 
Two Weeks of Qadaris

Published by J. E. Foltin at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 J. E. Foltin

Cover Art by Tatiana Vila

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: THE ARRIVAL

CHAPTER TWO: DON'T GET MAD...

CHAPTER THREE: GREEN, THE COLOR OF MORE THAN MONEY

CHAPTER FOUR: ARE YOU SCARED?

CHAPTER FIVE: I'M SORRY

CHAPTER SIX: LIFE ENTERS THE WORLD

CHAPTER SEVEN: WHAT IS LOVE?

CHAPTER EIGHT: C'MON GET HAPPY

CHAPTER NINE: THE AWARD GOES TO...

CHAPTER TEN: I'M SO EMBARRASSED

CHAPTER ELEVEN: NO CRYING IN WAR

CHAPTER TWELVE: SECOND PLACE IS THE FIRST LOSER

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: GOOD DEED FOR THE DAY

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE LAST SUPPER

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: LIFE BEGINS ANEW

# CHAPTER ONE

THE ARRIVAL

For hundreds of years, mankind wondered if we were alone in the universe. We have been sending signals into space for the last forty years searching for proof.

The first such transmission was the Arecibo message sent on November 16, 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. It was a binary signal aimed at a star cluster twenty-five thousand light years away. Even at the speed of light, it would take twenty-five thousand years for anyone to receive that message.

The next such transmission was the Cosmic Call. The first of these was sent on May 24, 1999 from a radio telescope in Yevpatoria, Ukraine, and aimed at the constellation Cygnus. Three more signals were sent that same year to Cygnus and to the constellation Sagitta. The earliest any of those would reach their destination would be April 2051.

Since then, SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, has made more attempts to contact other races. One such attempt was sent on August 13, 2002. A signal was sent from the Very Large Array, just fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. It was aimed at NGC 3242, a planetary nebula also known as the Ghost of Jupiter. It would take one thousand four hundred years for the signal to reach its destination.

However, the signal was deflected to a much closer planet, one that had yet to be discovered. On November 1, 2016, the signal was received on the planet Qadaris.

The signal was primitive to their advanced technology and had weakened in strength from its original transmission. Still, they were able to decipher the code and trace the source to Earth. They prepared a reconnaissance team to scout the planet.

Four days later, the Qadarians arrived at Earth. Their cloaking device masked any signals, making them undetectable.

They listened in to news reports from countries around the world. They heard of wars in the Congo, Afghanistan, and Argentina. In the United States alone, they heard of crime and unemployment reaching record highs. With the default of the national debt, gasoline reached prices over six dollars a gallon. Social Security and Medicare were non-existent.

The Qadarians knew that the planet needed to be saved. They asked for reinforcements. They also wanted to find out more about the inhabitants of this planet.

On November 22, the reinforcements arrived. They scanned the planet for the most populous cities. Their test subjects would come from them. The next night, they started abducting their subjects.

Their first was Helen Woc, age 73 from Jacksonville, Florida. She stood 5' 4" and weighed 129 pounds. Her husband had died six months ago. She had two sons and three grandchildren. She currently suffered from osteoporosis and arthritis, almost to the point where she could hardly walk.

Twyla Phelps, age 28 from Charlotte, North Carolina, stood 5' 5" and weighed 185 pounds. She was eight and a half months pregnant with her first child. She was single.

Scott Oldham, age 61, from Baltimore, Maryland, was an English professor at Coppin State University. He stood 5' 9" and weighed 185 pounds. He had been married for twenty-four years.

Christian Lambert, age 31 from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, drove a garbage truck. He stood 6' 1" and weighed 335 pounds. He was single. He slept with a CPAP due to a case of sleep apnea. The machine was left behind.

Chloe Van Dyke, age 38 from New York, New York, was an aerobics instructor at Gold's Gym. She stood 5'1" and weighed 110 pounds. She was married for four years.

Francis Kolar, age 71 from Boston, Massachusetts, was a retired mechanic. He stood 5' 6" and weighed 171 pounds. He and his wife had recently celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. He had a son, two daughters, and five grandchildren.

Cassidy Kohlmann, age 18 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was a college student at the University of Toronto. She stood 5' 10", and weighed 131 pounds. She was single.

Quincy Johnson, age 33, was taken from the Mound Correctional Facility in Detroit, Michigan. He was incarcerated for killing his wife. He was African-American, stood 5' 10" and weighed 186 pounds.

Barbara McBride, age 47 from Columbus, Ohio, was a struggling artist forced to live in a homeless shelter. She stood 5' 5" and weighed 141 pounds. She was recently divorced.

Wayne Higgenbottom, age 54 from Memphis, Tennessee, was confined to a wheelchair. He survived on disability pay, but that had been slashed recently as well. He was 5' 7" and weighed 215 pounds. He had been divorced for the past four years. He had one son and one grandson. His wheelchair was left behind.

