,” I said. “We can fly in under the crowded airspace early in the morning when there’s no traffic to speak of and I can stay off the air without busting the TCA Class B airspace.” I showed her where we were going on the map. “It’s this little one here. Lincoln Park, New Jersey.” “It looks awful small on the map,” she said. “It is. It’s only about three thousand feet and it’s only forty feet wide. Then, to make it interesting, there are trees on both ends. But we can make a VFR approach without breaking any rules. I remember that all traffic has to stay to the east of the runway, so remind me to fly a right-hand pattern if we have to 212

Alex J. Alex use runway 1. I seem to remember that they have a restaurant right there, too, so we can have some breakfast. We should be getting there just about sunup. I love to watch the sun come up over the horizon.” “So do I,” she said. “But I haven’t seen it in years.” I dialed in Lincoln Park on the GPS and set the autopilot. “I’m getting out of these clothes.” 3 proceeded to strip down. “This is a pretty big airplane. How much moving around can we do without upsetting the weight and balance?” “Well, I suppose each of us could take a little nap while the other one flew the plane.” “Hell, it’s got an autopilot,” she said. “If it’s worth the metal it’s made of, it ought to fly the plane for us.” I had to admit it, the avionics in that plane were capable of taking us exactly where we wanted to go even if we both got up and took a nap in the back. But then I looked over at 3. I could tell that she wasn’t thinking about a nap. She had other ideas. “Have you ever heard of the Mile High Club?” I asked. She was squirming in her seat and fondling herself all over. She released her seat and slid it back. The autopilot corrected easily for the weight shift. “Come on, lover boy,” she said. “I’ll meet you in the back.” I checked everything to make sure we were going exactly where I wanted us to go. Moving around in a plane as small as a Baron, even though it was pretty big as far as general aviation twins go, made me 213

Homecoming: First Contact nervous, but I could sympathize with 3. She was used to having sex on a frequent and regular basis and expected me to be interested, too. I have to say, that I was ready. All the excitement in the past twenty-four hours had me full of adrenaline, and 3 was as sexy as always. I carefully let my seat back and crawled aft. They had club seating in the cabin. 3 was waiting for me, lying on the floor. “Come on,” she said, “get out of those clothes.” She started helping me. It didn’t take long to get out of a T-shirt and jeans. She pulled me toward her and lay me down on the floor. A B-58 Baron is still a little cramped when you’re trying to have sex on the floor with all the seats in place. She got on top of me and straddled my chest. I kneaded her thighs and caressed her breasts. I slid my thumb down over her smooth hairless mons and into her vulva to caress her clit. She was writhing against me, her head thrown back and her eyes closed. She moved up and placed her vulva over my mouth and started grinding against my chin. I found her clitoris with my tongue. She shuddered. She reached down and grabbed my ears. She ground against my face faster and faster. She shuddered over and over again. Her juices were all over my face. Finally, she slowed. She moved down off of my face and leaned over to hang her little breasts in my face. I licked and sucked on them. Then she moved further down and licked my chest and abdomen, down to my shaft. She licked all around it, down under my testicles and back up 214

Alex J. Alex again, finally licking up around the glans. Then she put her lips around it and sucked me down her throat. I was so surprised that I almost ejaculated. “Careful!” I said. She grinned up at me and winked. Then, she climbed up on me and impaled herself. She was so wet, I just slid right in. She didn’t waste any time, but just pumped away. I came quickly in a blaze of glory, with her in a state of orgasmic triumph. Finally, we collapsed and cuddled in each other’s arms. “Welcome to the Mile High Club,” I said. “I even know a place in Ohio where we can get pins that will advertise our membership.” “You had better get back in the cockpit and fly this plane,” she said. “You’re right about that,” I said. “I’ve never really trusted an autopilot enough to leave it alone like this without anyone at the controls just in case.” Fortunately, the autopilot was operating perfectly and we were right on track to New Jersey. The rest of the flight was uneventful. 3 took a nap. We both left our clothes off. I spent my time managing fuel and tracking VORs just to make sure the GPS and the autopilot were doing their jobs. It was just too beautiful a flight to let the autopilot fly the plane, though, so I turned it off and hand flew her. Over Bethlehem, I started a gradual descent and was down to twenty-five hundred feet by the time we reached Hackettstown, just right to come in under the airspace controlled by the New York Air Traffic Controllers. 215

Homecoming: First Contact The sun was just coming up as we flew over the field at Lincoln Park. I tuned in the UNICOM frequency and called a left downwind for runway 19. It was too early for anyone to be there, so I didn’t expect to get a response. I had to make a steep descent over the trees, so I needed just about all of the runway. As we taxied back to the FBO, 3 got up and crawled into the right seat. “I guess we have to put on these ridiculous clothes again.” “I guess so, if you don’t want to get arrested,” I said. “They have laws about ‘indecent exposure’ around here, but more importantly, we don’t want to attract any attention.” “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I sure could use a swim and a rinse for my mouth.” “I’ll have to show you how we brush our teeth,” I said. After we taxied to a tie down slot, I went through the shutdown checklist. Then we got dressed, got out of the plane and tied her down. It was good to stretch our legs. It was going to be a beautiful day, clear and bright, without a cloud in the sky. We strolled over to the FBO and lay down on the ground. We dozed off in each other’s arms. We dozed a little, never really sleeping, for a couple of hours. Then we heard a car door slam. We sat up. A nice-looking young man came around the building. “Hello,” I greeted him. “Oh, hello,” he said. He looked out on the tarmac. “You folks fly in this morning in that Baron? That’s a 216

Alex J. Alex pretty big plane for this place.” “That’s us. We need it topped off.” “We can do that,” he said. “Do you need anything else? Are you going to stay long?” “We need ground transportation, and we’ll be here for a few days, at least.” “We have an overnight tie-down fee. You want to put it on a credit card?” I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the wallet they had supplied me with. It had several credit cards in it. I pulled one out. “This O.K.?” I asked as I gave it to him. He looked at it. “Sure, come on in and I’ll see if we can get you a car.” He unlocked the office and we went inside. “First things first.” He went over to the coffee machine. He rinsed out the old cold coffee from the night before and made a new pot. “Where’re you folks from?” “Well, we just flew up from Frederick, Maryland,” I said. “We figured we would look up some old friends.” “Did you have a good flight?” he asked. “You must have flown all night to get here this early.” “Yeah, it was a great night to fly. We got here just about at sunrise.” He was checking messages on the answering machine. “Nothing there.” He got out a phone book and gave it to me. “I’m sure you can find a car rental place in there. You can use this phone.” He indicated a phone on the counter. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and he went out to fuel the airplane. 217

Homecoming: First Contact I turned to the yellow pages under ‘Auto - Rental’ and found what I was looking for. I had a credit card for one of the major rental companies. I asked if they could pick us up at the airport and they said they could, but it would be a while. I said that we would have some breakfast while we waited for them. There was a restaurant at the airport called the Flight Deck and someone was stirring. We entered and sat down. “I’m really hungry,” said Jane. “Don’t tell me what all this stuff is, just order something for me and let me try it. There isn’t much I don’t like, but I want to just try everything before I know what it is. O.K.?” “Yeah,” I said. “I understand. Lots of people won’t even try a lot of food because it just sounds disgusting, given their background. We have a lot of ethnic foods that are delicious to those who were brought up thinking they were delicacies, but other groups are horrified by them and won’t even try a taste. “Most Americans cringe at the thought of snails or octopus or chocolate-covered insects, but they’re common in certain parts of Europe. Most Americans get queasy at the thought of eating a dog, but many oriental cultures eat them all the time. On the other hand, we seem to be the only culture addicted to iced drinks. Most Americans don’t think they can survive without ice in their water, tea, or whatever. The rest of the world realizes that most drinks lose their flavor when served cold, but we insist on it.” I ordered a regular feast for breakfast. I was hungry too. We had eggs, sunny side up with link 218

Alex J. Alex sausage and home fried potatoes, and buttered English muffins with a side of pancakes and maple syrup. I also ordered large glasses of cold orange juice and hot coffee, black, no sugar. I showed her how to add salt and pepper. I also showed her how to apply grape jelly to her buttered English muffin. “There’s one other thing you may or may not want to try,” I said. “My wife always thought it was awful, but I like a little ketchup on my eggs and potatoes.” “I’m game,” she said, “but I want to try them without it first. O.K.?” “A wise decision.” We lingered over breakfast until the car arrived. We ate every bit. “That was absolutely delicious,” said Jane. “I sort of like the way the cold juice and water contrasted with the hot coffee. The same holds true for the cold jelly on the hot muffin. If you remember, we did a lot of the same on the ship.” “Yes,” I said, “I remember. You’ll make a good American, but I’ll bet you will like a lot of other cuisines, too.” I made a mental note to order Baked Alaska for her at the earliest chance.

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Homecoming: First Contact

The Journal Chapter Eleven Gloria from the rental car company greeted us. TheHe man drove us back to his office where I signed his

papers and left an imprint of a credit card. Then we were off. I got on Route 23 and headed towards New York. I had an apartment in Newark, but I figured I had better not go there. I stopped and called a few people. I got through to an old friend named Gloria. I explained our situation. “I’ve been following your escapades on the news,” she said. “I would love to meet your alien friend, and I guess you could hide out here for a while. I haven’t had any excitement in my life for quite a while.” She was a widow whose husband, Jack, had been killed in Viet Nam. She had never re-married. Gloria was fairly well off, too, so she pretty much did what she wanted to. She lived in Cedar Grove, high up on the top of a hill. She met us at the door. “Hello, come 220

Alex J. Alex on in.” She was sizing up Jane. “Hello, Gloria,” I said. “This is 3, but the Federal Agents who helped us to get out of Washington gave her identification with the name ‘Jane Thomas’ on it, so call her Jane, please.” “O.K. Hello, Jane,” said Gloria, extending her hand. “Hello, Gloria.” She reached out and shook hands with Gloria. “Thank you for allowing us to visit you like this on such short notice. It might be dangerous, you know. There are some pretty nasty people after us, it seems.” “I know,” said Gloria. “It’s all over the news. They have no earthly idea where you have gone, apparently. Of course, I suppose they wouldn’t say it on TV even if they did. About all they say is that you were probably killed in the explosion. I guess they want everyone to think that so they’ll quit looking for you. Does that sound about right?” “Well, yes, it does, Gloria,” I said. “As long as they knew where we were, bad guys kept popping up all over the place trying to kill us. So, we decided to go off on our own for a while and try to lay low enough to avoid all contact with either the good guys who couldn’t protect us or the bad guys who were trying to kill us. The bad guys seemed to know what the Feds were doing, so we decided to avoid both of them. Does that make sense to you?” “Sort of,” said Gloria. “By the way,” she turned to Jane, “how did you learn to speak such superb American idiomatic English? You really sound like a native.” 221

Homecoming: First Contact “Gloria,” I said, “we’ll explain it all later. What we really need is a bathroom, a bath, and some sleep.” “Oh,” said Gloria, “of course. How insensitive of me. Follow me. I have a guest room all prepared for you. There is nobody here in this big old house but me, so no one else will bother you. Are you hungry at all?” “No, we ate at the airport,” I said. “That’s one of the reasons we have to go to the bathroom.” We followed her up the stairs to the guest bedroom. It had its own bathroom. “This is lovely,” said Jane. “Why, thank you,” said Gloria. “This is a peaceful little part of the world where nothing much ever seems to happen. At least until now. There are plenty of towels hanging up and more in the closet if you need them.” “I’ll leave you alone now,” she said. “I assume you two want to share the same room. I’ve heard a little about your relationship, but I’m not sure I really understand it. You’ll have some explaining to do later. That’s the price you’ll have to pay for my hospitality.” “Fair enough,” I said. “Thanks for everything, Gloria.” “Just get some rest,” said Gloria. With that, she left, closing the door. “She seems nice,” said Jane. “Do you find her attractive?” I was unprepared for that comment. “Well,” I said, “I suppose I do. We’ve known each other since we were children in grammar school. Gloria was always 222

