A Planet Called Earth

by: Dennis R. Humphreys (the Dream Writer)

He watched her across the room in a crowded club of people, dancing their way through the evening in an effort to forget the long week of work. She was beautiful beyond comprehension and there was something in the way she moved that made her an enchanting rhythm that glided through one's imagination like a welcomed dream.

Daniel Dulaney had never seen her before though he had been in this place perhaps six times. The music was loud, and the drinks were strong, and the need to let off steam by the people coming here, even greater.

“I see someone's caught your eye,” Lang observed.

“That and everything else. I have to get to know that woman,” Daniel told his friend.

“I don't blame you. She's beautiful. She also looks like the kind of woman that can shoot you down in a heartbeat,” Lang told him.

“Yeah... maybe even walk all over you once she has you down on the floor,” Chalco added to the conversation.

Daniel had begun coming in here with his friends some weeks ago with their insistence. He had not come to a place like since coming to the town a few years ago and felt odd coming to it the first couple of times. Now he was glad he started. At least it gave him a chance to meet the woman of his dreams, and she definitely was.

“I'm going over,” Daniel told them both.

“I hope you know what you're doing. I don't feel like cleaning up the blubbering mess when she gets done with you,” Lang warned him.

They watched as their friend walked between the dancers to the woman. She was dancing with her girlfriend, so she was either gay or she wasn't with anyone. Her girlfriend noticed Daniel's arrival first and looked at him. She gave a look to her friend indicating for her to glance over at Daniel. She did.

“Good evening. I was watching you the last few minutes from over there with my friends. I felt compelled to introduce myself and meet you,” Daniel told her.

“I'm not some 'bet' am I? If I am you can compel yourself to go back over there,” she told him.

“I wouldn't do anything so crass as that... not to someone as enticing as you,” Daniel unveiled. A slight smile came over her face, evidently liking what he said, but she continued dancing and smiling at her girlfriend, who just shrugged her shoulders.

“My name is Daniel Dulaney, “he told her as she gave her friend 'a look' and she left the dance floor leaving Daniel's object of affection behind with him.

“Hello Daniel Dulaney, I'm Aster Bulova. I usually don't let guys pick me up this easy. Maybe for some reason my guard is down being the first time I'm in here,” she revealed to him.

“This is actually my sixth time with friends of mine, but I've never been seen anyone like you in here or otherwise, prompting me to introduce myself,” he told her.

“Now that's hard to believe,” she replied, looking around the room,” there's a lot of beautiful women here.”

“I wouldn't know,” Daniel told her, and he meant it. Once again, he said something she liked as she smiled back at him invitingly.

Daniel's friends couldn't believe his luck. He walked away with the woman. They spent the evening dancing and talking. The next thing he knew the evening was finished and the club was closing. Daniel was able to get her phone number and they made tentative plans to go out the following evening, to a movie.

“I can't believe you hit it off with that beautiful woman. What did you say to her?” Chalco asked.

“Nothing but the truth,” Daniel told him.

“Are you going out with her?” Lang asked him.

“Tomorrow night,” Daniel informed him.

“You are one lucky dog, man,” Chalco answered him jealously.

“We'll see after tomorrow night,” Lang said, predicting a hint of failure.

Daniel and Lang were roommates. Chalco still lived at home. Daniel was the oldest of the three and worked with his two friends on an assembly line producing gas stoves. It wasn't an exciting job, but it was decent money with benefits. Daniel invested a percentage of his money every week and had done fairly well. He spent little and certainly didn't squander his money.

The following night he drove to Aster's house to get her for the movie. She had asked him to come early to meet her parents. That was nice... they were old fashioned, something you didn't see much anymore, and Daniel wondered if it was just a sign of the times or if people stopped caring.

“Daniel, I'd like you to meet my parents: Anmony Bulova, and my mother, Lyndosa. This is Daniel,” Aster introduced.

“Nice to meet you both,” Daniel admitted.

“You too. Why don't you take a seat?” Aster's mother asked. “Would you like something to drink?”

“A soda would be fine,” Daniel told her. The three seated themselves in the living room.

“So, what do you think about extraterrestrial life?” Aster's father asked immediately.