Neveah Arceneaux, age 30 from New Orleans, Louisiana, was a bankruptcy court judge. She was African-American, stood 5' 6" and weighed 212 pounds. She had been in a relationship for the past two years.

Luisa Esquivel, age 45 from Houston, Texas, ran a daycare center out of her house. She was Hispanic, stood 5' 7" and weighed 170 pounds. She was divorced two years ago. She had three sons.

Benjamin and Tracy Lundquist were from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was CEO of Household Bank. He was 42, stood 6' 2", and weighed 198 pounds. She was a housewife. She was 41, stood 5' 7", and weighed 166 pounds. They had been married for seventeen years and had two children, a son and a daughter.

Wyatt Saunders, age 39 from Chicago, Illinois, was a police officer. He stood 6' and weighed 202 pounds. He was married for eleven years with a daughter.

Isabella Wilson, or Bella as she wanted to go by ever since Twilight came out, age 26 from Indianapolis, Indiana, was a secretary. She stood 5' 3" and weighed 118 pounds. She had been in a relationship for the past ten months.

Marc Ouellette, age 24 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a construction worker. He stood 6'6" and weighed 256 pounds. He had been engaged for the past two months. His wedding was set for Valentine's Day.

Robin DeMicco, age 20 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a waitress at Mom's Diner. She stood 5' 4" and weighed 133 pounds. She was a vegetarian. She had just celebrated her one year anniversary with her boyfriend.

Akiko Miyake, age 47 from Seattle, Washington, was a surgeon. She was Asian, stood 5' 2", and weighed 125 pounds. She was married for twenty-one years with a daughter.

Travis Zeigler, age 18 from Portland, Oregon, was a college student at Portland State University. He stood 5' 9" and weighed 165 pounds. He was single.

SSgt. Brody Wilkes, age 36 from Las Vegas, Nevada, had just finished his service in the Marines. He stood 6' 1" and weighed 207 pounds. He was married for nine years and had a stepson and a daughter.

Jessica Schumacher, age 25 from Los Angeles, California, was an actress. She had starred in movies such as Switched at Birth and That's What Friends Are For. She had just finished filming her latest movie Final Exam. She stood 5' 5" and weighed 140 pounds. She was single.

Michael Clearwater, age 24 from Phoenix, Arizona, was a fireman. He was an Apache, stood 5' 11", and weighed 179 pounds. He was single.

Finally, Dennis George, age 50 from Denver, Colorado, was Pastor at Northwest Bible Church. He stood 5' 8" and weighed 211 pounds. He had been married for the past twenty-five years with two sons.

The aliens had set up a cube in an open area in the Nevada desert. The cube was one mile wide by one mile long by one mile high. The inside of the cube was not drab and dreary. It was made to resemble a forest, like a camping trip.

Similar cubes were set up in Siberia, the Australian outback, the African jungle, Greenland, and the Amazon jungle. Abductions such as this were taking place all over the world. People were taken from Tokyo, Delhi, Moscow, London, Cairo, Sydney, Rio de Janiero, and other populous countries. In total, one hundred forty-four people were abducted.

The people were transported to their respective cubes. Each person was given sleeping quarters thirty feet by thirty feet. They were provided a bed, a toilet, a shower and a sink. They were also provided clothing for the morning. Considering one of them slept in the buff, this was needed.

# CHAPTER TWO

DON'T GET MAD...

Still asleep, the twenty-four were transported to the cube, each in a separate bed. The ladies were placed on one side of the cube; the gentlemen were placed on the other.

Before being transported, all of them were given a treatment for any afflictions they had. Wayne was given the ability to walk. Christian was also given a treatment to cure his sleep apnea. Helen's crippling pain was taken away. Scott, who wore glasses, now had 20/20 vision.

All had a device placed on their ears and throat. This was a universal translator that would allow any spoken word to be translated to their native language.

Around six o'clock, the first of them, Chloe, woke up to her strange new surroundings. She let out a loud scream. This set off a chain reaction that woke up the other ladies.

Thirty minutes later, Scott woke up and let out a similar yell, waking the rest of the men. Wayne let out another yell, this one of happiness. For the first time in four years, he was able to walk.

Quincy felt something unusual on his head. Not knowing what it was, he ripped off the translator.

At eight o'clock, a voice rang out throughout the cube.

"Everyone needs to meet in the center of the cube. All will be explained then."

While everyone understood what the voice said, all Quincy heard was a bunch of gibberish. He did hear other voices that he could understand. He followed those voices to the center of the cube.

At the center of the cube was a dinner table with twenty-four chairs. The table was forty feet long by ten feet wide and made from pine. Ten chairs were placed on each of the long sides, two on the short sides.

One by one, they sat. Benjamin and Tracy ran to each other when he saw her. The other married people wondered why their spouses were left behind.

At nine o'clock, a full breakfast buffet was beamed to the table. There were pancakes, bacon, ham, eggs, sausage, toast, fruit, juices, milk and coffee. Some were hesitant to eat. Others were quick to load up a plate.

After breakfast, the voice appeared again. They could hear him, but couldn't see him.