Alex J. Alex one of the brightest students in school, but she was very shy. As we grew up, she wasn’t considered to be a beauty, she was sort of chubby, but she blossomed into an attractive woman and married a man who appreciated her physical as well as her inner beauty. He was killed in a war in a place called Viet Nam. “We were always just friends. We never dated, either before or after we lost our spouses, but we sometimes meet for lunch or dinner. I don’t think she has a wild side, herself, but she is rarely surprised by anything anyone else does. She travels quite a bit, and I have flown planes to Europe on which she has been a passenger. “She has a traveling companion named Anne, who was another late bloomer. You may meet her; I hope you do. Anne was a downright wallflower in high school—she was very tall and flat-chested. She was an athlete and, like Gloria, a brilliant student which intimidated us as boys. But as she matured in college, she became strikingly beautiful, physically. A friend of hers worked in a modeling agency and asked her to attend a class. She did, and became one of the most sought-after models in New York simply because she was so tall and flat-chested. Clothes look great on her slim, athletic figure, which is not unlike the ideal in your society, even if she isn’t quite as muscular as most of you.” Jane had been removing her clothes while I talked and was sitting on the toilet. “I don’t like these primitive facilities, but I guess it works,” she said. I had to show her how to wipe herself with toilet paper. “I need a bath or a shower. Care to join me and 223

Homecoming: First Contact show me how it works?” “Yeah,” I said, “as soon as I use the commode myself.” She grinned and winked at me the same way she had when we first met and didn’t understand each other’s languages. She rubbed her hands across her crotch and up her torso to lift and caress her little breasts. Her lips were slightly parted. She licked her upper lip with her tongue. Her eyes closed to slits and she tilted her head back. Then she grinned again and turned toward the bathtub, wiggling her buttocks at me. “Come on,” she said. I got out of my clothes quickly. The shower was in a huge antique porcelain bathtub with a blue shower curtain hanging on a brass rod. The outside was covered with lace. “Wow,” I said. “This could be fun. Most showers are either in small bathtubs or are just stalls that you can only stand up in, but this...” Jane reached down to fondle my testicles. I already had an erection. She put her arms around me and ground her mons against my leg. “Come on,” she said. I entered the tub and started the water. After it ran a short while and warmed up, I closed the drain so the tub would fill. “Let’s take a bath first,” I said, “then we can shower.” “O.K., whatever you say. This is your world. You have to show me how things work like I showed you our world on the ship.” 224

Alex J. Alex I thought about that for a second. She was right. I had been completely dependent on her and the others on the ship to learn how to integrate into their society and adapt to their culture. Now the tables were turned and I would have to help her in the same way. Since she needed help, it seemed to me that I would also have to recruit some help, especially of a female kind. Her society was much more of a unisex culture than ours. Yet they recognized that the basic differences between men and women were important and could not be ignored or wished away. Our society had developed out of a much more sexist culture than it even was. But the problem with the people trying to rectify the situation, such as the Feminists, was that they seemed to want to look at men and women as if there was absolutely no difference between them. But there are differences. There are physical as well as emotional differences. But even more important in our society, there are real environmental and learning differences. No matter how much the feminist movement rails against the tide, little girls are given dolls or domestic toys and little boys are given sports equipment or war toys. When they grow up, there is a terrible disillusionment with society when they are told that the traditional housewife role is bad and that they have essentially no chance to make it in the business world. Of course this is not entirely true, but it is pretty close to the mark in many cases. Although it is politically incorrect to admit it, the fact remains that men are physically stronger than women. Men do not menstruate or have emotional or 225

Homecoming: First Contact physical problems on a monthly basis. Men do not become pregnant and miss time from work for childbearing reasons. While it’s true that these problems have been overstated in an attempt to justify discrimination against women, it is also true that many women use these reasons as excuses to avoid work that they do not particularly want to do. When harassed, men usually don’t whine about it, they stand up to it or they do as they are told. Women are just now being allowed to hold positions in the armed forces that will place them in combat roles. This seems ludicrous to me when these self-same women, who will be expected to pilot expensive fighter aircraft, for instance, and perhaps fight against some of the best fighter pilots from a hostile air force flying aircraft that are just as good as ours, can’t stand on their own two feet at a Tailhook party with their fellow pilots. What if one of them is shot down in hostile territory and captured by a sadistic enemy who might beat her, starve her and rape her repeatedly? Jane/3, and maybe even more so 40, are living proof that women can handle combat as well as men, maybe even better in aircraft because they are smaller and weigh less. But they don’t whine about getting their feelings hurt at a party. That kind of whining is absurd if they expect to be treated with the respect due a combat hardened fighter pilot. Respect has to be earned, and it can be lost over practically anything. Jane stepped into the tub behind me. She put her arms around me from behind and hugged my body close to hers. “What are you thinking about?” 226

Alex J. Alex “I was just thinking about some of the differences between our two cultures and how much we have to learn from each other.” I turned around. We embraced. I brushed my lips against hers. “You know that kissing the way you do it is dangerous,” she said. “I know,” I said. “But I wanted to kiss you.” “If we don’t open our mouths and exchange saliva, I guess it’s not as dangerous.” “I don’t think it is. You might even find it pleasurable.” “You may be right. But exchange of any bodily fluids other than during regular coitus can be extremely dangerous. I’m sure that’s why most of your religions and even some governing bodies have had laws against sodomy and other so-called perversions. Anal sex and mouth-to-mouth kissing are the most dangerous practices. Fellatio and cunnilingus aren’t as bad, but should be O.K. only if not performed in a promiscuous manner. “We have found that having multiple partners, being promiscuous, is exciting and keeps sex fresh. But to behave like that and still not spread disease requires that we avoid the more dangerous sexual type of conduct. Since we are going to be somewhat monogamous for the time being, I guess a simple kiss is O.K., but I will always find the practice of sticking your tongue down my throat disgusting.” “O.K.,” I chuckled. “No tongue.” Then I kissed her and embraced her. She kneaded my buttocks and ground her mons against my leg. We squatted down into the slowly rising water. I 227

Homecoming: First Contact leaned her back against the curve of the tub. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back over the end. I kissed her throat. I thought: if she needed to know about kissing, I might as well start teaching her now. I brushed kisses down her throat to her breasts and swirled my tongue around each of her nipples. I licked down around the underside of each breast and back up to each nipple, first the right, then the left, then back to the right. Then I started sucking on each nipple and gently closing my teeth on each one. She moaned and held my head against her chest. The water was rising. I brushed more kisses down her torso, over her tummy to her navel and licked around and into it. I continued on down to her smooth, hairless vulva, which was just beginning to be covered by the water. I used my tongue to spread her labia and find her clitoris. She bucked in orgasm as my warm, moist tongue slid up and down over her feminine ganglia. I licked down further, inserting my tongue into her. She was writhing and moaning, obviously in a state of orgasmic ecstasy. I held my breath as I went under the water to gently bite her buttocks. Then I returned to her clitoris and really went to work. “Oh!” she said. “Oh! Turn around and give me a little bit of you.” We rearranged our bodies to get into the classic ‘sixty-nine’ position with me on the bottom, my erection rising out of the water, and Jane straddling my mouth. I continued to caress her clit with my warm, wet tongue. Her orgasmic juices were all over my face. Occasionally I darted my tongue up into her, 228

Alex J. Alex kneading her buttocks as she writhed against my face. She licked from the base to the top. Then she swirled her tongue around the glans and across the very tip. She pulled it up toward my belly and licked down and up along the tender sensitive underside, down to my testicles. She licked my still clean and hairless testicles, gently sucking them into her mouth one at a time. She licked the inside of each of my thighs, then back to my penis. Then she placed the glans in her mouth and swirled her tongue around it, moving her head from side to side. Finally, she sucked it down her throat. Up and down, up and down, each time a little farther until she managed to get the whole thing in her mouth. “You better stop unless you want me to come right now in your mouth,” I said. She didn’t stop, though. She made a sound like she was humming but I couldn’t understand what she was saying, if anything. The vibration from her larynx was the last straw. I thrust up into her mouth and ejaculated into her throat. She was grinding so hard against my mouth that I thought I would suffocate. The water was getting high enough that I thought I might drown, but we couldn’t stop. I must have thrust at least a dozen times up into her mouth and ejaculated each time deep in her throat. She had no choice but to swallow it all. I hoped she would be all right and not choke on me, but she had asked for it. I was willing to bet that she had never done anything like that before. Eventually, she could tell that I was dry. She pulled her mouth off of my member and stopped grinding 229

Homecoming: First Contact her vulva against my mouth. She rolled over to the side into the water, which was getting pretty deep. She reached up and turned off both the hot and cold knobs. We both collapsed into the warm water. “How about that?” she said. “Is that the way you do it here?” “Believe me,” I said, “I’ve never had anyone do anything quite like that before.” “Well, I’ve never done anything like that before, either.” “How on Earth are you able to do that without gagging?” I asked. “How are you able to breathe?” “Well,” she said, “I wasn’t sure I could do it. You know I learned a lot about you, meaning the people down here, especially in the U.S., by watching movies. Well some of those movies showed some explicit and graphic sex. This is one of the acts I had never tried. You know it is frowned upon in our society. But it looked so exciting. I could tell, of course, that the male participant was thoroughly enjoying himself, but the thought of me making love to your penis like that, watching it grow and throb, feeling its power to please in my hand and mouth and throat, feeling your orgasm approach and climax in ejaculation...it was just so erotic that I determined to try it some time. “But, like you said, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it. So, I practiced. You may remember that we have a vegetable on the ship somewhat like one of your cucumbers, but with a smooth, thick, light brown skin. It tastes sweet when you peel it, but the skin is very strong. Well, I tried sucking on one of 230

Alex J. Alex them to see if I could do it. It took some practice, but I finally was able to coordinate my breathing with the strokes and overcome the urge to retch as it filled my throat. “What I was worried most about was what would happen when you were sucking on my clitoris as well. Would I lose control and choke? Honestly, I almost did, but it had almost as much to do with my having your penis in my mouth as it did with your tongue driving me into an orgasm.” While she was telling me all this, I had picked up the soap and was sliding my hands all over her body. She had turned around and was leaning her back against my chest. I soaped up her breasts and torso, down to her abs and further down to her vulva. I made sure there was no soap on my hand when I looked for her clitoris. “Are you sure you are ready for another round?” she asked. “That’ll be up to you,” I said. “Try your newfound talent out and see if we can produce an erection.” “Mmm,” she said, turning around to face me. “O.K. Stand up and let’s see what happens. Turn on the shower.” I stood up. Then before turning on the shower, I bent over to pull the drain and let out the water. She bit my buttocks and licked my testicles from behind as I bent over. “Mmm,” I moaned. I turned on the water, leaving it cool. Then I stood up and turned around. Jane started by soaping my legs from my ankles under the receding water up my 231

Homecoming: First Contact calves to my thighs. I spread my legs as much as the tub would let me. She soaped up my thighs and reached through my legs to soap up the bottom of my buttocks. Then reaching around behind me, she soaped my buttocks from behind, then up my back as she gradually stood up. Then she soaped my chest and abs, leaving my genitals for last. She soaped herself too and then put her arms around me as I embraced her. We slid ourselves against each other. We kissed. I could feel stirrings of renewal in my shaft. Finally she slid down to her knees. She took my organ in her hand, soaped it up and slid her hand up and down on it. It was starting to grow. “Watch it,” I said. “It’s my penis to play with,” she said, “and I’ll wash it as fast as I want to.” She washed the soap off of it and caressed me under my testicles. She licked the end of it. She reached around behind me and kneaded my buttocks. She rubbed her bald head under my testicles and cock, grinding her head into my thighs. Then, lifting her face up to look at me, she took my cock into her mouth and sucked it hard. She swirled her tongue around the tip of it. It was growing harder right there in her mouth. I couldn’t help it, I started to move into her mouth. Suddenly, she sucked it all the way down her throat. I grabbed her head and thrust. Then she surprised me again. She pulled away and looked up at me. “Ready?” She looked up at me. “You have to ask?” 232

Alex J. Alex “Come on then,” she said. She turned around and got down on all fours, presenting her buttocks and vagina from behind. I kneeled down and spread her buttocks, kneading her cheeks and laying my now erect shaft between them and sliding it over her anus. I had never had anal intercourse with anyone. I was sure she had never tried it before either. From what she had said and from what I knew of the subject, I thought it best to pass on that, but the thought was still erotic. I guided myself to her pussy with my hand, then entering her, I started to pump into her. The cool shower and my cool flesh entering her moist heat made us both groan with ecstasy. I didn’t come right away, but stayed hard. I could tell it would last a while. “This is going to be a good one,” I said. She reached between my legs to caress my testicles. She moaned. “Keep going forever if you can,” she said. “I’m loving every minute of it.” Then she said, “Now, don’t move.” With that, she slapped her buttocks against me and stopped. She caressed my testicles. She pulled slowly away and then reached up with her fingers to gently stroke the bottom of the base of my organ. I could feel her flexing the muscles of her inner walls. She started moving very slowly and gently to stroke my hardon in and out of her just a centimeter at a time. She gradually pulled away a little at a time until only the glans was left inside her and she was moving just a little bit to keep it going. Then, suddenly, she slammed her buttocks against 233

