SW01: October 2009 #1: Dawn of the Trillions

[Scott Eiler]

Dawn of the Trillions.   Commentator: Wyatt Ferguson.

Judy and I are driving to California. A high school friend has invited
us to "Cookie's Ranch" which he runs at a five-corner intersection in
the town of Creston in the southern Coast Range. This'll look good on
my map... We get some time to do this, because the next starship of
The Trillions is landing there!

On the way, we stop at the California desert town of Essex. Under the
circumstances, it's like Happy Days, except the local equivalent of
Mr. Cunningham runs the police, the officers carry around sticks of
dynamite, and a match can start a riot.

In all fairness to the officers, they're carrying the dynamite because
they confiscated it from militiamen. Some people are just not happy
about aliens landing in California.

When the riot starts, Judy and I are in a restaurant. When I see the
riot starting, I run out. I trust her to follow me, but she's not
there!

But then I see something come out of the building - fast. It lands in
a heap on the ground. When the dust settles, I see the Hurrier on top
of my lady! He says, "You're welcome." Then he runs off. He's as
annoying as ever, but he saved her and I didn't. (12 Oct)

The next day, we make it to the ranch in Creston. It's blocked by
swarms of construction workers building new houses - and they're The
Trillions! A huge development of ranch houses is their guardian
troops' way of living like Earth natives.

The aliens have gotten attention, of course. A New Age drive-in church
is having services in their honor.

In the nearby country store, I buy two beers. This makes me eligible
for massive barter. People are stocking up on survival supplies, and
talking about a concentration camp up in Napa, if only they can take
enough prisoners to populate it. Yeesh.

Two more high school friends are there, acting rowdy. Judy and I go
sleep in the basement.

The next morning, an alien woman comes down and starts pouring water
in bowls - but it's really carbolic acid. It's giving off enough
carbon dioxide to choke us!

I grab a nearby conch in case I have to conk her. I hope Judy's awake.

But the alien spins around and shoots a green cloud at me! I'm
coughing too much to do anything as she targets Judy.

As we both cough, she explains. The cloud contains microorganisms
which feed on carbon dioxide and turn it to oxygen. Judy and I are now
no longer dependent on environmental oxygen levels. The Trillions gave
up that dependence long ago; that's how they deal with lack of
vegetation on the planets they colonize.

This is presumably a good thing for our bodies (though we'd best get a
second opinion). So, as the acting ambassadors of Earth, all we can do
is advise The Trillions not to do that again to Earthlings without
warning.

Afterward, we continue to San Francisco to get a sense of public
response. I think my mage/militia contact "Black Brady" knows I'm in
there, but we studiously ignore each other. I may have mentioned,
militiamen don't like me. Good thing I have my wide-brimmed hat. (13
Oct)

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Author's Notes:

I promised there'd be follow-on to The Trillions.  This is the start.

This is October 2009 #1 in my world.  You can see October 2009 #2 at
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2009/desiration.htm#month .  The RACC
contest entry "A Date with the Darkness" counts as October 2009 #3.