"No harm will come to you. You may call me Levi. I come from the planet Qadaris. We received an invitation from your planet. You are merely being studied."

"Studied?"

"We have seen that yours is a primitive world. A world with a primal race of people. We have come to make your world a better place. Before we can do that, we must know more about you. For the next two weeks, we will find out more about what makes you tick."

Cassidy slept with her cell phone. She tried to call her parents.

"Your methods of communication won't work inside the cube. Speaking of communication, I see that one of you has removed his translator. In order to understand us, you must wear it. Can one of you tell him to put his translator back on?"

Another translator appeared in front of Quincy. Once he put it on, he was able to understand everything.

Levi explained that meals would be served every day at nine, one and six o'clock.

Meanwhile outside of the cube, Chloe's husband Shawn noticed her missing from bed. He thought she was out for her morning run. However, when she didn't return four hours later, he knew something was wrong. He called the New York City Police department to file a missing persons report.

The police told him that a report couldn't be filed until the person had been missing for more than forty-eight hours.

Around the world, the same thing happened. People woke up to missing spouses or family members. They called the police and were given the same speech.

Back inside the cube, the twenty-four got to know each other better. If they were going to spend the next two weeks together, they may as well know who they were staying with.

When Travis found out that Jessica Schumacher was in the group, he got all giddy. "OMG! I've seen all of your movies. I'm a huge fan of yours. My friends are gonna be so jellin' that I met the Jessica Schumacher."

Christian refused to stand up. You see, the clothing provided by the Qadarians was form fitting, hugging every last curve, and Cassidy had plenty of curves. Looking at her or anyone else was like looking at them naked. Christian was aroused at the sight of this and was embarrassed to show it.

When Brody told them he served in the Marines, Francis told him he served in the Navy during Vietnam. When Wyatt said he was a cop, Quincy panicked. He explained that he was in jail and why he was there.

For the next few hours, they shared stories. At one o'clock, a plate of meats, cheeses, and breads appeared on the table.

After lunch, Levi came back.

"The first thing we noticed about your planet was it was full of anger. We want to know what causes the anger. What makes you angry?"

Twyla was the first to speak up. "Gary makes me angry. We dated for six months. We were talking about moving in together. We had the perfect relationship.

"Then, that son of a bitch got me pregnant. I never saw a man run so fast when I told him the news. I guess that immature little prick couldn't be a man and own up to his responsibility. He left me to have this kid all by myself. You better believe once this kid is born, I'm going to sue his ass for child support."

Quincy spoke next. "Well, I would say killing my wife and her lover would be enough to make me angry. Veronica and I were happily married for seven years. At least, I thought we were happily married.

"That was until I saw that bitch in bed having sex with our electrician. She didn't see me, but I saw enough. I didn't think; I just acted. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a meat cleaver. I ran back to the bedroom and barged in. I reared back and hacked into the electrician. As she screamed in terror, I hacked into her. Repeatedly, I sliced her neck until she was decapitated.

"When I saw the end result, I dropped to my knees. What had I done? My anger had gotten the better of me."

"It's like my father always says," Michael said. "'He who angers you conquers you.' When I was in high school, the jocks would always taunt me about my race. They called me 'kemo sabe' and 'Plays with Self'. I never let them get the best of me.

"When they saw they couldn't get to me, they started taunting my girlfriend. Again, I didn't let them get to me. Then, they put their hands on Serena. That was something my upbringing said you never do.

"I got suspended for a week for fighting, but I made sure they never messed with me or Serena ever again."

"I got mad when I was violated," said Chloe. "I had an important flight from New York to Dallas. I got stopped by security. I knew my belt buckle set off the alarm. I took off my belt and went through again.

"I had no metal on me, yet the alarm went off again. They pulled me aside into a secluded room. They said I had to strip down to my bra and panties. I asked why. I had no metal on me. They said it was regulation.

"Reluctantly, I did. They told me to face the wall with my hands over my head and my legs spread. They groped my breasts and grabbed my ass. As I had told them repeatedly, they found nothing. I got dressed and just barely made my flight.

"I wonder how many other women they did this to. I'm considering filing a civil suit again the airport."

Francis was next to speak up. "I'm mad at the government. All they do is look out for themselves. They are all about how much they can make. They don't care what happens to Joe White Collar.

"When the government defaulted on the national debt, they did away with Social Security and Medicare. I have a heart condition. How am I supposed to afford my medication? If anything happens to my house, I can't afford an apartment or a retirement center. I would have to ask one of my kids to stay with them. They don't need the burden.

"In the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln said 'that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth'. Looks like he was wrong, because today, government is of party loyalty, by the highest bidder, for themselves."

"Sounds like what I have to go through every day," Jessica said. "Picture what it's like to have someone taking your picture everywhere you go. The paparazzi are there whenever I go out to eat, whenever I go shopping, whenever I go anywhere. I'm afraid to take my clothes off to take a shower, wondering if they are waiting to take my picture.