Homecoming: First Contact me and pulled away and slammed again. That did it. I could feel the tide rising in my testicles. I thrust into her, deeper and deeper. As my imminent orgasm passed my prostate and raced through my shaft to explode into her, she continued to slam her hips against me. “Ooo!” she squealed with delight as my cock swelled to its greatest size and I finally ejaculated into her. She shuddered in her own orgasm as we came together. I came so powerfully that I became dizzy. All the blood was rushing from my head into my genitals. I thrust into her, over and over, until there was no more semen to ejaculate. Then I kept going as long as I could because she was still shuddering and arching her back. I stroked her buttocks with one hand and reached under her torso to fondle her breasts with the other one. Finally we slowed and eventually stopped, with me still inside her. My penis was slowly shriveling up, losing its erection. I pulled out of her and we collapsed in the tub with the cool shower still raining down on us. We lay there a while, in each other’s arms with the water spraying in our faces. We kissed. Eventually, we got up and showered. We dried off and, wrapping the towels around us, we left the bathroom and looked out the bedroom door. The house was quiet. There was a note on the bed. Jane & Bill, I’m sure you need some rest, 234

Alex J. Alex so get some sleep. Make yourselves at home. I have to go out for a while, but I’ll be back this afternoon. We’ll have a nice dinner and then you must tell me everything. Gloria I awoke first. It was early afternoon. Jane was curled up in a fetal position facing me with her legs drawn up. The covers were thrown off to the side. She had a serene look about her. I propped myself up on my elbow so I could look at her. I stroked her smooth head with a gentle caress. I kissed her cheek. She smiled. Without opening her eyes, she stretched her muscular arms and legs like a cat. She rolled over on her front and slid over close to me. “Rub my back,” she said. “My tushie, too.” I didn’t say anything, just started to rub her back from her neck down over her buttocks and back up again. Every few strokes or so, I dug my fingers into her buttocks. “Mmmm,” she said, “that’s good.” I got up on my knees so I could do a better job. I rubbed down her legs, kneading her thighs and calves. I paid particular attention to her feet. She spread her legs apart and bounced her buttocks up at me and then back down again. I knew an invitation when I saw one. I reached between her legs and caressed her vulva. I slid my finger between her labia to find her clitoris. With my other hand I continued to rub her back. She started to grind her mons against the bed. She flexed her buttocks and then shuddered 235

Homecoming: First Contact in orgasm. “I’ll give you an hour to stop,” she whispered as she turned her head toward me and licked her lips as she opened her eyes. She turned over. I continued to fondle her clitoris. She reached up and put her hand on my shoulder, drawing me down to her breasts. I licked them both and then sucked on each nipple, swirling my warm tongue around in a circle on each one. She reached out with her hand to fondle my testicles hanging down between my thighs. She reached up through my legs to caress and knead my buttocks. She stroked and tickled my fully erect cock. I licked down between her breasts, down her torso, stopping to swirl around her navel, down over her clean hairless mons to her labia. I slipped in my tongue to lick her clit. She shuddered in orgasm. “Oh!” she moaned, “Oh! Don’t stop.” She pulled my legs over closer to her. I lay down on my side and pulled her over on her side. We each laid our head on the other’s thigh. I kissed, sucked, and licked her vulva and clitoris. She licked my testicles and the base of my shaft. It was starting to throb. She sucked the glans on the very end of it. I rolled over on my back and pulled her over on top of me. She drew up her knees beside my head and ground her vulva against my face. She shuddered continually in orgasm. I spread and kneaded her buttocks. She deep-throated me, sucking it all the way into her mouth and down her throat. She licked around the base of it and down around my testicles. Then she 236

Alex J. Alex licked up and down the shaft, up and down, up and down, ‘til I didn’t think I could take any more. Then, she swirled her tongue around the very tip of it and swallowed it again. She was bucking against my face in a frenzy. We were both beginning to perspire profusely. She could tell my penis was throbbing and about ready to explode. She rolled off of me and got up on her hands and knees, presenting her buttocks and vulva to me. “Put it in,” she said, “quickly, I can’t wait any more.” I got up on my knees behind her and grabbed her buttocks. I kneaded them, then I bent over and bit them gently. I licked her vulva one last time. Her juices were all over my face. I then slid into her. It slipped in easily, she was so wet. She shuddered at once. I thrust in to the hilt, once, twice, three times, and then I stopped with my cock all the way in her. “Oh, don’t stop!” she said. I didn’t say anything, just resumed thrusting into her. As I pumped deeper and deeper each time, my penis became harder and throbbed. I couldn’t hold back anymore. As I exploded into her, my prostate contracted, pumping semen from my testicles out through my penis deep inside her. She shuddered and bucked all over the bed, her buttocks slapping against my thighs and abs as I held onto them. I could see that her breasts were jiggling around wildly as they hung down from her torso. Finally, it was over. We rolled away from each other, still breathing heavily. “Get me a towel, please,” she said. 237

Homecoming: First Contact “O.K.,” I said. I got up and went into the bathroom, returning with a towel. She used it to wipe up our combined juices as they oozed from her vagina. I rinsed off in the shower. As I emerged from the bathroom, she passed me on the way in. “Next,” she said. I was dressed by the time she had showered and dried off. She asked me to help her with her wig as she got dressed. We looked at ourselves in the mirror. “We look like an ordinary American couple,” I said. “I hope we can fool everyone,” she said. We went downstairs. We were alone in the house. “Would you like to watch some TV?” I asked. “Sure,” she said. “Let’s see what’s on the news. Maybe we can learn something about those guys who were trying to kill us.” We sat down and turned on the TV. We were still the news. Lynn Russell of CNN was describing the bombing of the Marriott. The pictures were awful. A number of people, mostly government security forces, had been killed or wounded. A few news reporters were injured, too. It had been a suicide mission, and the driver of the car had died in the explosion. He had been identified as an Iranian national with ties to terrorist groups in Libya, Beirut, and North Korea. Nothing was said about our escape or where we might have gone. It was hinted that we were probably dead, but that no one knew for sure. All they knew was that our rooms were completely destroyed and that our bodies had not been found or identified. There was no speculation about 3’s people in space. 238

Alex J. Alex The rest of the news was the normal stuff usually presented on a slow day: Nice weather. The Yankees and Braves were both in first place again. Cancer will kill you. If you get too much sun, you might get cancer. Fruit and vegetables are good for you. Junk food is bad for you. And too many desserts will make you fat. “You know,” said Jane, “they don’t really know what they’re talking about.” “What do you mean?” “These self-appointed experts on nutrition,” she said. “Have you ever listened to them? They seem to have a different one on TV every night. No one has ever heard of any of them. And each one tells a different story. They contradict each other. You can believe anything you want and quote one of these clowns to prove your point. All you have to do is wait for the one who says what you want to hear to be on the news.” “Aw, come on,” I said. “No, listen to these guys. Take any food, supplement, or additive you want. Someone will tell you it’s great for you—makes you lose weight or something. Then, another one will tell you that it causes cancer. The next thing you know, here comes another expert who says it reduces cholesterol and reduces the chance of a heart attack. “The problem is that they are misusing statistics. The truth is that all of us react differently to everything based on our genetic makeup. Almost everyone is allergic to something and has addictive tendencies to other substances. It is true, however, 239

Homecoming: First Contact that naturally grown foods are usually better for you and more nutritious than those which have synthetic additives mixed in. Natural sugar, in moderation, is much better than any synthetic sweetener you have developed. Olive oil has been around since my time and is one of the best substances you can ingest. The list goes on and on. “Of course, exercise is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy. And sex is more important than anything. “I’ll tell you something else. We have known for a long time that fermented sugars from fruits and grains, especially grapes, can have a beneficial effect on most bodily systems, but we avoid it because the alcohol content has so many deleterious side and after effects. You know we can’t stand to lose control. Plus, alcohol can destroy the liver, pancreas and kidneys. It is also extremely addictive. We know it has good aspects, but it is just too dangerous.” “Well, I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner,” I said, “and I really enjoy an ice cold beer in a frosty mug on a hot day. One small glass of wine or beer won’t affect you. Even a glass of Scotch shouldn’t bother you if you have only one.” “You’re right,” she said. “It’s really good for you if you only have a limited amount each day, and have it with a meal. But it’s so dangerous. The temptation to over-do it is always there, and each drink lowers inhibitions. Then people think they are graceful when they are clumsy, precise when they are sloppy, witty when they are vulgar, bold when they are merely reckless...and they become dangerous to others as 240

Alex J. Alex well as themselves. I’m scared to death of the stuff. I’ve never tried it and I hope I never will.” We fell silent and just watched the TV for a while. They started talking about drill instructors raping female recruits during basic training. “How the hell do they expect those women to fight if they can’t even stand up to those twerps?” said Jane. “Women can be just as mean as anyone, but they have to know how to handle themselves. Whining about harassment and rape won’t help, and protecting them from it will keep them as secondclass soldiers forever. I’d like to see one of those guys try something on me.” “You would probably rape him,” I said. “You’re probably right,” she said. “But if any of them did something I didn’t like, he would only try it once—unsuccessfully. I might bite off his penis and chew it up before spitting it in his face. Or I might crush his testicles so they would never work again. Believe me, I will not be trifled with. I only have sex with those I choose, even when I’m really horny. You’re the lucky one.” Gloria came home while we were talking. “Hi, everybody,” she said. “I hope you’ve made yourselves comfortable.” “Oh, we have,” I said. “You have a lovely home,” said Jane. “Why, thank you,” said Gloria with a sparkle in her eye. She was really proud of her home. She had decorated it herself. “Let me start dinner, and then you must tell me everything.” “O.K.,” I said. “Can we help in any way?” 241

Homecoming: First Contact “No,” she said. “I don’t want you to learn my cooking secrets. I cheat—using mixes and such. Just stay put. I’ll be there in a moment.” We heard her rustling around in the kitchen, rattling pots and pans, running water, etc. We heard her humming a tune to herself. We just sat there watching T.V. and not saying anything. I could tell that Jane was studying—taking every opportunity to learn everything she could about us and our society. Finally, Gloria called to us from the dining room. “Come and get it,” she said. As we entered the dining room, the marvelous smells of a gourmet seafood dinner greeted us. “I hope you like fish,” Gloria said to Jane. “I know Bill likes all these dishes, so I hope you do, too.” She had prepared a real feast, seven courses, but I knew that all of the dishes she had prepared were really pretty simple and easy to make. She was right, most of them were my favorites. I had even taught her how to prepare some of them. First, she had lobster bisque, followed by marinated herring, clams casino, shrimp scampi, sautéed scallops and broiled fillet of sole. Then, for dessert, there was strawberry shortcake with whipped cream. Gloria knew how to serve it all in an attractive way, too, garnished with parsley, melted butter and tartar sauce—French fried parsley with the sole—and served with light white and rose’ wines as appropriate. Jane wouldn’t try any of the wines, but she loved the food. She drank water. Gloria had been thoughtful enough to bring home some bottled water, worrying that water straight from the tap might make Jane sick. She had read ‘The War 242

Alex J. Alex of The Worlds’. Gloria and I finished it all off with a small glass of sherry. Jane kept saying things like: “Oh, this is delicious, what is it?” and “What a delightful flavor.” We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Gloria just loved to entertain and serve marvelous diners like that, and she was so good at it. “I’m so glad you enjoyed it,” she said. “This is wonderful,” said Jane. “I can’t wait ‘til we can all come down here and join you. They’re going to love it.” “I hope so,” said Gloria. Then, after a pause, she said, “Now it’s your turn. You have to tell me everything.” “Well,” Jane said, “some of it is what you would call X-rated. Are you sure you want to know everything?” “Of course,” said Gloria. “You will all be living among us shortly anyway. I had better get used to it. Besides, I’m not as much of a prude as Bill thinks I am. And I’m not as innocent as he believes, either. It might embarrass him more to sit and hear you tell me the story than it could ever embarrass me. I take it this tale is not for mixed company.” “Where I come from, it wouldn’t make any difference, but, down here, I suppose parts of it aren’t,” said Jane, “at least not in your society. I sure hope you people can get rid of all your sexual hangups soon. We find your attitude appalling and unnatural.” She rose from the table, picking up her dishes. As she headed toward the kitchen, she said, “Come on. I’ll tell you while I help you clean up. Bill, 243

