My Journal

By Harriman Nelson

12

“I wish they’d just leave Lee alone,” I sighed as one reporter after another on TV discussed the pros and cons of a human/alien romance . Or, God forbid, some of them said, marriage. Though the general consensus was that since her father had just arrived via the spaceship’s shuttle, that perhaps he was either going to vaporize the president for putting his daughter in harm’s way, or demand a shotgun, or rather, ray gun wedding.

“I think I’ll go meet Lee early,” I said.

“I’m going with you,” Jiggs told me as I stuffed more of my notes into my valise.

Just then Joe arrived, visibly frustrated.

“How is he?” Jiggs asked.

“He’s….’fine’, ” Joe said and headed toward the kitchenette’s fridge, grabbing himself a beer. “But Captain 'Al' as the staff calls him, is back from his spaceship and is mad as  hell. At Lee, at Melody, at Lt. Numbers. Most of the pointing and yelling, I guess you’d call it yelling, is between Melody and her dad. Can’t tell what they’re saying, of course. The Secret Service wanted to stay and keep an eye on things, but Lee kicked them out. Me too.”

“Damn foolish of him,” Jiggs said. “We have no idea what their weapons can do. If the captain's carrying any.”

“Probably why Lee doesn’t want a show of force, in case someone gets trigger happy, and  Captain Al didn’t appear to be armed, but his forehead was all puffy and throbbing when I left…”

“I think we should all be in civvies," I said. “Less military presence.”

“Good idea, sir,” Joe said. “Oh, and I have a government car waiting. I only came back to get some more Tylenol. I think Lee’s going to need more.”

It was only about two minutes later when we three hopped into the sedan to take us to the White House. A larger crowd than normal was looking at the shuttle as the National Guard, still on duty, kept an eye out toward the humans and toward the shuttle.

“He might not want to see you right now, Admiral,” the senior agent said.

“Let us in anyway,” Joe said firmly.

"Yes, Cmdr."

Lee was standing behind Melody, who was seated on the yellow sofa across from her father standing in front of the sofa on the other side. He had his hands on his hips, even angrier looking than Joe had reported.

A cough from Joe announced our arrival. 

Captain Al  turned to look at us, or rather at me.

“I’d ad-vise you not to get in-volved.”

“But I’m a father too,” I said and approached him, extending my hand, “Captain.”

“He," he said pointing at Lee, "has cor…cor-rupted my daughter. She defies me! She has put our trade agreement at risk with her foolishness, making herself a target and….”

“Trade agreement?” Lee asked. “Is that all you’re  interested in? She could have been killed and you're mad because she wants to stay here anyway?"

“She wants to stay here because of you! Whenever she is with you, she is at risk of being killed by your fellow humans."

“Only because some of them are afraid of you. Thinking you’re out to enslave or even eat us, for God’s sake, thanks to old B movies and a few television shows. But those are fiction. Make believe.”

“Are you sure?” the Lt. asked, joking, with a chuckle.

“I think I know you, Mel and the captain well enough to know that we're not on your dinner menu. And if you'd wanted to enslave us you already would have.”

“Our his-tory is filled with our con-quests of other worlds…and you are not afraid?”

“You could have fried Earth, but it was against your code of honor to do so without a valid reason. Now,  Admiral Nelson is here to report the latest findings from the SEA committee. And to inform us of his own conclusions.”

“Very well. But," the captain said, moving toward Lee and tapped  his finger against Lee's chest, "what are your intentions toward my daughter? I know hers," he spat.

“I think I’m falling in love with her.”

Melody turned from her seat and looked at Lee adoringly.

“You, Nel-son,” the captain said, “what do you have to say about this...ro-mance?”

“I gave up trying to talk Lee out of anything that he wanted to do on a personal level long ago. Even if I have my own reservations, I think that we, as fathers, owe it to them to let them decide for themselves if what they feel for each other is  love or just a passing infatuation with each other.”

“You use too many big words,” the captain sighed, and looked toward the Lt. for information.

As Numbers toned, clicked and grunted, the captain’s frontal lobes stopped pulsing.

"If you," the captain told Lee, "if you hurt her in any way, I will per-sonally remove your…your…”

“Cojonies?” Joe asked.

“I do not understand,” the Lt. said.

“Let’s just say I get the point,” Lee said. “I promise you, that I will never knowingly hurt Melody. And I'd like her to stay here for now, at the White House.”

By now she’d risen and was standing next to Lee, holding his arm.

The captain toned something to her and she shook her head 'no'.

“No mating, yet,” the captain warned, though relieved about something. (I can just imagine what.) “That is reserved for after bonding. Should it come to that.”

Melody blushed, which turned her blue cheeks into a slight shade of purple, which made her look, at least to my eyes, utterly ghastly.

“We will discuss the re-ports now,” the captain said.

“Mel, this is going to be a little boring for you,” Lee said. “Why not head down to the kitchen and get us some milk and cookies.”

I was surprised that apparently he’d taken her to the kitchen before. Something that was certainly unnecessary. All he or she had to do was to ask one of the stewards.