"They're nothing but a disgusting group of vultures looking for fresh meat to prey on. I thought the Constitution gave the right to privacy.

"If I did this to a guy on the street, it would be considered stalking, and I would be arrested. Yet if they take hundreds of pictures of me when I'm home alone or with my friends, it's legal. Where is the justice in that?

"The strange thing is, I actually feel safer here than outside. At least here I know those leeches can't get to me. I can do whatever I want here and not have to look over my shoulder for a camera going off." That put a smile on Travis's face.

Wyatt said, "Don't get me started on justice. About two years ago, we had a report about a guy who was molesting nine and ten-year-old girls. Having a daughter about that age, I was incensed.

"When we finally arrested him, it took every ounce of restraint to keep from beating him within an inch of his miserable life. I knew, though, if I did act on my thoughts, this perp would claim police brutality and walk.

"Fortunately, as what happens to most sex offenders, prison justice was served. He survived six months of his thirty year sentence before one of the inmates killed him."

"What is it about guys and sex?" Cassidy said. "Is that all they think about?

"When I was in high school, guys tried their best to talk me into having sex with them, like I was some kind of trophy, a conquest. Sorry guys, I'm going to have sex when I'm ready, not when you want it."

"Were you giving them any signals thinking they had a chance?" Travis asked.

"No. Just typical guys misreading my friendly nature," she replied.

"I understand you being upset, but don't judge the lot of us by our worst examples."

Luisa spoke up in a thick Spanish accent. "Where is a good example? I thought I had one with my husband Emilio. We were married for eleven years. He gave me three children.

"Then, one day out of the blue, he asks me for a divorce. He said he just didn't feel the same way as he did when we were first married. I granted him the divorce.

"He left town without as much as a forwarding address. In the year and a half since the divorce was finalized, I have yet to see a single penny in alimony or child support. If anyone can find that deadbeat son of a bitch, I would gladly give them the back payments for the chance to tell him and show him how I really feel."

"I know how it is to get nothing from a no-good husband," Barbara said. "I married Jack as his business was starting to increase. He was a home builder.

"While he was making all his money, my artwork wasn't selling as well. He had the nerve to say I wasn't pulling my weight in our relationship.

"Then, the economy took a nosedive, and so, too, did the housing market. Between foreclosures and lack of interest in new houses, he was driven out of business. He had the nerve to ask for my money from the few paintings I did sell.

"We separated soon afterwards. He refused to give up the house, so I had nowhere to go. I got a small apartment, a far cry from what I was used to. That didn't last for long. I couldn't find a job. That is how I ended up in the homeless shelter."

Now, it was Benjamin's turn. "I know a thing or two about the housing market. Nothing annoys me more than when someone comes in wanting a huge loan for a car or house, then not having the means to pay it back.

"Do they think I'm just giving money away? Am I that stupid? I'm trying to run a bank, and to have someone asking for twenty thousand or a hundred thousand dollar loan while making nine dollars an hour insults my intelligence."

"Shortly after my husband Alan, God rest his soul, turned sixty-five," Helen said, "he was laid off from his job on the assembly line. Never mind he was one of the hardest, more dependable workers for the company.

"They wanted to cut payroll and yet keep the same number of employees. So, what better way than to cut loose one of their senior associates on the high end of the pay scale and hire an entry-level person at base pay.

"What about employee loyalty? Pride in workmanship? Nope. It's all about the almighty dollar, how many you can make and how many you can save."

"My wife Dolores and I were so happy," Wayne said. "She was a substitute teacher; I was a flight instructor, teaching people to fly small single-engine planes.

"That was until the accident that left me paralyzed. As the medical bills piled up and the income dwindled, I could see the spark fade from her eyes.

"Eventually, the responsibility of taking care of a handicap was too much for her. She left in the middle of the night. She basically took the coward's way out and left me to fend for myself."

Levi responded, "Thank you for the explanation. As I look around, I have another question. Are you different species?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"Well, some of you have darker skin than others?"

This offended Neveah and Quincy. "Excuse me?"

"On our planet, everyone looks the same. There are no darker or lighter, tall or short. I meant no offense."

Brody decided to ask a question. "Can you tell us a little about your planet?"

"Well, our world is close to yours in size. We are a population of thirty million people. Our day is equivalent to thirty-seven hours and twenty-one minutes of yours. Our year is equivalent to two hundred fifty-nine days and four hours of yours."

"What about your appearance? Why don't you show yourself?"

"Enough questions for today. Now, we understand today is your day of 'Giving Thanks'."

"You mean Thanksgiving."

"Yes. Well, we have prepared a traditional earth 'Thanks giving' feast."

On the table appeared a huge twenty-pound turkey with all the fixings. Sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn on the cob, rolls, and pumpkin pie.

As they ate, others shared their stories of anger.

After he said grace, Dennis said, "When I think of anger, I think of the story of Cain and Abel. They were brothers and the sons of Adam and Eve.

"Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 1: 'Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, 'With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.''