Homecoming: First Contact why don’t you get lost for a while?” It was a statement, not a question. “O.K.,” I said. “I think I’ll go out for a while and leave you two alone.” I hadn’t had a moment to myself in familiar surroundings for a long time. I went out and got in the car. It was just starting to get dark. I stopped and bought a Coke from a machine and headed for one of my favorite places in the whole world. I headed for Eagle Rock. I parked at the foot of the hill and got out of the car. I walked up the windy road to the top. I walked out to the wall and leaned on it. There was no one else there. The view of New York City, twinkling to life in the night sky always thrilled me. The Moon was bright and almost full. It was one of those clear nights when all the stars seemed extra bright. Right then, the only sight I could think of that I loved more was the sunrise from here on Easter Sunday. I had been disappointed to hear that some developer was preparing to build a restaurant and hotel where I was standing. I just leaned there gazing out at the city for a while, reflecting on what had happened in the past few years. It had been quite extraordinary. I had been a happily married man with a lovely, intelligent wife and an exciting job as an airline pilot. I loved to fly and I loved to travel, but even more, I loved to return home to my wife. We had a small circle of friends. Then she was killed in a horrible automobile accident. I was devastated. I didn’t exactly withdraw, but I didn’t go out as often as I had when she was alive. I 244

Alex J. Alex didn’t really date anyone, but I did occasionally go out to dinner or the theater with Gloria or one of our other friends. Then the opportunity to become an astronaut arose. I had been a military aviator and was still a professional pilot. And I was a long-term member of the Civilian Aviation Patrol. I flew Search and Rescue missions and sometimes I flew Law Enforcement personnel on missions. Although I could never figure out how they did it, they could identify marijuana just by looking out the window of a little Cessna at one thousand feet AGL. Sometimes they would point it out to me, but I could never see it. The Customs guys were pretty good at it, too. Sometimes, however, I didn’t even know what they were looking for. Customs folks are pretty tight lipped about some of the stuff they are looking for. Oh well, all I was supposed to do was fly the platform for them, not look for anything. Then we sometimes flew the low level training routes for the military. We would fly the routes along the centerline and five miles on each side looking for new obstacles to flight like antennas or high buildings. We would map the routes every six months, going low and slow (~80 knots or less), so the jet jockeys could zip along at just under Mach I and not slam into anything. I could never figure out why folks were not required to let someone know if they intended to erect a five hundred foot tower on top of a mountain. We would always find something that would pose a hazard to flight if we hadn’t flown the route. 245

Homecoming: First Contact I know the military pilots, especially the reserve and National Guard pilots, appreciated what we did. I always felt that the Civilian Aviation Patrol was about the best bargain the government could get. We were all volunteers. We even paid dues. We bought our own uniforms, spent our own money and much of our free time trying to save lives and make the airways safer for everyone. But Congress was always trying to cut our budget. Our whole fleet of beat-up old Cessna 172s was worth less than one front line military aircraft of any kind. Our personnel devoted thousands of hours of training, flight time and experience every year to a government that begrudged us a few new airplanes. Anyway, I had the opportunity to represent this fine organization as an astronaut on a space shuttle mission. I was surprised and delighted when I was selected. I threw myself into the training, got back into what I thought was pretty good shape, and learned as much about the shuttle systems as I could. I also became a part of the team at NASA. Then we met up with Jane’s crowd in space. My whole life changed again. I was absorbed by their culture. My whole attitude about sex, the universe, religion, morals...virtually everything I had ever learned was turned on its ear. I sometimes felt like I could write a real Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. But it was a great experience, and entirely enjoyable. I never would have believed that I would consider hair a nuisance, or that wearing clothes would seem awkward, or that having several different lovers would seem natural, or that the most 246

Alex J. Alex gorgeous creature I had ever known would have no legs and not be comfortable except in zero gravity. But it was great to be back on Earth. A car was approaching. It was a police car. It stopped and the officer got out. He strolled over to me. “Good evening, sir,” he said. I recognized the voice and then the person. “Woody?” I asked. “Is that you?” “Yeah,” he said. “Do I know you?” He squinted through the dark at me. “Bill,” I said, sticking out my hand in friendship. “Bill Thomas.” “Well, I’ll be darned,” he said. “It is you, isn’t it? You’re in a lot better shape than the last time I saw you.” “Yeah,” I chuckled. “I’ve been working out.” “So I heard,” said Woody. “I heard that all those people in space work out all the time so they won’t collapse when they encounter gravity again.” “That’s right,” I said. “I also heard that they never wear any clothes,” he said, “and that they have a sort of free love society— kind of like the sixties.” “Well,” I said, “that’s not too far from the mark. They think we have all kinds of screwy moral hangups. They think the way we look at sex is unnatural and hypocritical. I’ve lived with them and they have a point.” Woody was an old friend who I had known since high school. His father and his uncle had both been police officers before him. We chatted and I told him a 247

Homecoming: First Contact little about Jane, and about our escapades and escape from the terrorists. He let me know that no one really knew where we were. I told him we were at Gloria’s. “That’s out of the way,” he said. “But I wouldn’t stay there long. These guys that are after you are smart, and quite nasty.” “I know,” I said. “The last thing I want is to endanger Gloria or anyone else. Jane and I can pretty much take care of ourselves.” We chatted for a while, then he had to answer a call that came over his radio. “I’ve got to go,” he said. “O.K. Take care.” “You too. Bye.” I was alone again. Suddenly, I had a craving for mussels in hot sauce from Nick’s Pizzeria. I wasn’t really hungry after eating all that food for dinner, but mussels, hot sauce, Italian bread and ice cold beer has always been irresistible to me, and I thought Jane would love it for a late night snack. I walked down the hill, got in the car, and headed for Nick’s. When I got there, the place was empty except for Nick. He knew what I wanted before I said a word. “A large order of mussels and a six-pack of longneck Rocks,” he said, “Right?” “That’s it. I love that Rolling Rock beer,” I said. “Make sure the beer’s cold and the mussels are hot. Better give me some non-alcoholic stuff too—how about some of that Busch over there?” “You’ve got it,” said Nick. He got the beer and placed it on the counter in a bag. Then he ladled a 248

Alex J. Alex huge order of mussels and hot sauce into a container and put a top on it. He put a loaf of fresh-baked bread in another bag and said, “There you go.” I paid for the food and picked up the packages. “Bye,” I said as I left. Nick knew me, but I suddenly realized that he probably didn’t know I had been in space or even in the news. I doubt if he ever paid any attention to any news other than the sports. It was a good feeling to just be myself and not have to answer any questions. I got in the car and drove back to Gloria’s place. It was dark and she had left on a light at the side door. It was unlocked. I entered. “Gloria,” I called. “Jane.” “In here,” they answered in unison from the living room. “You shouldn’t leave the door open like that,” I said. “You don’t know who might try to break in, not to mention who might be after us.” “Aw, come on,” said Gloria, “nothing ever happens around here. Besides, nobody knows where you are. You could be dead for all the news media knows.” “Well, I don’t like you leaving your door unlocked like that,” I said. “I care too much about you to let anything happen to you.” “What do you have in the bag?” asked Jane. “It smells delicious, but I don’t know if I can eat much after that dinner Gloria served us.” “He’s got mussels from Nick’s Pizzeria,” said Gloria. “He always does this. We’ll all be too full to eat another bite, and then he goes to Nick’s. It’s the 249

Homecoming: First Contact best pizzeria in North Jersey, and it’s been there practically since they invented pizza. But the mussels are indeed special. Nick makes a special hot sauce that takes courage to try and craziness to finish, but it’s great if you can stand the heat.” “It’ll make you sweat,” I said. “Did you get any beer to go with it?” asked Gloria. “I sure did,” I said. “And I got some non-alcoholic beer for you,” I said to Jane. “They go together, but I know you’re afraid to try any alcoholic beverages, and I wouldn’t try to sneak one in on you.” “I appreciate that,” said Jane. “If you ever tried it, I’d probably kick your favorite equipment into next week.” “Thanks for the warning. I’m sure she means it, too,” I said to Gloria. We went into the kitchen and sat down at the kitchen table. Gloria got some plates and glasses. We divided up the mussels and bread. I opened and poured the beer. I showed Jane how to scoop up some sauce and slurp the mussels out of the shell and into her mouth without getting too much outside her lips so it wouldn’t burn her face. “Ooh!” said Jane as she tried the food. “This is hot.” She picked up her beer and drank some. “Blah! This is awful. Do you really like this stuff?” Gloria went and got her a glass of water. “This should be O.K.,” she said. Jane drank a few gulps. “Much better,” she said. “The food is...interesting.” Gloria and I looked at each other. Gloria started to giggle. 250

Alex J. Alex “It’s not funny,” said Jane. She tried some more. “It’s actually quite good, but it needn’t be that hot.” “Well,” I said, “some of us like it that way.” “And,” said Gloria, “some of us like to wash it down with beer. It is an acquired taste, however.” “We probably shouldn’t have given her this. You’re not ready for it, I guess.” “Well,” said Jane, “you know we have some pretty hot dishes, too.” “That’s true,” I said. “But you seemed unprepared for this.” “You’re right, I suppose,” said Jane. “You warned me, but I didn’t expect it. And then you gave me that awful stuff to drink.” Gloria and I couldn’t help chuckling, a little. But I guess to someone who has never tasted it, beer might not taste very good, especially if she is trying to cool off an over-spiced mouthful of hot mussels. Jane seemed to be enjoying the mussels now that she knew what to expect, and since she had a big glass of water to go with it. We finished off everything, soaking up all the sauce with the bread. Gloria put the rest of the beer in the refrigerator. We sat back, too full to move. “I think we all ate too much,” said Gloria. “You’re right, of course,” said Jane. “But it was worth it,” I said, “wasn’t it?” “I guess so,” said Jane. We sat there in silence for a minute. Then Gloria said, “Jane told me all about you.” “And,” said Jane, “Gloria told me all about you.” “Oh, brother,” I said. “I’ll bet neither one of you 251

Homecoming: First Contact believed the other one.” “Oh, yes, we did,” said Jane. “You were quite shy when I first met you. It took a little prodding to get you out of your shell, but there’s no more powerful enticement than sex, and we spread it on pretty thick for someone like you, coming from a culture like this.” “You may not believe it,” said Gloria, “but I remember you as a pretty wild guy when you were younger.” “She told me some things about you that surprised me, given the society you live in,” said Jane. “And she told me how well you adapted to her culture,” said Gloria. “I’m not quite ready to strip down and shave my body, but there is an intriguing side to Jane’s culture. I think she needs to see more of our society, though. She needs to see some of the good things about our culture, our country and our world. I thought we might take her to church. Tomorrow is Sunday, you know.” “Hey,” I said, “that’s a great idea. The Congo church?” “Of course,” said Gloria. Jane looked at us quizzically. “Congo? as in Africa?” Gloria and I just chuckled. “Congregational,” said Gloria, “Congo for short. It has nothing to do with the Congo as in Africa but, you know, it is just about the oldest integrated religious body in the world. It started with the Puritans, long ago in the beginning of society in this hemisphere. They wanted to get away from the intolerant English and other Europeans. 252

Alex J. Alex About forty years ago they joined with several other groups to form the United Church of Christ and invited everyone into the fold, especially Black churches. But the church we attend hasn’t changed much over the years. “You said you had studied our religions. Now you will be able to encounter Christianity, firsthand.” “I think you’ll enjoy the experience,” I said. “You may be surprised by what you feel.” “O.K.,” said Jane. “I’m game. In fact, I’m kind of looking forward to it. This is something we never developed on a scale anything like here, so I’ve been intrigued all along and wondered if we could do this.” It was getting late, so we said our goodnights and headed for bed. Jane said she wanted to talk to Gloria for a minute, so I used the bathroom alone, brushing my teeth and so forth. I got out of my clothes and got into bed. Jane entered the room and went into the bathroom a few minutes later. She spent a longer time than usual, but I really didn’t notice it at the time. I was almost falling asleep. Finally, she emerged. I was floored. She was still wearing her hair, she had put on lipstick and a tasteful amount of makeup, and she was wearing a sexy nightie. “What do you think? Will I pass for a native?” She did a little pirouette. “Golly!” I gave her my best Gomer Pyle impression. “Where did you get that?” It sure didn’t look like anything Gloria would wear. It was a short, white, silky, slinky thing with suggestive lace in 253