“Daddy! I swear. My father's an instructor at the local university in mythology and religion. He's been studying the subject for over twenty-five years and believes most of the stories about gods and their messengers are less religious and more alien in nature. He thinks we were visited before and we're still being visited,” Aster filled Daniel in on her father's thoughts.

“More than that... I believe some live among us now,” he informed Daniel.

“I can see where you might think that is the case,” Daniel told the man.

“There you see, he agrees.” he told Aster.” Usually, I tell people my views and I get threats, especially from the religious groups. Their Holy Book can't be questioned. They couldn't possibly be mistaken, they're so sure they have hold of the truth because their ministers say so.”

About that time Mrs. Bulova came in with drinks for everyone and some chips and dip.

“Thank you, Mrs. Bulova,” Daniel voiced as she handed him his drink.

“Just call me Lyn,” she said, “and that alien conspirator is just, Mony. I hope he isn't boring you with his whole alien propaganda.”

“Not at all. It's very interesting. Do you think the government knows more than what they're saying?” Daniel asked him and that set off a whole other speech which both Aster and Lyn rolled their eyes at.

“They sure as hell do and they've known for years there are aliens out there and they've been involved with this planet's affairs for years. I understand they even put some of them in government housing. They trade information, alien technology and the like,” he preached.

“What do you think they're game plan is?” Daniel asked as he sipped his soda.

“It's plain as as day... world domination... take our resources and enslave us to get them for their world,” he enlightened me.

“Now Mony, why don't you talk about something else. I'm sure Daniel here doesn't want to talk about aliens and the like. You don't have any proof saying what you're saying,” she admonished her husband.

“I have an acquaintance in the government that believes how I do and he's busy looking, but you know there's a government within our government. There are those in the know and those that are kept in the dark,” Mony concluded.

“I think we need to get going,” Aster told everyone as she stood and waited for Daniel who gulped the last of his soda and stood.

“It was nice meeting both of you and I hope we can talk again sometime soon, Mony,” Daniel told them both as he shook both of their hands.

They walked out to the car and Daniel let Aster in then walked around to the other side to get into the car.

“I'm sorry about daddy. He gets on his soap box about all that and drives my mother and I crazy,” Aster alerted Daniel.

“No that's alright. He may be more right than anyone knows. Governments always have a tendency to keep the truth from everyone... supposedly for national security or their own good, whatever that means,” Daniel told his date as he sped away from the curb.

Months went by and the couple became exclusive from the start. Aster worked in an office building downtown while Daniel and his two friends worked in an industrial park in a more suburban area. They typically spent Friday or Saturday evenings together. Sunday afternoons were spent with Aster's family having dinner and playing games afterwards with her parents, her, and her younger brother, Cyris.

Things were getting serious by the second month they knew each other and by the third month they began talking seriously about a permanent relationship.

The mood got serious one afternoon while they were out and parked. Aster could tell something was on Daniel's mind but let it go figuring when he was ready to talk, he would.

“Aster, you know I love you. I think when two people are in love there shouldn't be any secrets even if reveling them risk the relationship. You owe it to that person to be truthful,” he explained to her setting the mood.

“Don't be so mellow dramatic. If you have something to tell me, just tell me,” she prodded.

“Tell you what... it might be better if I take you someplace and explain. That way you won't think I'm off my rocker. It's several miles from here in the hills and we can get there before dark. Will you humor me?” he asked her.

“Sure,” she answered wondering what in the world he had to show her. So, she sat back in her seat and drove with Daniel north, outside of town for about forty-five minutes.

North of town was hilly, quickly developing into steep hills and then mountains. Not many people ventured out there because there was one road and it was full of hair pin turns, dangerous in any kind of weather. They talked about the countryside on the way. It was beautiful and desolate. They passed one car the entire way there.

As they got close to where he wanted to be, Daniel began driving his truck off the road. It was built for it, so he took it as far as he could before stopping. He got out and Aster stepped out as well. Daniel took her hand and lead her up a steep hill between some rocks to the other side. There was a place there that was well hidden with a pile of dead brush hiding something seated there.

Daniel went and pulled some of the brush away.