"Verse 2: 'Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.' Verse 3: 'In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.'

"Verses 4 and 5: 'And Abel also brought an offering of fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.'

"Verses 6 and 7: 'Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.''

"Verse 8: 'Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let's go out to the field.' While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.'

"Cain was jealous of the favor and attention that his brother Abel was getting from God. His anger led him to kill his brother."

"I know what betrayal is all about," Travis said. "I dated Lexie Montgomery my senior year. We had even talked about getting married one day.

"But I got accepted to Portland St., and she went to Oregon St. My best friend Bradley Rausch also got accepted to Oregon St.

"We tried to make the long distance relationship work. Lately, her roommate answered the phone when I called. She was always out.

"Right before Finals Week, I went to visit her. I found out why she never returned my calls. She was seeing Bradley behind my back. I ended the relationship on the spot."

"At least you got to go to college," Marc said. Well, he said it in French, but thanks to the translator, everyone heard it in English. Likewise, all the others' comments were translated into French for him. "I was all set to go to Central Michigan on a basketball scholarship.

"In our next to last game, I was having a great game, with twenty-eight points and eleven rebounds. Then, with five minutes in the game, someone from the other team dove for a loose ball and hit me in the knee.

"I crumbled to the ground in major pain. I tried to stand, but fell again. The doctor told me I had a torn ACL.

"When the Chippewas learned of my injury, they revoked my basketball scholarship. I couldn't afford the tuition on my own, my parents made too much to qualify for grants, and my grades weren't good enough for academic scholarships. That is why I'm a construction worker now."

"Sounds like my employers," Scott said. "They feel that because you play athletics that academics don't matter. There is a reason they are called student-athletes, with the emphasis on student.

"I don't believe in giving someone a passing grade they didn't earn. Others had to struggle to find the means to attend college; others earned the right with their grades. And these overpriviliged athletes think they can be given a free ride and cruise through without doing the work. Not on my watch."

"I had just the opposite happen to me in college," Neveah said. "It seemed to me that some of the professors gave me a harder time than the others because I was black and they were white.

"While some of them got easy assignments, they seemed to give me the more difficult cases to study. Actually, I shouldn't be mad at them. All they did was make me work harder and make me a better student and judge.

"Still, it felt like a case of discrimination. For the sake of the university, I kept my beliefs to myself."

"This seems petty compared to some of yours," Tracy said. "My neighbor has a yapping little dog.

"A dog who loves to dig holes in my backyard and leave presents in my front yard. I've stepped on them on more than one occasion.

"I've warned them time and time to keep their dog in their own yard. And time and time again, those warnings fell on deaf ears.

"Finally, I called the dog catcher when I saw it taking a dump on my lawn. My neighbor no longer speaks to me."

"At least the dog catcher didn't kill him, I hope," Robin said. "Nothing makes me madder than seeing innocent animals killed for no good reason.

"Besides being a vegetarian, I'm also active in PETA. Killing chickens, cow and pigs for food is bad enough. Killing animals for their fur is cruel and inhumane. How can a mink or a chinchilla defend itself?

"Or killing elephants for its ivory? Whales for its blubber? When will the madness stop? Animals have rights, too. Just because they can't speak up and defend their rights is no reason to ignore them."

"The only time I ever get angry is at myself," Akiko said. "Every time I lose a patient on the operating table, I say to myself, 'What could I have done better to save him?'

"I know I'm not perfect. I know I can't save everyone that comes in. I want to use everything my training has taught me to save as many lives as I can."

"Alright, who hasn't gone yet? Christian?"

"Well, I have been rather large most of my life. It really made me mad anytime someone would tease me about my weight.

"Gym class was especially rough. They would always laugh at me when I couldn't do a single pull-up. I always finished last in races, and the other kids would say things like 'Hurry up, fat boy' and 'Let's run again. I bet we can still beat him.'

"Even the girls made fun of me. None would talk to me, not even to get me out of her way."

"Anyone else? Brody?"

"Well, I come from a long line of military Wilkeses. My dad served in the Marines. My uncle served in the Marines. My grandfather served in the Marines.

"So, when the terrorists attacked on 9/11, the patriot in me knew I had to do my fair share to make every last one of them pay. That was when I enlisted.

"I got even more angry when I was deployed to Iraq instead of Afghanistan. I still killed any enemy I saw overseas."

"I guess that just leaves me," said Bella. "I was driving along one day, just minding my own business when I got rear-ended by some idiot.

"Luckily, I wasn't hurt, but by the time I got out to see the damage, I could see him driving away. I didn't even have time to jot down his license plate.

"I knew he didn't have insurance, and all I had was liability. My fender was all dented up. It had to be at least a few hundred dollars to repair coming out of my pocket."

After talking for a bit more, they left for bed.

Meanwhile, the Qadarians were making plans of their own. Tomorrow, they would reveal themselves to the rest of the world.

# CHAPTER THREE

GREEN, THE COLOR OF MORE THAN MONEY

It was six o'clock on the morning of Black Friday. Some of the women's natural alarm clocks had woken them up. Too bad they could not go shopping.