Homecoming: First Contact interesting places, pinned together in the front and barely covering her marvelous body down just to the top of her thighs. Underneath it, she had on lace panties. And she was wearing matching stiletto spike heels. The contrast of her warm tanned body beneath the cool white was irresistible. She licked her upper lip. “Gloria isn’t as much of a prude as you think,” said Jane. “But this isn’t hers. One of her friends, Anne, I think she said, is a model?” I nodded. She continued, “She got it from a company she once worked for as a model. Sleazy Sleepwear, or Naughty Nighties or something like that. Do you like it?” “I think you look marvelous in it,” I said. “I never thought I would see you in clothing that could make you appear more sexy than you already are without clothes.” “I never thought I could find a reason to wear clothes, either. But this outfit makes me feel sexy. It’s kind of pretty, too, isn’t it?” “It sure is,” I said. “The pitiful thing about it is, I’ll bet you can’t wait to get me out of it, can you?” “You can say that again,” I said. She stood at the foot of the bed. “Come here,” she said. I threw off the covers and swung my feet to the floor. I stood up, my erection sticking out in front of me. I approached her at the foot of the bed and put my arms around her. She embraced me. She looked up into my eyes as our bodies warmed each other. 254

Alex J. Alex “Kiss me,” she said. “You are full of surprises tonight,” I said. I kissed her on the lips. Then I kissed her eyes and licked her left ear. I kissed her neck, resisting the temptation to give her a hickey. Then I returned to her lips and gave her a passionate openmouthed kiss. She responded in kind. “Undress me,” she said. “Do it slowly. Enjoy it.” I didn’t say anything, but I started to comply. I started by unpinning the front of her gown. I caressed her breasts. I slid the gown off her shoulders and exposed her breasts. I leaned over and licked them, one at a time. Then I sucked on each nipple and swirled my tongue around each areola. She moaned. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. I kissed her throat. I slid the gown off of her arms and dropped it on the floor. Then I knelt down in front of her. I kissed her tummy and licked around her navel. I reached around behind her and kneaded her buttocks. I pulled the panties down over the flair of her hips. I took the front of the panties between my teeth and pulled them down below her crotch. I licked her mons, pulling the panties down to her feet. She lifted her right foot. I pulled the panties off, over her shoes. We repeated the process on her other foot. I was on my knees in front of her. I put my arms around her, caressing and kneading her buttocks. I placed my face in her crotch and slid my tongue into her vulva, licking her clit, then in further to her opening. She moved her legs apart. She put her hands on my head, holding me against her 255

Homecoming: First Contact and humping against my face. Suddenly she jerked in orgasm. She grabbed my ears and pulled me up. I looked up at her. She looked down at me. “My turn,” she said in a husky whisper. I stood up. We embraced and I kissed her again. Then she started kissing and licking my chest. She worked her way downward, rubbing and caressing my body on the way. She eventually reached her knees. She reached around behind me and kneaded my buttocks. She licked the end of my cock. Still kneading my buttocks with one hand, she placed her other hand between my thighs to push them apart. I spread my legs for her. With her free hand, she held my organ up and licked underneath it, around and under my testicles, up each side and the top of each thigh. Then she took the end in her mouth and sucked on it, swirling her tongue around it. All the time she continued fondling my buttocks. Finally, she deep-throated me. I almost climaxed. She could tell, and stopped moving her tongue just in time. She pulled away from me. “Let’s get in bed.” I lay down on my back. She reached under the bed and produced a towel. She stood up on the bed. She stood right over my head, with her feet, bare of shoes, on each side of my face. I looked up at the erotic sight of her marvelous body from underneath. She squatted down, placing her knees on each side of my face and squeezing my head between her thighs. She rubbed her mons against my head. She leaned over and kissed my chest, dangling her breasts tantalizingly close to my lips, but just out of reach. Then she moved just enough to drop them into range of my 256

Alex J. Alex tongue. I licked and sucked each one. Then she moved down into the classic sixty-nine position, placing her vulva directly above my tongue and taking me into her mouth. I reached around her thighs to grab and knead her buttocks as I sucked her labia into my mouth while licking her clitoris with my tongue. She began to slam against my face in orgasm. Her flared buttocks butted against me as she jerked involuntarily. She sucked it all the way down her throat. “You better quit that,” I said, “unless you want a mouthful.” She already had a mouthful. She moaned. The vibration almost made me climax, but she pulled away. She sat up on my face. I could still taste her juices. My nose was between her buttocks. She was grinding against my face. I could just barely see past the bottom of her buttocks and up her back. But I couldn’t breath. Fortunately, she realized it and rose up on her knees, turning around. She sat on my face the other way, so I could lick up into her, watching her breasts sway as her body contracted in orgasm after orgasm. Finally she asked, “Ready?” “Mmmff,” was all I could say. She slid her vulva down off of my face, down my chest and hovered over my crotch. Then she moved down further and took me in her mouth once more. “Mmmm,” she said. Then she sat up and moved back up to hover over my crotch. She impaled herself on me. That’s the only way to describe what she did. She violently slammed 257

Homecoming: First Contact her pussy down over my erection. She jerked her body up and down in frantic strokes, punctuated with orgasms in rapid succession. It didn’t take much of that to bring me to climax. I pumped my semen into her on stroke after stroke, slamming up as she slammed down. Finally she slowed and came to rest with me still inside her. She collapsed onto my chest. She kissed my throat, chest and chin. “Kiss me again,” she said in a hoarse whisper. I complied with a gentle loving kiss. I realized that we were acting more and more like normal Earth people. I also realized that I might really be falling in love with her. It was more than rough lust, although that was surely there, but it was that gentle feeling for another human being that most of us recognize as love. I wondered how she felt. I was afraid to ask. We fell asleep in each other’s arms. When I awoke, the sun was shining through the window. Jane was already up. There was a robe on the foot of the bed. I got up, put on the robe, went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and shaved, even though I still really didn’t have a beard. Gloria had been thoughtful enough to supply us with toiletries. I thought about a quick shower, but my curiosity got the better of me and I descended to the kitchen to see what was going on. I smelled coffee first, then toast. As I entered the kitchen, I saw Jane and Gloria preparing breakfast. They were both wearing robes too, and slippers. “Hey, sleepyhead,” said Jane as she noticed me. “Want some coffee?” asked Gloria. “Yes, please,” I said. 258

Alex J. Alex “We’ve got pancakes, eggs, link sausage, home fries, and English muffins with butter and grape jelly,” said Gloria. “And I have squeezed enough of these oranges to make a whole pitcher of juice,” said Jane. “It tastes delicious.” “Wow!” I said. “Who do you expect to eat all of this stuff?” “Why, you, of course,” said Jane. “We’ll help,” said Gloria. We sat down at the kitchen table. “Here,” said Gloria, “try some of this maple syrup. I brought it back from Vermont last winter. And that’s real butter. You know I never did like margarine. Jane tells me that natural foods are better for you anyway, and that I should just exercise more to burn up all the calories I eat. My diet is too rich, but she says it’s all good for me, just that I have to burn more of it off.” “Well,” I said, “she knows what she’s talking about. You know what I looked like before I joined NASA and went to Huntsville. All that training I got to prepare me to be an astronaut still left me flabby by her standards.” “If we don’t get some vigorous exercise pretty soon,” said Jane, “we’ll both be flabby.” “Be careful what you wish for,” I said. “We’ll probably be running from some maniac soon enough.” There was a pause in the conversation. Then I looked at Gloria and asked, “How much did Jane tell you?” 259

Homecoming: First Contact The two of them looked at each other. They began to giggle. Then they both said, “Everything.” “Did you expect me to be shocked?” asked Gloria. “Actually, the TV News pretty much prepared me for what Jane actually told me. They weren’t too inaccurate, although they couldn’t help embellishing the truth as they perceived it. And of course there has been a flood of instant ‘Expert Commentators’ who appear to know more than the government has been telling us. These pseudo-professors look down their collective noses at us each night on the evening news and share their knowledge/speculation with the masses. From what she tells me, they could never invent anything as interesting or bizarre as the truth and if they did, it wouldn’t be on the evening news.” “Where do they get their information from?” I asked. “Doesn’t anyone question their qualifications to comment?” “I can tell you this,” said Jane, “you’re the only one we’ve really confided in. To a very limited extent, there have been some others here on Earth included in the official communications, but no one in the fleet has given any information to anyone outside the government of the United States plus a few other governments who sent representatives here.” “There are always leaks, my dear,” said Gloria. “In a society like ours, there will always be someone who will sell information for profit, self-aggrandizement, political advantage, or just downright meanness.” “It’s true,” I said. “Unfortunately, some of us are easily corrupted—more often by ideas and ideals than by honest greed. At least greed is predictable.” 260

Alex J. Alex “I know what you mean,” said Jane. “We’re not perfect, especially the civilians on the home world weren’t. But they were terribly undisciplined. The military always attracted people to whom loyalty, honor, bravery, and self-sacrifice meant something, even before the war. It intensified during the war out of necessity. But it has slackened off since our victory, especially among the enlisted. You ran into some of them just before we left the ship, didn’t you?” “Er, yes.” I was a little embarrassed about that encounter. “Don’t worry,” said Gloria, “she told me about that, too. It’ll take more than that to shock me. It’ll take some getting used to, but I think I can live with it. I might even consider nudity now that it’s been explained to me, but not until my figure is in better shape. Right now, I would probably scare everyone away. Exercise will be good for my health anyway.” “You don’t look half as bad as you think you do,” said Jane. “Living in gravity all the time, your body takes a beating, and you can’t do too much about it. Civilians on our home world were never as conscious about their appearance as the military personnel either. You would have fit right in with quite a few friends I used to know on the surface. “Well, I don’t know about that,” said Gloria. “I still think the rest of the world is not quite ready for a naked Gloria.” She got up from the table and started clearing the dishes. “Why don’t you two get dressed? Jane and I selected some clothes yesterday and they are hanging in the closet.” We went upstairs. 261

Homecoming: First Contact Jane was bouncy. She swirled around. She put her arms around me and smiled up into my eyes. “Isn’t Gloria just delightful?” she said. “I think I’m going to like this world.” “Just remember the bad guys, too,” I said. “They’re still out there looking for us. They will try to kill us if they find us.” “I like a little excitement, too,” she said. “Well I don’t think I like that part,” I said. “We’re supposed to be civilized.” “Don’t hold your breath,” said Jane. “We’re a vicious race, and it’s a good thing, too. If we weren’t, you wouldn’t be here talking to me. We would have lost and the Invaders would have destroyed everything they could have before colonizing this system. Mankind would no longer exist. They wouldn’t even have bothered to enslave us. “Face it, we’re very fragile creatures, very easily damaged. A well-placed bullet, the size of a pea, can stop, severely wound, or even kill any one of us. Fortunately, the enemy is just as easy to kill, but they are just as vicious as we are.” “Listen,” she said, “we’re going to Church in a little while, right?” “That’s right,” I said. “Do you suppose they will read anything from your Old Testament?” she asked. “Probably,” I said, “they usually do. But as Christians, we usually rely more on the New Testament, the Gospel, for our guidance.” “You’re probably right,” she said. “However, the point I was going to make is that the Bible, especially 262

Alex J. Alex the Old Testament, is just full of violence. Your most holy book of scripture is a bloody, violent, testimony. It describes a mean spirited, vindictive God who will end everything by a violent series of events called the apocalypse and then condemn virtually everyone’s soul who has ever lived to eternal damnation in a horrible place called Hell, ruled by His greatest creation, Satan, who rebelled against God and gave Man the gift of wisdom.” “You are then asked to love Him. And in return for this love/fear combination, a minuscule group of souls will be allowed to join Him in eternal bliss,” she said. “Does that sound rational?” “I don’t know how to explain it to you,” I said. “It’s not all like that. We’re good people, and we follow the teachings of Christ, the Prince of Love, not hate. We preach love of our fellow man, and we try to practice what we preach.” “In the last two thousand years, more blood has been spilled in the name of your Christ, than for any other reason,” she said. “Of course, it’s usually only an excuse for men to kill each other. We really love to do that, you know, and we’re really very good at it.” “Well, listen to the message, today,” I said. “Perhaps you’ll gain a greater insight into our beliefs if you listen with an open mind.” “O.K.,” she said. “But I’ll bet there aren’t any blacks in your church today.” Goodness! What else would she come up with? I was afraid she was going to be right. Our church was part of one of the oldest denominations. It was one of the first to break away and flee Europe to the New 263