She giggled, and kissed him on the lips, before departing, singing.

“Already she obeys ‘you’,” the captain said, sourly, “you have taken my place in her hearts.”

“Obedience is not what I want. Only her love.”

Soon we were discussing the harvesting, and the limits to what was feasible.

“But what is your opinion,” the captain asked me.

“I still have reservations. This has never been done before, and simulations are no guarantee that there won’t be irreparable harm to our seas. I would like more extensive lab tests.”

Lee said nothing, but I saw him furrow his brows.

“Yes, it is wise to err on the side of caution.”

We’d barely noticed Melody return with one of the stewards who was laying out a pitcher of milk, and a plate of chocolate chip cookies on one of the end tables, as my charts and notes were spread out on the coffee table between the sofas.

“I will go now and await your next report. Lt. you stay here,” the captain said and extended his hand to me, then to Lee and departed, the Lt. and  Joe escorting him out, but not before grabbing some cookies.

“Harry?” Lee asked, and pulled me toward the windows, “what is it? I didn’t see any scientific reason in those reports for not going ahead with the plan. I know I’m no scientist but…”

“Not here, son.”

“Mel?” Lee asked, as she munched down a cookie and drank her milk, leaving a milk mustache on her face. “Can you give us a minute alone, sweetheart? I’ll meet you in the family room.”

She grinned politely and closed the doors behind her.

“Well?” he asked me.

“It was my dream, Lee,” I said, as he sat down at the presidential desk, his hands folded. “It was a little to similar to what that shooter said."

"Go on."

"Well, in my dream, our seas were all dried up, nothing left but sand and rotting coral and fish bones. The shooter said the aliens were going to eat us. In my dream the aliens were eating you. I knew it was you because of your rings…on your skeletal fingers. I have to wonder if what I dreamed was a…premonition.”

Lee raised his eyebrow.

“I know it sounds way out. Even ridiculous. But when it concerns you…and Earth…well….” I was at a loss to continue.

“I think you're letting your imagination run wild...and don't you  think I’d have sensed something?” Lee asked gently. “I’ve certainly had paranormal and ESP episodes myself,” then he bit his lip, “did you mean what you said, about Mel and me? That you have reservations about us getting involved?”

“Of course he does,” Jiggs said, “she’s an advanced species. You may be more of pet to her than a viable husband.”

“And you, Harry, what do you think about it?”

“I think it’s a bit early for either of you to know anything yet.”

“She’s…unlike any girl I’ve ever known….”

Jiggs snorted.

“She’s sweet,” Lee said, “intelligent…and…well, I guess you’d say the closest to a soul mate I’ve ever had…can you accept that, Harry?”

“I don’t have much choice not to…I just don’t want you to get hurt…she could be using you. All of them could be using you. The leader of the free world gets snatched and lulled into a false sense of security…”

“Oh, now you’re jumping to conclusions…”

“I know…I know…sorry…”

“I haven’t taken the military off of alert yet, you know…but I can’t believe that Mel would be any part of an underhanded attack on Earth on its inhabitants.”

“You see, you’re smitten, mesmerized,” Jiggs said.

“I suppose I am…but I also know her affection for me is real. I know because I bugged her bedroom…used the Seaview’s computer to translate some of the conversations she had with Numbers. He'd already shared some of their tones with me, and I had Chip feed them into the computer to figure out some of the rest of their language. Limited, but a little.”

“You sneaky boy, you,” Jiggs laughed.

“Part of my job description…Harry? If it does go that far, our relationship…if we marry…you would stand by me? There’d be bound to be a lot of backlash.”

“What do you think,” I said, coming round to his chair and squeezing his shoulder.  “But promise me you won’t move too fast before you decide for certain, one way or another, okay?”

“Okay.”

“The shuttle's lifting off,” Jiggs said as he pointed to it through the windows.

 I could only wonder what the alien captain was going to tell his crew.

Our own discussion concluded, Lee, Jiggs, and I  joined Melody, Joe, and the Lt. in the family room.  Melody was trying to play the piano. Trying being the operative word as she studied and learned which note belonged to which key.

“Show me?” she asked Lee.

“Ah, well, I’m afraid I don’t know how to read music. But I can pick out a tune or two just the same.”

Lee sat beside her and started to play ‘Chopsticks’, and she joined in, nodding to Numbers to sit on her other side. The trio played and the simple melody became quite good, really.

Even some of the White House staff peeked in to see what all the merriment was about, especially when Melody’s musical laughter joined in all of our applause.

It’s late now and Jiggs and I were returned to the Navy Lodge. Joe is staying at the White House as Lee requested. I’m not sure in what capacity, friend or aide, and  when it comes to looking after Lee, he’s a pretty good watchdog. Needless to say, the Secret Service was happy about it.

I decided not to watch the news. It was all the same, anyway. The president appeared to be in love. With an alien girl from outer space.

What a movie or comic book that would make.  But…as I wondered. Would it last?