“I don't understand. It looks like some kind of ship,” Aster told Daniel.

“It is... my ship. Aster, I'm not from this planet. I crash landed here several years ago and haven't been able to leave. I don't expect to be rescued since no one knows where I am either,” Daniel told her.

“Is this some kind of joke? It's a joke right... because of daddy?” she replied unconvinced.

“It's no joke. I was heading for one of our space stations... a normal trip, when there was an explosion of a small star. The shock waves took me way off course and it caused damage to this shuttle so when it pushed me into your gravitational field, I didn't have enough power to get out of it. I could only land, roughly,” Daniel informed her.

Aster fell quiet. Daniel covered the shuttle back up with the old branches to hide it, then they went back to the truck. The entire drive back, Aster remained quiet and deep in thought. Daniel was worried this was the end in more ways than one now.

“Stop the truck,” she commanded as they were starting into the city limits.

Daniel did, waiting for the ax to fall.

“Listen... you're the same guy I've been in love with for weeks. None of that has changed. But what are we going to do? If daddy finds out, the government or any of the religious fanatics they'll be dissecting you in some secret lab... more to keep you quiet than to learn what makes you tick,” she told him.

“I only want to be with you. I say we just kept things quiet and to ourselves,” Daniel explained to her simplifying something that could get complicated and out of hand. “I love you.”

“God, I love you too. I don't want anything to happen to you. That's what I'm afraid of,” she explained.

In two months, they were married... nothing elaborate, and with not that many people there. The only other one that knew of Daniel's pedigree was his friend Lang. Lang had been hunting one day, up towards where Daniel had crash landed. Daniel could see the town in the distance, but he hesitated to go there, where civilized people were. As an alien, civilized people might not act civilized. He had food and water to last for several weeks so until his needs became dire, he decided to stay hidden. It was good he had because he couldn't have asked for a better first contact. Lang was a good man. He took him back and put him under his wing. He intensely trained him in the language and eventually helped him get his first job and false credentials. After all these years life was as normal as one of the planet's people. No one questioned him, and he fit into this world.

It was an obvious choice to make Lang his best man at the wedding. Daniel moved out of the place he called home for a few years while Aster and him set up a home of their own not far away.

“I hope you're everything she hopes you are, or I'll be looking for you,” Mony told him, and he was serious. She was his little girl and would always be. Mony's toast was even more full of warning, but everyone laughed it off as new father-in-law defensiveness and jealousy. Lyn was gracious though, but she was also drunk the entire time. Her younger brother was pretty much in abstentia, playing with the couple of other kids there.

Their honeymoon was a three-day affair, and they came back to begin work and life fresh. It's funny even though it had been the same job for a few years it didn't seem the same. In fact, everything they had done before that they were doing now as a couple seemed different... it felt different... they looked at everything differently. Instead of looking at things with two eyes, they were now looking at everything with two pairs of eyes.

Sundays remained the same. The couple went over to his in-laws for dinner and spent the evening playing games. Daniel listened to Aster's father's dissertations on aliens and some new ancient texts he was studying discovered somewhere overseas in some town name unmemorable and unpronounceable. He was meeting more often with this government, quasi-military person he had been associated with for years. They were getting more concerned about world security.

“Honey, you have to hear this,” Aster said one evening as she came into the room with a look of concern on her face. She turned on the television and switched channels to a talk station where they discussed the news after it was aired. They assumed those listening to the news didn't know what they said so they had to interpret it for them.

“That was quite groundbreaking news just announced,” the anchor person, Jon Mino remarked to Colonel Gaston Larvus who was sitting across from him.

“That's daddy's friend, the colonel,” Aster told Daniel.

“Yes, it was, but not unexpected. Elements of the government were aware of these people for years, but they have some kind of arrangement the rest of us aren't privy to,” he answered the interviewer.

“Yes, but to find an alien spacecraft just outside the city in the hills... that's close,” Mino commented.

This made Daniel stop and look. They were talking about his shuttle he crash-landed in some years back. It was discovered.

“Yes, we are going to start taking a closer look at the people here in this city and surrounding communities. We must be ready in case there is an invasion,” he told the announcer.