Homecoming: First Contact World. We had always welcomed blacks, and had always tried to integrate our congregations, but the church that both Gloria and I belonged to was essentially lily-white. We hadn’t planned it that way, but that’s the way it was, and I had felt ashamed about it more than once. We always welcomed any black people or families who visited a service, but it was a rare occurrence, and even rarer for any of them to ask about joining the church. I just hoped that the message of goodness could get through to Jane. Her arguments were so logical, I couldn’t argue with her, but I knew there had to be something wrong with her reasoning. I hoped an experienced minister could do better than I could. We got dressed. The suit I wore didn’t fit quite right, but it didn’t look too bad. Jane, on the other hand, looked stunning in a knee length, sleeveless black dress that she wore over a white, long sleeve blouse that covered her muscular arms. She was wearing black hose and two-inch heels. Gloria helped her put on her wig and just enough makeup to look normal. Gloria also looked great in a knit business suit. She drove. She had a Lincoln town car that seemed to be as long as a city block after the little cars we had been driving. We got there early and sat on the right. Jane studied the handout. The organ started playing a prelude. As the sanctuary filled up, a few friends nodded a hello, but nobody came over to make a point of speaking to either Gloria or myself. We were both known as members, but I hadn’t been there for quite a 264

Alex J. Alex while, and we both sort of kept our heads down. We didn’t want anyone to make a fuss. The service began with the choir entering from the back, singing, “Holy Holy Holy, Lord God Almighty...” one of my all-time favorites. Jane and I shared a hymnal. She sang softly. She hooked her arm in mine. I glanced at her and she smiled up at me with a sparkle in her eye. She seemed to be enjoying herself. As we went through the service, Jane listened intently. The service included the Gloria Patri, several Prayers, The Lord’s Prayer, the Doxology, another Hymn, the offering, the scripture readings and the Nicene Creed. Then, just before the Minister began the sermon, we partook of the sacrament of communion. Through it all, she paid close attention. Then the sermon began. The minister, who was new since I had been away for so long, began to speak about his recent experience with a community group called ‘Habitat for Humanity’. He had joined with other volunteers to build a new home for a family of working people who could not afford to buy a home of their own. His co-workers on the project were mostly people who would rather hire people to work on their own homes than work on them themselves, mostly executives and professional people. “Why is it,” he asked, “that these people went out of their way to work on a hot afternoon doing things for a virtual stranger that they would never do for themselves?” The way he described it, the point was more the 265

Homecoming: First Contact doing than what they actually did. The result was more than just another family with a home to live in, it was also people giving of themselves, rather than just shelling out some money, to help another individual. “Was it a black family? A white family? Some other ethnic group? It makes no difference. I’m not going to tell you. It was another human being.” “Did we feel good about what we had done? You bet we did. Were we happy for the family who moved in to the house? You bet we were. Will we do it again? You bet we will. Do I see God’s hand at work in this work? Absolutely!” He was a marvelous speaker, this new minister. He wove his words around us and enthralled us. Jane’s eyes were glistening. The reason for his ability to do this was his obvious genuine sincerity, and enthusiasm. He was a tall man about ten years older than me, with gray hair, glasses, a ruddy complexion and a distinguished air about him. “You can do this kind of work, too. Not just with Habitat for Humanity, but everyday in everything you do and say that involves another human being. The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Who is your neighbor? All humanity is your neighbor. And your neighbor needs your love, your compassion, your help in living, and you need to give this selflessly, without any recompense in mind. If you do something for another person, anonymously, it’s even better. “The good feeling you get after you help someone else is God’s reward to you. Nothing else is necessary. 266

Alex J. Alex “Let us pray. Holy Father, Bless us in our hearts, not for our works. Guide us and keep our motives pure. Amen” It took a moment for the spell to be broken. Jane was fascinated. Then the rustling of hymnals and the movement of people standing to sing got our attention. After the benediction, we left quickly. They always had a coffee hour for fellowship after the service, but we felt it would be better to not advertise our presence. Jane was unusually quiet on the way home. Gloria and I didn’t intrude on her thoughts. When we got to Gloria’s house, Jane went upstairs to go to the bathroom. “Gloria,” I said, “we need to get out of here. We’re putting you in jeopardy. There are some very dangerous people looking for us and they may show up at any time. Hopefully, if we’re not here they will leave you alone.” “You know you’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” said Gloria. “I know,” I said. “But we may have already stayed too long. These guys have pretty extensive intelligence networks. Believe me, if we stay anywhere very long, they will track us down.” “Where will you go from here?” asked Gloria. “I think we have to get back to our job,” I said. “We are supposed to be ambassadors and a liaison between our two societies. I think we should go to the U.N. in New York.” “You can get there, of course,” said Gloria, “but 267

Homecoming: First Contact how will they know who you are?” “I’m not sure,” I said. “We might just visit and see what’s going on. Perhaps there will be someone from the government there looking for us, or maybe some of Jane’s folks will be there.” “Now that’s a thought,” said Gloria. “But the bad guys might have the same idea, you know. I wonder what the news is saying about you now. Why don’t you turn on the TV?” I went into the living room and turned on the TV. It was already tuned to Headline News. There on the screen was 7. He was at the White House, standing next to the President. They were smiling like good politicians and shaking hands. 7 had on a light blue skin-tight body suit. He also had on all the traditional trappings of the space-born military: cape, boots, and dagger, but no pistol. With him were several guards dressed out in the same manner. They were armed to the teeth. “The President and Mr. 7 are headed to New York to address the U.N. There is no information on Bill Thomas and the woman from space with whom he escaped from the Washington Marriott, but they are expected to be getting in contact with the government and joining the President at the U.N. Every news broadcast will include this information in hopes that they will see it and comply. Apparently, no one really knows where they are, not even the government. But, if you hear this message, Mr. Thomas, just contact the local police wherever you are. They will know who to contact to get you back in touch with the government.” 268

Alex J. Alex “Are you going to do that?” asked Gloria. “I don’t think so,” I said. “I think we’ll just stroll into the U.N. and see what happens.” “Don’t you trust our local police department?” asked Gloria with a silly grin on her face. “Woody probably hasn’t had to fire his revolver in ten years,” I said. “He probably hasn’t even had a call to draw it out of the holster. And he’s probably the best man on the force. He couldn’t protect us and we would just be putting his life in danger. I’m not willing to do that.” “You did it to me,” said Gloria, but she was smiling again. She knew we hadn’t really put her in danger. “I think we’ll just take the train into Hoboken, take the tubes into the city, and take a cab to the U.N.,” I said. “The trains don’t run on Sunday,” said Gloria. “Maybe you should just drive in.” “You know nobody in his right mind drives into the City,” I said. “Except for cabs, all the license plates you see in New York are from out of state. And there’s never a place to park.” But she was right. We had a rental car and we could just drive in. I had driven in New York since the first day I got my driver’s license, but I just hated the traffic. Driving in New York is a competitive sport. There is only one rule: If you get there first, you have the right of way. “You’re right, of course,” I said. “About what?” asked Jane as she came down the stairs. 269

Homecoming: First Contact “We’re to meet 7 and the President at the United Nations building in New York.” “How’d you find that out?” asked Jane. “Was it on the television?” “Yeah, look.” They were showing 7 and the President again. “They’re wearing cold weather gear,” said Jane. “It’s virtually indestructible. It will stop a projectile, but you can still be bruised badly underneath it or even suffer broken bones if you take a bullet hit. It won’t burn and it’s resistant to acid and other chemical weapons. But it is very lightweight, easy to get out of, and will let your skin breathe. Perspiration escapes and high body temperature is not a problem, but it will keep you warm in extremely cold temperatures. And it even works under water, sort of as a wet suit, only more permeable. It can even be used outside the ship in empty space.” “It sounds like the transparent skin you were wearing when we left your ship,” I said. “It is, only much more versatile. I wish I had mine now. I guess they figured it was too early to show up naked in public.” “And remember, the bad guys that were after us may try to get to them.” “They’ll never get to 7. That security force is a squad of marines. I recognize some of them. They’re pretty tough boys. They will be spread out and well armed. If anyone tries anything, they’ll find out how we beat the Invaders.” “Oh, great,” I said. “That’s just what we need—a fire-fight in the U.N.” 270

Alex J. Alex “If it happens, it will be quick and clean. Those guys are great shots, and they are prepared for anything. We don’t know if any of the Invaders are still around here or not. We always worried that we might have missed some of them and they could still be living here amongst you. That’s why we insisted that all of you disrobe when we first made contact. Any invaders we find must be exterminated. We have tried to just confine them as prisoners, but they always seem to manage to communicate with those at large. And there have been escapes. It may seem callous, but we are talking about the survival of the human race. They are an implacable enemy, dedicated to our elimination.” “Well, I still hope there is no bloodshed on the floor of the U.N. For all its faults, that is the only worldwide organization we have. NATO is stronger and better organized, especially from a military point of view, but it doesn’t include enough nations or represent enough people.” “Well, let’s get going,” said Jane. “I wouldn’t want to be late for a meeting like this. By the way, 7 won’t be doing the talking. He’s only the first contact person. Our ship was the first one in place and he is the commander, so he was instructed to take charge. The commander of the entire advanced party, who is over 7 and all the other commanders in this fleet will be making the address. I’ve known that this would happen, sooner or later, all along. I just didn’t know when. Frankly, I thought you and I would have more time to see the world and to be accepted. “It might be that they are worried about us,” she 271

Homecoming: First Contact said. “Things haven’t gone the way they were supposed to go. But I don’t think that’s it. 7 wouldn’t worry too much about us, he knows we can take care of ourselves and each other. I think something more serious has happened. There must have been some Invader contact.” “Oh, boy,” I said. “You mean we may have to fight a war against them all over again?” “I hope not,” she said. “You are not prepared for that. We are, but we don’t have that extensive a force here, yet. I hope there are not many of them, if that’s what’s happened, and I hope they are not well equipped. If they are, we’re in for it.” “Well,” I said, “should we get going?” “I guess,” said Jane. She came over close to me and put her arm around me. She tilted her head back to whisper, “But the prospect of danger always makes me horny. Are you feeling up to it?” I hadn’t been thinking along those lines, but when she mentioned it, she also reached down and fondled my gonads. Gloria noticed, but looked away unobtrusively. “Should we ask Gloria to join us?” asked Jane. She looked up at me with a quizzical expression on her face. I was shocked. Then before I could answer, she asked Gloria, “Listen, Gloria, I need sex. I know all of you have all sorts of hang-ups about it, even Bill here, after living with us all this time has reverted to a bit of a prude down here, but I need it before we go into a dangerous situation. And I want you to be a part of it with us. Will you do it?” As usual, there was nothing subtle about Jane. She 272

Alex J. Alex just came out and said what she was thinking and let us know what she wanted. “Well,” said Gloria, her face turning red in an embarrassed blush, “I don’t know.” She paused as we all looked at each other for a minute. “I’m not sure I’m ready for something like that yet.” “Oh, come on,” said Jane. “I remember what you were saying when we were alone together.” “That was supposed to be between us girls,” Gloria said with an embarrassed giggle. “I never thought you’d share it with anyone, especially Bill, and especially so soon. I don’t know...” “She told me she’s wanted to crawl in the sack with you for a long time,” said Jane, “but you were always too uptight to ask her.” “Jane!” said Gloria. “She also said she hasn’t had sex in such a long time she can hardly remember how good it feels,” said Jane. “Think you can handle us both?” Both Gloria and I were looking at Jane as if she were mad. She just grinned back at us. “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying sex with someone close to you,” said Jane. “Come on.” She headed for the stairs, shedding clothing. Gloria and I looked at each other. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to offend one of my closest friends, but I must admit, I had thought about her in that way, and she was an attractive woman. She dropped her eyes. Then she reached up to her neck and started to unbutton her jacket. She came over to me and took my hand. She looked up at me sheepishly. There was a glistening in her eyes. 273