Chloe's natural alarm clock woke up for her morning jog. She ran one lap around the cube.

New clothing was provided by the Qadarians. It would be provided every day. When they got dressed in the clean clothes, they met at the table for breakfast. Again, it was a spread like they had the day before.

The Qadarians felt it was time to introduce themselves to the rest of the human race. Six ships descended on London, Beijing, Sydney, Rio de Janiero, Cairo, and Washington, D.C.

When they decloaked the ships, every channel on TV showed the footage, from CBS and FOX to ESPN and TBS to QVC and Lifetime Movie Channel. Basically, every channel in the book showed it, even the premium channels.

The ships were each shaped like an arrowhead. They measured two and a half miles long by one mile high by one mile wide. Slowly, they descended to a hover about fifty feet above the ground.

A ramp was lowered to the ground in front of the White House. The Qadarians showed themselves to humanity for the first time.

They averaged about 7' 6" in height and 150 pounds. They were tall, gangly and humanoid. They had three fingers on each hand and three toes on each foot. They were pale grey in complexion. They lacked ears, hair, nose and genitalia. Their eyes were slightly larger than a human's and lacked an iris, just a dark pupil. Their mouth was slightly smaller than a human's.

In the cube, the humans wore the translators to be understood by the Qadarians. Outside, the aliens wore universal translators so the humans could understand them.

Meeting them outside the White House were President Martin Sinclair and President-elect Dorothy Wheeler, who had defeated Sinclair in the election a few weeks ago.

"Greetings. We come from the planet Qadaris. You may call me Tobias. I'm the leader of the Qadarians. We received a beacon from Eli Offenberger and responded. Is he here?"

They did some research to find the whereabouts of Dr. Offenberger, the man in charge at the VLA.

"Dr. Offenberger died a few years ago from a brain aneurysm," President Sinclair said.

"It was he that sent the signal that led us to your planet. We have observed your race for the past few weeks. Yours is a primitive world with a primal race of people. We are not here to judge. In fact, we have the technology to make your race better."

"Such as?"

"We have seen much talk in your news about diseases such as cancer and AIDS. We have a vaccine that can cure any viral or bacterial disease."

"Even the common cold?"

"Yes."

"Forgive me for being skeptical. I would need to see proof before I agree to distribute this to the general public."

Using an amplifier so that everyone within earshot could hear, "Is anyone here sick?"

A man walked forward who was suffering from walking pneumonia. Tobias met him. He handed him a red tablet and asked him to take it. The man swallowed the tablet. Fifteen minutes later, he was symptom-free.

"We will be in touch to set up stations across your planet."

Tobias ascended the ramp back into the ship. The ramp rose, and the ship took off.

Among the people who saw the display was Howard Whistler, an unemployed postal employee from Newark, New Jersey. He was a man filled with hate, hate toward the post office, hate toward the government, and hate toward anyone who disagreed with his point of view.

He didn't trust these aliens as far as he could throw them. He had seen many movies and TV shows that portrayed aliens as exterminators, only here to rid themselves on the planet's occupants and take what they can carry.

He knew he couldn't take on the aliens himself. So, he started a blog voicing his opinion and his plan to send them packing.

Back inside the cube, the twenty-four had just finished lunch when Levi spoke to them.

"Good day. The information you gave us yesterday was very helpful. Today, we want to know about an emotion similar to anger: jealousy or envy. Can you give us an example of a time when you were jealous or envious?"

Neveah was the first to speak. "I admit. I was jealous when I saw my man looking at another woman. If he is with me, his eyes should be focused on me and me only.

"By looking at another woman, he is telling me I'm not good enough for him, that he wants to be with somebody else. When I caught him, he denied it. We fought the whole way home."

Pastor Dennis was next. "When I think of jealousy, I'm reminded of the story of Saul and David.

"After David had slain Goliath, he was in good graces with King Saul. That was until they returned home.

"1 Samuel, Chapter 18, Verse 6: 'When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.' Verse 7: 'As they danced, they sang: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.''

"Saul was jealous that they liked David more than him. He thought might lose his kingdom. Saul had asked his son to kill David. Instead, he warned David about his father desire.

"David left to see the prophet Samuel. On three different occasions, Saul sent men to kill David. Each time, the men joined Samuel in worshipping God. Finally, Saul himself went to kill David. He, too, joined Samuel in worshipping God.

"Saul continued his jealous pursuit of David. In the end, David had an opportunity to kill Saul. He cut off a corner of Saul's robe. , but did not kill him. He confronted Saul afterward and told him he could have, but he would not betray his master.

"Saul saw the error of his way and left David live. In return, David swore not to kill him."

"For years, I have been trying to get on any kind of game show," Twyla said. "I applied to Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, Millionaire, Deal or No Deal, The Price Is Right. If it was a game show, I tried to get on it.

"And every single time I tried, I got denied. How could some of these people have gotten on over me? I'm smarter than them, more entertaining than them.