“Exactly how are you going to do this?” Mino asked his guest.

“I'm not at liberty to discuss the particulars but everyone has been put on alert and contact authorities if they see anyone suspicious... even if they act differently... any suspicions whatsoever, call that number at the bottom of the screen 623- MY-ALIEN... that's 623-692-5436,” he informed the viewing audience.

“I imagine you're going to be getting a lot of calls,” Mino commented.

“I hope so... the sooner we can put a stop to this invasion and protect our public the better off we'll be. There is a five-thousand-dollar reward for any information leading to the capture of this alien” the colonel was saying but the program was interrupted by a call from Aster's father.

“Did you hear my friend the Colonel Larvus just now? His people found an alien ship not far away. I've been telling you we were close to some kind of alien take over. You make sure you do your duty and keep your eyes open. You and that hubby of yours make sure you report anything suspicious,” he told her.

“Yes daddy... but I won't be part of some witch hunt,” Aster told him.

It was a matter of time before his ship was discovered. It wasn't that well-hidden. What the astronaut feared was everyone would be on high alert. That would make it a little easier for Daniel to be discovered. If this had happened the first several months within Lang finding him, there would already probably be someone knocking at the door.

“Your dad and his buddies are going to be on high alert,” he told his wife.

“He means well but he just thinks he knows what's best for the world,” she told Daniel.

“People are no different wherever you go. They're the same on my world. If this was the other way around, the same thing would be happening there right now,” Daniel informed her.

“You better be extremely careful, especially with a reward out there. Can you completely trust Lang?” Aster asked him.

“I have all these years and at this point what choice do I have? He knows I wouldn't do it to him if the wheels were turned, so I'm positive he won't do it to me,” her spouse assured her.

Days went by and nothing was discovered. Lang wouldn't even talk about it with Daniel except in private, afraid someone might overhear. The military drove the shuttle through the middle of town in some kind of propaganda flourish. People stood on the sidewalks and watched. Some threw whatever they had at it and cursed it as something sent from the devil. Churches assured parishioners they were the only people the Creator made in the universe and any human like creatures coming to the planet were sent by the devil. Plans were being made to execute anything walking on two legs that hadn't been born here. People born here were even being called in to the authorities. Daniel was worried some peoples' memories might realize prior to several years ago, Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Luckily, nothing like that occurred.

Work went smoothly. Things were uneventful on the assembly line and the comradery among the workers where Daniel, Lang and Chalco worked was good. It was another world outside the building, and nothing was discussed about the alien hunt that was going on outside the four walls.

“What are you up to this weekend, Lang?” Daniel asked his friend. “Do you want to get Chalco and do something? It's been ages since the three of us did anything.”

“Sure. If you're OK with that, with everything going on,” Lang responded.

“I'm fine. I can't exactly crawl down a hole and hide,” he answered in a subdued voice looking around. The distraction though caused him to get his sleeve caught in the wheel on the conveyor belt and drawn into it, even with Lang spotting it and leaping across the belt, hitting the stop button.

Luckily, he responded when he did, or he could have lost his hand, but it was bad enough. A couple of his fingers were broken in the process.

“I'm sending you to the hospital. Lang, can you take him?” the supervisor asked.

“Sure... come on Daniel,” his friend led him to his car to go to the hospital.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Daniel told him. “What am I going to do? I have to go but if they run tests, which they will do they're going to find out I'm an alien.”

“Maybe we can talk them into just setting your fingers. I can't do it, otherwise I'd say let's try. The company's going to expect a report now. The sup will be filing an incident report. There's no way out without sending up a red flag,” Lang told him.

“We have to get your vitals first. The doctor's going to want to take x rays,” the nurse told Daniel as she came in the door, moving a couple of things around left out of place with the last patient.

“Can we forgo all that stuff and just get my fingers set? I don't want to add to any expense here.” Daniel asked her.

“No, it's procedure. We have to do vitals,” she responded putting the stethoscope against his chest and listening.

Daniel watched closely at her face when she listened to his heart and then took his blood pressure. He didn't see any reaction, nor did he see any questions in her face. Surely, she noticed something. She weighed him and measured his height... all silently without comment. He watched as she marked her clipboard before she spoke.