Homecoming: First Contact “I have thought about us, you know,” she said, “but you never asked. I kept hoping you would. Anne likes you too, you know. You’ve become a regular heartthrob around here since you became a widower—and then when you went off to be an astronaut, well, it was just so glamorous. We all talk about you and they probably fantasize about you, too. I know I do, sometimes. “Let’s go upstairs,” she said. She led me to the stairs and preceded me up them. I noticed, it seemed for the first time, that she had nicely rounded buttocks under her exquisitely tailored skirt. As I followed her up the stairs, she removed her jacket, handed it back to me to carry, and started unbuttoning her blouse. We entered the guest bedroom where Jane awaited us, already nude and without her wig. “Come on, you two,” she said. “I’m horny.” “One thing at a time,” said Gloria. “I haven’t done this for a long time, but I’ve thought about it. I want to do it my way. Let me disrobe first. You,” she said speaking to me, “sit over there on the bed.” She faced me. The mirror was behind her. Her blouse was already unbuttoned. She undid the buttons at the sleeves and slid the blouse off of her shoulders, dropping it to the floor. She was wearing a full slip. She unzipped her skirt at the side and bent over to slip it down to the floor, showing me her cleavage. She stepped out of her skirt. She raised her slip up over her thighs, her abdomen, her breasts, and pulled it up over her head, tossing it to the side. She stood there in only her bra, 274

Alex J. Alex panties, hose, and shoes. I thought she was going to lose her nerve. She looked demurely at the floor. Then I noticed that her hard, erect nipples showed right through her bra. She looked up at me again. She looked me directly in the eyes. She licked her upper lip. Jane was sneaking around behind me on the bed. Jane pulled off my wig and threw it to the side. Then, she put her arms around me, sitting behind me with her legs spread out, one on each side of me. She slid one hand beneath my belt and into my trousers to fondle my penis. Gloria started wriggling out of her pantyhose. She wiggled more than she really needed to. She bent over again to show me her cleavage. She removed her shoes and threw the pantyhose to the side. She stood up. I noticed how beautiful and clear the skin was on her milky white thighs and across her tummy. She approached me. She came up close to me and pulled my face in to her abdomen. I put my arms around her. I kissed and then licked her belly. I rubbed my face between her breasts, still encased in her brassiere, slipping my hands down her back and inside her panties. She reached behind her back and undid her bra. As she removed it, she pulled my head and face between her large, pendulous breasts. I licked them, sucking first on one, then on the other. I continued to knead her buttocks. She rotated her hips in a most sensuous fashion and slowly slid her panties down over her hips, buttocks, and thighs. It had been a long time since I had been that close 275

Homecoming: First Contact to female genitalia with pubic hair intact. It was dark brown, lush and kinky—curly. Her smell was intoxicating. She spread her legs, slightly. I licked everything I could reach with my tongue. She crushed my face against her body. She suddenly shuddered in orgasm as I licked around her thighs, mons, and finally found her clitoris. I gave it a very gentle lick. Behind me, Jane was breathing heavily on my neck. “Let’s get him undressed, Gloria,” she said. “Mmmm,” said Gloria. Gloria stepped back away from me. She stood there with her legs spread apart. She reached up and undid her hair, shaking it free. It was a lot longer and beautiful than it had appeared. She always wore it up. She kneeled on the floor in front of me. She took off my shoes and socks. Jane was still behind me on the bed. She was taking off my tie and unbuttoning my shirt. Gloria reached up and undid my belt, unzipped my trousers, and unbuttoned them at the waist. She slid them down over my thighs and pulled them off. My erection suddenly escaped my boxer shorts and stood at attention. Jane was pulling my T-shirt over my head. Gloria touched my cock for the first time. Then she reached up and grabbed my shorts on each side of my waist and pulled them down and off, over my feet. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it. She licked her lips. Then she bent down, closed her eyes, and licked the very end of it, just underneath the glans. I put my hands on either side of her head and lifted her face so 276

Alex J. Alex I could look in her eyes. “You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, you know,” I said. She had tears in her eyes. “I know,” she said. “I want to, though. It’s just that...it’s been so long. I haven’t had sex with anyone in such a long time. I’m so glad it’s with you. I’ve really been hoping that this would happen, but I thought it never would. It probably wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for Jane. I want to taste you.” She covered the end with her lips, swirling her tongue around it. Then she sucked it further in to her mouth. She bobbed her head up and down, sucking it in and then pulling away. Each time she pulled away, she swirled her tongue around the end of it. She caressed my testicles. “Come on, Gloria,” said Jane. “Let’s get him up here on the bed where we can work on him.” Gloria didn’t say anything. She stood up and reached down to pick up my legs at the ankles. Jane grabbed me under the arms. They lifted and dragged my body to the middle and placed me diagonally across the king-sized bed. My hardon stood up like a flagpole. Then they switched places. Gloria knelt at my head with her thighs on either side of my face. She ground her mons against my bald head and moaned as she experienced a shuddering orgasm. I looked up at the underside of her large breasts swaying from side to side. Jane knelt to the side of my legs. She leaned over to lick and suck on my shaft. She licked up and down 277

Homecoming: First Contact the inside of my thighs, then returned to my testicles and finally, to my erection She licked from the underside of my testicles, around them and up from the base to just under the glans. Then she placed my shaft all the way in her mouth, sucking it all the way down her throat. Up and down, up and down. “Watch it,” I warned, and she backed off and continued licking me all over with her soft warm tongue. I, in turn, reached up between her legs to slide my fingers into the slit between her labia to fondle and caress her clit while slipping one finger into her, letting another finger slide around over her buttocks. Gloria moved back from my head and placed her hands on each side of my chest, leaning over to hang her breasts in my face. Her large areolas surrounded nipples that were swollen erect. She swayed from side to side so I could lick and suck on first one and then the other. I reached up between her legs with my free hand and gave her the same treatment I was giving Jane. She collapsed on my chest as she shuddered in orgasm. I almost suffocated as her swollen breasts crushed into my face. Jane was humping against my other hand and suddenly shuddered in orgasm, too. Gloria sat up. “Sit on my face, Gloria,” I said. She didn’t say anything, but she moved to put her clitoris in contact with my tongue. My nose was in between her buttocks. She was humping against my face and I was sucking her labia into my mouth, thrusting my tongue up into her. I could only breathe when she moved forward. She shuddered in orgasm 278

Alex J. Alex after orgasm. Jane moved out of the way and Gloria bent over in the ‘69’ position. It was incredibly erotic to watch her buttocks move as she moved against me and I kneaded her cheeks. I could hardly believe that this was Gloria’s clitoris I was exciting to orgasm as she shuddered again and again. I could feel myself approaching climax, and I didn’t want to do it this way if I could help it. “Mmfff,” was all I could manage to get out, given my position. I involuntarily thrust up into her mouth. She got the message and stopped. I could hear Jane saying something, but couldn’t quite make it out. Suddenly, Gloria was off of me. She turned around and sat on my chest, rubbing her juicy crotch against me. Jane got around at the top of my head. Jane started rubbing her smooth, hairless mound against my forehead. Then Gloria moved up to plant her warm hairy crotch squarely on my mouth. I used my tongue to lick up in between her labia and slid it over the hard knot of her clitoris. Her juices were all over my face. I looked up and all I could see was each of their abs humping together. As they humped on me, they separated just enough for me to see their breasts sliding against each other’s, Jane’s small pointy ones against Gloria’s full round ones. My cock was flopping all around with no one paying it any attention. They were both sweating profusely. Sweating, as in animal lust, not perspiring as in polite interaction. Gloria was moaning, Jane was grunting, they were 279

Homecoming: First Contact both shuddering and jerking in orgasm as they ground their bodies against my face. I reached around each one with my hands to squeeze and knead their buttocks. Suddenly, their movements got more urgent. They moved faster and crushed my face harder. Then, Jane moved her crotch down over my nose and began to hump against Gloria as she slid her clitoris over my nose. I couldn’t breathe. I had to push them off of me. I almost passed out, but they suddenly realized what was happening and got off. “Oh, poor baby,” said Jane as she leaned down to caress my face. “We almost killed you, didn’t we?” I was gasping for breath. “You’ve still got an erection, though,” said Jane as Gloria caressed my testicles. “Gloria,” said Jane, “you, go ahead. I’ll get him up here.” She leaned over and kissed me. Then Gloria did the same. “Just let me get him resurrected,” said Jane. My breathing was still heavy, but I could tell I would survive. Jane mounted me in the ‘69’ position. I couldn’t help but think about how her smooth, hairless vulva was so different from Gloria’s warm, downy one. I licked up into her. She sucked my cock down her throat while caressing my testicles. I felt Gloria push my legs apart and start to lick the insides of my thighs and up and around my testicles while Jane deep-throated me. She even licked down around my buttocks. Then Jane sucked off of me one final time, knowing I was about 280

Alex J. Alex to explode. Having the two of them work on me like that was almost too much. “O.K.,” Jane finally said to Gloria, “He’s all yours.” Jane got off of me. I looked down and saw Gloria between my legs on her hands and knees looking up at me. She crawled up my body, pausing to suck one last time. She dragged her breasts over my shaft, trapping it between them for a moment and swaying from side to side. As her pussy came into close proximity, she stopped and took hold of it with her fingers. She slid it up and down the slit between her labia and over her clitoris. She shuddered and suddenly couldn’t stand it anymore. She impaled herself on me. I thrust up into her. She leaned back, up on her knees, letting me thrust up into her instead of her grinding down against me. She raised her arms and locked them behind her head, pulling her breasts up as they swung around wildly while we copulated. She suddenly lost her balance as she shuddered in multiple orgasms. She fell forward, catching herself with her arms and dropping her breasts into my face so I could lick and suck on them. Then she started thrusting against me as I thrust up into her. I could feel it coming. My throbbing cock swelled to its greatest extent as I thrust deeper and deeper into her. “Oh!” she said. “Oh! Oh! Oh!” I couldn’t hold it anymore. I exploded into her, thrusting up as she thrust down. As I pumped semen into her in great gobs, she shuddered over and over again in orgasm after orgasm. Finally it was over and she collapsed on my chest. 281

Homecoming: First Contact The sweat was rolling off of us both. We were gasping for air. My arms were around her, caressing her back. I ran my fingers up and down her spine. We just lay there for a little while, recovering. My penis was shriveling up and our juices were oozing out of our joining. “Here,” said Jane, “you’ll need this.” She handed Gloria a towel. We surely did need it. Gloria rolled off of me and cleaned us up. “What we all need is a shower,” said Gloria. “Let’s use my shower. It has more room and two shower heads.” I saw her glance at Jane with a little grin. Jane grinned back and winked at her. I knew that wink. They were conspiring to try and resurrect me so I could penetrate Jane. “I’m game,” I said, “if you think your powers are up to it. You two just gave me quite a workout, you know.” “I know,” said Jane, “but I want mine, too. Remember, it was my idea.” Gloria led us into her bathroom and opened the sliding glass doors to her shower. It was about two meters from side to side and over a meter wide. There was a showerhead on each end. There was a large, soft rubber mat on the floor. We entered and closed the doors. As Gloria turned on one head, Jane turned on the other. “You guys use the soap,” said Gloria, “I’m going to shampoo.” “I don’t know how you people can stand having hair,” said Jane. Gloria worked up a lather in her long dark hair. 282

Alex J. Alex The foam was all over her body. She purposely caressed her breasts, raising them up and covering them with suds. She reached down and shampooed her pubic hair, too. Jane was using the soap to do the same things to her body. Then, she turned her attention to me. She squeezed the bar of soap between my buttocks and then soaped up my back. Then, she put her arms around me and soaped up my chest, down to my abs and finally down to my still-flaccid penis. She started sliding her body against mine from behind, kneading my buttocks and reaching around to play with my shaft and testicles. Suddenly, Gloria joined in and started sliding her body against mine from the front. Both of them had their arms around me. I felt like a piece of meat in a sandwich. Jane got down on her knees. She pulled me around so she could get to my equipment. She licked and sucked to no avail, all the time kneading my buttocks. Gloria had her arms around me and was licking my ear. She invited me to kiss her; she had no qualms about French kissing. Her passion was startling. She was grinding her groin against my leg. She drew my face to her breasts. Jane stood up. “It’s no use,” she said. “Here,” said Gloria, “let me try.” She licked her lips. Jane embraced me from the side as Gloria had been doing and we kissed. Gloria slid down to the floor and started working on my cock. It was still limp, but it started to show signs of life as Gloria took it all into her warm mouth and swirled her tongue around it. 283