"I deserve to play Final Jeopardy or Plinko. I deserve to use a lifeline. I deserve to win!"

"I know what you mean, Twyla," Chloe said. "I've been trying to get on a reality show for years.

"Like you, I've tried them all. My husband doesn't want to do The Amazing Race. I've been turned down several times for Survivor and Big Brother. Fortunately, I don't need to go on The Biggest Loser or The Bachelorette.

"I even tried out for The X Factor last year. I know I'm not the greatest singer, but I'm not bad. Apparently, Britney and Simon didn't think I was good enough to make it past the first round.

"Sooner or later, they will make a reality show that I will be on. I will keep trying until I make it. I'm not a loser; I'm a winner."

"I wish I could get on The Biggest Loser," Christian said. "I've tried every kind of diet out there. No matter what I try, I just can't lose weight.

"Meanwhile, my friend Leon Douglass can eat whatever he wants and never gains a pound. I hate him!

"I wish I could afford liposuction or gastric bypass surgery. Not on a garbage man's salary. And my insurance doesn't cover elective surgery."

"I wish my insurance covered the surgery I wanted," Bella said. "I get jealous when I see guys staring at girls with big boobs.

"I mean, look at mine. They barely make a bump on my shirt. I've got nothing.

"Because of them, I lost out on some dates with guys I really wanted to go out with. They wanted the dumb blond with the big boobs, not the smart brunette with no curves.

"If I had implants, maybe those guys would have liked me. I know I would feel better."

"Don't say that," Michael said. "You're beautiful just the way you are. Don't let anyone tell you different. You were created as you are for a reason. If guys can't appreciate you for you, then they don't deserve you."

"You sound like my dad."

"He sounds like a wise man."

"I'm jealous of vegans," Robin said. "I so want to go vegan. It's not just enough to not eat anything with a face. I want to say I don't eat anything that came from something with a face."

"So, why don't you just go vegan?"

"Because I'm weak. I gotta have my cheese. Cheese makes anything taste better. If I had to give up cheese, I'd just as soon stop eating."

"I get so jealous of those who get everything handed to them on a silver platter," Quincy said.

"My mom had to work two full-time jobs just to make ends meet for me and my four brothers and sisters, and still we went without some of life's luxuries. Meanwhile, some people don't have to lift as much as a finger and get whatever they want.

"Even today, before I went to jail, I had to work a full-time and a part-time job to cover my bills. Yet Veronica did absolutely nothing but spent what little I had left over. In fact, she went over budget and expected me to make up the difference. Life isn't fair."

"My first quarter at the University of Toronto," Cassidy said, "I pledged a sorority, Delta Zeta. It seemed like a respectable group of women.

"Little did I know they were jealous of me. They told me about a party they were planning that weekend. It had a beach theme, with everyone wearing their swimsuits.

"I wore my best swimsuit, a royal blue one-piece. I was rockin' that outfit.

"I knocked on the door. Sissi LaRoche, the rush chairwoman, opened the door and showed me to the room where the party was taking place.

"I walked in. Sissi shut the door. I saw I was the only one there wearing a swimsuit. Everyone else was dressed up.

"I tried to open the door, but she had locked it. I was bawling my eyes out. I had never been that embarrassed in my entire life.

"Whether they wanted me or not, I wanted nothing more to do with that bunch of jealous hags."

"I've been friends with Duane Gilliam since I was in grade school," Benjamin said. "But there is a part of him that always has to one-up me.

"Last year, I bought a forty inch HD-TV. He had to buy a forty-six inch 3D-TV with surround sound.

"For my anniversary, I bought Tracy a gold necklace. For his, he bought his wife diamond earrings.

"Even as kids... I had GoBots. He had to have Transformers. I had a Nintendo. He had a PlayStation.

"He could never let me get the best of him. He always had to show he was better than me.

"Well, I'm CEO of a major bank and he is a chiropractor. Think I won in the end."

"I had a friend I was jealous of," Travis said. "His name was Garrett Sambuco. He was a linebacker on our football team.

"I was the quarterback, and yet, he was more popular than me. He dated the prettiest girl in school after she shot me down.

"And he got better grades than me. I know he didn't study much, between football practice and his job at Applebee's.

"How did he do it? How does he get everything he wants while putting zero effort into it?"

"I get jealous almost every time I leave the house," Michael said. "Ever since Serena dumped me after high school, I can't help but feel that way whenever I see a happy couple.

"I haven't found anyone like her since then. Every time I see a couple holding hands in public or kissing in public, I can't help but wish it was me.

"I know that one day I will be that happy, but it's not today. I don't know when it will be. Until then, I will dream of that day."

"There was an opening for Captain in our precinct," Wyatt said. "I was the best qualified for the position, so I applied for it.

"A number of others did, too. One of them was a slacker named Kent Edwards. He didn't care about the job. He could do it; he just chose to give it about half effort.

"He was also known as an ass-kisser, a brownnoser. Willing to suck up to anyone who could advance his career.