“Just relax. The doctor will be in here in a few moments to set your fingers,” she told him.

“Is everything OK?” Daniel asked her.

“Everything's fine,” she told him briskly and walked out the door.

In a few minutes the doctor walked in... a kindly looking older man.

“How are we doing today?” he asked. Daniel never understood that. Doctors always asked how 'we' were doing today when it was just the two of them in the room. He had to know how he was doing. Why not just ask 'how are you doing today?'

“Fine doc. Stupid accident!” Daniel commented.

“I haven't known of an intelligent accident yet,” he answered.

It didn't take the doctor long to set his fingers. When he finished Daniel breathed a relieved sigh. Did for some reason he slip by? They all acted normal without any reaction whatsoever.

“Here take this out to the nurse at the front desk. She'll give you a prescription and set an appointment for a three-week look-see. Don't lift any more than five pounds with that hand,” he instructed Daniel.

Daniel climbed down from the table and walked out. He was about to give Lang thumbs up when two men came out of nowhere in front of him and two moved in behind him. There was that Colonel Gaston Larvus from television that came towards him, smiling. Daniel knew he had been had and his heart sank.

The doctor stepped into the room then and spoke to them and anyone else that was present.

“The man's an alien. He's different internally than any of us. I've never seen anything like him before... even with the deformities we've experienced,” the doctor educated those standing there ready to take Daniel away.

Without hesitation they handcuffed him and took his phone. They moved him out into the hallway and towards the elevator. From there he was escorted to a waiting truck out front and locked inside. It drove down the road, but he couldn't see where. There were no windows. However, they drove for about half an hour. The road turned rocky after a short while, so he knew he was nowhere on a main street. It was probably secluded.

When they stopped, a dark hood was draped over his head, and he was pushed into another facility and down a hall where he was finally put into a room. It was a cell... isolated and quiet.

There he spent the night without any interaction with anyone of any kind. He wanted to call his wife but as loud as he shouted, he was ignored. There was no telling what they were going to do next, or after that. He paced the eight-by-eight-foot room with a single cot and a pot in which to do his business. Daniel wasn't tired just aggravated. All these years her been here, living like them. If he meant to do them harm it could have already been done easily.

Finally, towards what he thought was morning he laid down to sleep but within minutes the colonel came traipsing in with another government official. Behind him was Aster's father, Mony.

“Mony!,” Daniel called. He wasn't surprised to see him but was happy to.

“Don't Mony me you alien bastard... and you married my daughter. What kind of alien perversions did you inflict on my daughter?”'

“When are the rest of your people coming here to take over our planet? "Colonel Gastov Larvus asked.

“The rest of my people don't even know where I am,” Daniel answered.

“Liar! They know exactly where you are,” Mony screamed. “Aliens are such liars.”

“How many aliens have you known?” Daniel asked Mony.

“We'll ask the questions. When are the rest of you coming?” Larvus asked again.

“I was blown off course years ago by a small star that exploded. It carried me on a shock wave and damaged my ship. It's all I could do to land it. I've been here ever since. I couldn't contact anyone, and no one knows where I am, otherwise, I would have been out of here long ago,” Daniel informed them.

“Do you expect us to believe that?” Mony asked.

“Not if you don't space travel, no... I don't expect you to understand it or believe it,” Daniel offered his opinion. “I'm as much a part of you now as anyone being born here.”

“You'll never be a part of us. We are a God-fearing people. We do not accept devils into our presence,” Mony replied vehemently.

“I am no devil. Ask your daughter,” Daniel suggested.

“Your kind blind others to the truth as you have done to my daughter. You have swayed innocents like her into practicing your perversions. You are the cursed that violate our children and wish to turn us away from the light,” Mony preached.

“Take it easy Mony. You don't want to have a coronary. That would only leave you with only one good heart. Just think, if he hadn't gone to our doctor, we would never have discovered he only had one heart and all his organs are in the wrong place,” Larvus told his friend. “Exactly what is the name of this planet you come from?”

“A place you've never heard of... a place called Earth,” Daniel revealed.