Homecoming: First Contact She stroked my thighs and fondled my testicles as she made oral love to me. Jane was grinding her body against mine. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. I had my arm around her and was alternately stroking her back and her buttocks. My other hand was caressing Gloria’s head as she sucked and licked her way to a successful resurrection of my equipment. “Mmmm,” she said. I was starting to show signs of life. As my cock started to stiffen, she took to sucking it into the back of her mouth and then pulling away while swirling her tongue around the tip of it. She took it out of her mouth and held it in her hand as she licked up under my testicles. Then she sucked on it some more. It was fully erect by that time, and she could have quit, but she claimed later that she was having too much fun. Having my flaccid penis grow to full erection in her mouth was very erotic, or so she said. “He’s about ready, Jane,” said Gloria, “and I want to try something. Anne told me about doing it this way on one of her escapades and I’ve wanted to try it sometime, if I ever got the chance.” We both told her we were ready to try anything different. She instructed Jane to lie down on the floor of the shower on her back. Then she sat on Jane’s stomach and lay down too. She spread and curled her legs up, presenting me with her lovely, wet, warm, hairy vulva. “Now you curl your legs up, too,” she said to Jane. “The idea is for you to penetrate her, and lick me,” she said to me. 284

Alex J. Alex I must admit I had never thought of anything quite like this, but it was incredibly erotic. Gloria was an extraordinary surprise once she let go and shed her inhibitions. I diddled Jane’s clit for a moment, and then slid into her. I hooked all four of their legs in my arms and leaned into them, bowing my head to dive headlong into Gloria’s muff. My cool but hard shaft felt marvelous sliding into Jane’s warm, juicy flesh, and my warm tongue elicited shudders of delight from Gloria. As I stroked in and out of Jane, I could tell it would take a long time. I slurped up Gloria’s juices and pumped away in Jane. Both of them were shuddering with delightful orgasms. I thought to myself that the orgasms of one probably contributed to the orgasms of the other. The three of us moved gently in unison toward a climax that was relatively unspectacular for me, satisfying for Jane, and memorable for Gloria. I think Gloria needed the sex more than either Jane or me. Finally, we fell apart and lay there with the shower raining down on us. We rinsed off, sluicing our combined juices down the drain. We turned off the shower, got out, and toweled off to dry. “Now,” said Jane, “we need to get to the U.N.” “Thanks for allowing me to join you this afternoon,” said Gloria. “I didn’t know how much I needed that.” “See,” said Jane, “our ways aren’t so bad after all, are they?” “No,” said Gloria, “I guess they’re not.” Jane and I went back into the guestroom and got 285

Homecoming: First Contact dressed. By the time we descended the stairs, Gloria was waiting for us. “I hope you don’t run into any trouble,” she said. “I wouldn’t count on anything going right,” I said. “You have been a gracious hostess,” said Jane. “I hope we can return the favor sometime, perhaps on my ship. You might find free fall to be interesting.” “It’s not only interesting,” I said. “You’ll find that it is a completely different environment. And, be aware, they will probably remove all of your hair.” “You might find that that is not as bad as it seems,” said Jane. “She’s right, Gloria,” I said. “Once you no longer have hair to worry about, you may find it to be a nuisance when you regain it.” “I was wondering if you still preferred women with hair, like me,” said Gloria, “or if you now prefer someone like Jane.” “That’s a loaded question,” I said. “I can’t win answering that one, but I’ll try. I guess I still find hair on your head attractive to look at, but it sure is a lot of trouble. I don’t miss my own hair. And I don’t miss pubic hair at all. I think I prefer a smooth, hairless body to a hairy one.” “I’ll think about it,” said Gloria. We chatted a bit more as we headed for the door. Then we left, got in the car, and headed for New York.

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Alex J. Alex

The Journal Chapter Twelve The U. N. went through the Lincoln Tunnel WeWeehawken to Midtown Manhattan. I

from went south and started looking for a parking space. I found one on 34th street, just West of Fifth Avenue, near the Empire State Building. We walked out to the avenue and I flagged down a cab. “Where to, Buddy?” asked the driver. “The U.N. building,” I said, and we were off. It was Sunday afternoon and the traffic was light, but Jane was terrified again. She hid her face against my chest, and told me to let her know when we got there. We finally arrived. There were police officers all over the place. “Let us off over there next to that policeman on the corner,” I said. I paid for the cab, and we got out. I had no idea how we were going to get in and meet 7, let alone the President. We approached the police officer near the corner. 287

Homecoming: First Contact “Officer,” I said, “my name is Bill Thomas. I’m an Astronaut. This is 3, although I sometimes call her Jane. She’s from outer space. We are here to meet her people and the President of the United States.” I suddenly realized that what I was saying probably made me sound like a crackpot, but I continued, “Can you help us?” Suddenly, he recognized us. “I’ve seen your pictures on TV. Listen, can I have your autograph? We’ve been told that you might show up. Let me make a call.” He handed me a piece of paper and a pen. I signed my name and gave it to Jane. She wrote on it 3434673 in the characters of her language. The officer was speaking to someone on his radio. “Sir, there will be someone here in a minute to get you and show you and the lady in. Thanks for the autograph. I’m going to keep it. I’m not going to sell it.” “That’s O.K.,” I said, “Give me another piece of paper and I’ll give you another one. I hope you get a lot of money for it.” He gave me a big grin. Then he gave me another piece of paper, which we signed in the same way and returned to him. He thanked us profusely. Then we saw someone familiar approaching. It was Mr. Lassiter of the State Department. “Felix Lassiter,” he said, extending his hand to shake. “And I’m Lisa Weaver,” said the woman at his side. “Remember us?” “It was only a couple of days ago,” I said. “Of course we remember you.” 288

Alex J. Alex “These gentlemen are from the Secret Service,” said Felix, indicating two men who kept looking around nervously. We started to walk toward the building. “Are you expecting trouble?” I asked naively. “There have been threats,” said Lisa. “Now that you’re here, we’re going to cordon off all the nearby streets so they can’t get close with a car bomb. And you’ll be surrounded by Secret Service men, as will the President. 1122437, your commander, Miss 3, will be bringing a security force of his own. They’re not here yet, but I understand that they are on their way.” “There they are,” said 3, pointing to the sky. “They’re in an armored transport, and those escorts are fighters. They aren’t taking any chances.” The bulky transport descended with a soft whirring sound to the plaza. The fighters circled slowly overhead. The hatch opened and twenty Marines rushed out and immediately formed a perimeter. They were all fully clothed in what 3 had described as cold weather gear, and they apparently were armed to the teeth. New York’s finest must have been alerted to expect this, because they did not interfere, but set up their own perimeter further out, and lined up to create a corridor to the entrance to the building. 7 and an older woman emerged from the transport. “That woman,” said 3 in a whisper, “that’s 005. She’s the Commander of the whole advanced party that’s here in the system. 7 reports to her.” “They expect us to meet them and escort them into the building,” said Felix. “Let’s go.” 289

Homecoming: First Contact As we approached, 7 recognized us. We were introduced to 1003005, the Commander. She just nodded her head in greeting but didn’t say anything. “I don’t think she speaks any English yet,” said 3. “I may have to translate.” We entered the building and were swiftly taken to the General Assembly Hall. Our armed escort came with us. We were led to the podium. The hall was full, and quite noisy. The Secretary General slammed his gavel down and called for order. Slowly, the room quieted and he got the attention of the delegates. “Ladies and Gentlemen,” he was saying when there was a commotion in the rear of the hall. It appeared that a fight had broken out. Then there was a shot. People dove for cover. 005’s escort surrounded her. Another shot rang out, and then several more. I saw 005 fall, apparently hit. With the room full of people, the guards could not return fire, but several of them rushed to apprehend the would-be assassins. The U.N. guards and the New York City Police had hold of them. But then shots rang out from a different part of the hall. The first shots had been just a diversion. The Secretary General was hit, as was 7 and many of the Marines still with him. Then I felt a pain in my shoulder and I was knocked to the floor by the impact of a bullet. 3 fell on top of me. Then I felt her jerk. She looked down at me in pain. “I’m hit.” Then we were soon surrounded by Marines. The pain in my shoulder was excruciating. I remember thinking that it must be broken. I tried to get up and the pain shot through me. I passed out for a moment. 290

Alex J. Alex I must have been out longer than I thought, because I awoke on a stretcher being jiggled around as two Marines jogged while carrying me out to the transport. I passed out again from the pain. When I finally awoke again, we were airborne. I was naked, and I was being attended by a Doctor who was also naked. I didn’t recognize her, but I did understand what was going on. “Good,” she said, “you’re awake. We’re on our way to the ship. We can get you there almost as fast as they could have gotten you to one of the primitive hospitals on the ground. We’ll take better care of you in space. Free fall is a better place to heal, anyway.” “What happened?” I asked. “Is 3 O.K.?” “I’m here,” I heard 3 say from not too far away. I was immobilized and could not move even my head. “Yes I was shot, too, but it’s not serious. We were both lucky. The bullets didn’t hit any vital organs in either of us. We’ll both survive.” Thank God, I thought. I remembered someone once telling me how really fragile our bodies are, even though we work so hard to make them strong. “Both of you need to be sedated to withstand the G force required to get us to the ship. It won’t take long, but you both will wake up in better surroundings. When I place this facemask over your face, breathe deeply. You won’t feel a thing, and it might even be a pleasant sleep. When you wake up, you’ll both be in recovery in the ship’s sickbay. Now breathe deeply.” I did as I was told, and didn’t even remember exhaling. Whatever it was they gave us didn’t have any odor or seemingly any after effects. I woke up in 291

Homecoming: First Contact a bed in low gravity. 3 was next to me, holding my right hand. “Hi,” she said. I had to switch gears. She was speaking in her tongue. “How are you feeling?” “Damn,” I said, “it hurts something awful. What happened, do you know?” “Yeah,” she said, “I know.” Then she told me. An elaborate ambush had been set up. Several delegates and officials of various governments had cooperated with the terrorists. That’s how they were able to get weapons into the building. Security had been very close during the last couple of days, so it may have been planned earlier. Both 7 and 005 had been hit, but their bodysuits had protected them. The Secretary General had been killed, as had a number of other delegates. None of the Marines had been wounded, but some of them had taken hits. They didn’t think that any of the conspirators had escaped, but the assassins and terrorists who had been caught were only soldiers. Those who had planned the assault were nowhere near the place. All of the suspects were stripped. Guess what? Two of them—there were more than twenty, all told—were Invaders. “So they are here,” said 3. “It’s as we thought, however. We believe that there were a few of them left here when we chased them out of the system and back to their Home World. We don’t see how they could have gotten back here any faster than we did, unless they have found a way to actually go faster than the speed of light. We don’t think that that is 292

Alex J. Alex possible. So those who have been here all along are just coming out of hiding, now.” “Well, what will happen now?” “I’m not sure,” she said. “But for a while now, it’s not going to be our fight. It will take a while for you to recover.” “What about you? You were hit, too. I saw it when it happened. Your face was right in front of mine and I saw the pain in your eyes.” “Yeah, right. How do I tell you this?” She thought about it for a second, then, with a chuckle, she said, “It’s like this. It’s kind of embarrassing, actually. When you were hit, I saw the impact in your left shoulder as the bullet entered your flesh. It smashed the bones of both your clavicle and your scapula on the left side. Flesh, bone and blood went everywhere, especially all over me. You were knocked from your feet and hit the floor. Everyone around us had scattered. I was standing there alone over you. My first thought was to protect you. So, I fell on top of you and tried to cover your body with mine. I remember thinking that this is what you do when you truly love someone in your culture. Well the next thing you know, I took a bullet myself. Guess where?” I had no idea, and I just looked at her sort of bewildered. “I got hit in the buttocks,” she said. “The darn bullet went right through both of my cheeks, missing my spine by just a tiny little bit. I could have been paralyzed, but as it is, I just can’t sit down or lay on my back. I had a lot of muscle back there, but a big 293

Homecoming: First Contact chunk of it is gone now. I’m going to have quite a unique scar after it’s all over and we recover. You’ll have to describe it to me someday.” We just lay there for a while, not saying anything. We held each other’s hands, but that was about all the movement either one of us could stand at the moment. “We had some visitors while you were unconscious,” she said. “53 and 71 came by. So did 42 and 35. They brought 40 with them.” She fell silent again for a while. “You know,” she said, “the worst part about it is, we’re probably too beat up to have sex for quite a while. I don’t know if I can handle that. At least we don’t have to wear clothes, here on the ship. One thing, for sure—we’re going to be awful horny when we can jump on each other again.” THE END

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About the Author r. Alex is a retired manufacturing executive. Originally from New Jersey, he has lived all over the East Coast of the United States from Maine to Alabama. His education includes a B.S. from Clemson University and an M.B.A. from Jacksonville State University. A Vietnam veteran and a private pilot, he has a number of other interests, including: music (he plays the drums), sailing, mathematics (he is an A.S.Q. Certified Quality Engineer), handgun competition, chess, drag racing, and bridge.

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