"Well, I guess it paid off because he got that promotion over me. Guess it's not what you know but who you know to get ahead in life."

"When I was filming Separated at Birth," said Jessica, "I played a character named Hannah Chapman. She was jealous of her adopted brother.

"She was in love with him, but he wanted nothing to do with her. When she found him dating another woman, she killed him.

"Later, she fell in love with her adopted sister when they roomed together in college. When she caught him with a man, she tried to kill both him and her sister.

"In the end, she was the one who was killed. A victim of jealousy."

"My younger brother could get away with murder when we were kids," Brody said. "He could color on the wall with crayon and never get punished. But if I left one scuff on the floor, my mom would chew my head off.

"Then, there was the time he broke my mom's crystal vase, and he blamed me for it. I denied it, but whose side did she take? His, of course.

"Even now, I served my country proudly, and he still lives with them, never having to pay rent or food. He doesn't even try to look for a job. They say nothing to him.

"And yet, if I were to ask them for five bucks, it would be as though I was asking for their life savings."

The other eleven told similar stories about their encounters with jealousy.

When they finished their stories, the Qadarians created a meatloaf dinner for them, with scalloped potatoes and asparagus.

As night fell on the cube, the twenty-four had started bonding. It was almost like Chloe got her wish. It had a Big Brother or a Real World kind of feel to it.

Outside of the cube, construction began on the first of the curing tents in New York, D.C., and Miami.

And in New Jersey, Howard checked to see how many hits his blog had. It was up to four thousand seven hundred twelve by ten o'clock. His cult grew by the minute.

# CHAPTER FOUR

ARE YOU SCARED?

Everyone slept a bit better their second night. They were more accustomed to their surroundings.

As Chloe began her morning run, she was joined midway by Michael. As they passed his pod, Wayne joined the run. He hadn't run in five years. Now, he was like a little kid.

Also that morning, the first of the curing tents opened in Central Park in New York City. The red tablets were being given away to those with life-threatening diseases first. Diseases such as cancer and AIDS. Next on the list would be those with crippling diseases, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

Once those who were most seriously affected were treated, it would be made available to the general public. It was being called a miracle cure, a cure-all for anything from hepatitis and diabetes all the way down to the common cold.

Curing tents were also being set up in Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Montreal, just to name a few. There was also talk about making the miracle cure available for hospitals to distribute.

Meanwhile, the Qadarians were discussing Phase Two to help in the recovery of earth. A way to stimulate the waning economy of most of the nations.

Tobias visited with President Sinclair and President-elect Wheeler about a way to create a green, viable fuel source from water. A fuel that could be used as a form of gasoline.

In New Jersey, Howard was gaining support from all over the planet. His blog now reached thirty thousand plus hits.

Throughout the country, loved ones had now been missing for forty-eight hours. They went to the police to file missing person's reports.

News spread fast on the number of missing reports suddenly appearing. Howard took note of this and added this to his blog, saying it was the aliens who abducted them. That was how they knew their 'miracle cure' would work, by using them to study our anatomy.

Within minutes of him posting this, his hit rate quadrupled. He had his army. Now, it was time to come up with a plan to send the aliens home.

Back in the cube, Levi addressed the twenty-four again.

"Good day. I hope you aren't too inconvenienced. We want to make you feel as comfortable as possible. The information you are sharing with us is helping immensely.

"For today's topic, we would like to know about what you call fear and how you overcome it."

"As a surgeon, I'm always scared of something going wrong in the operating room," said Akiko. "With the economy in such bad shape, people are willing to sue for just the slightest hint of malpractice."

"It's my job to do everything I can to help a patient get better. I do my job to the best of my abilities, but sometimes, even my best can't save someone.

"You just can't please all of the people all of the time. We just do what we can not to make the situation worse."

"As my father would always tell me," Michael said, "'The brave man is not he who is not afraid, but he who conquers that fear.'

"I get scared every time the alarm rings and we are called out to a fire. There always a chance I will get hurt or possibly killed.

"It's my job to put out fires and save those injured. I took an oath, and my word is my bond. Plus, I owe it to my fellow firefighters who put their lives on the line as well to push through my fear."

"Nothing says fear like thinking you are about to die," said Wayne. "Luckily, I was only paralyzed.

"I got a huge rush out of jumping from an airplane. I had done it, like, thirty times. That was, until the accident.

"My chute was packed like I normally did. The flight went off without a hitch. The jump was perfect.

"When I went to pull the ripcord, my chute didn't open. I panicked; I pulled on the ripcord until I eventually pulled it out.

"By the time I pulled the secondary ripcord and the emergency chute opened, I had descended too low. The force I hit the ground with caused both tibias to fracture, as well as a fracture in my T-12 and L-1 vertebrae.

"I knew with my legs broken, I couldn't move them. Only when I got to the hospital was I told that I would never walk again.

"Considering I didn't expect to live after that fall, I took that disheartening news with a sigh of relief. Just because I couldn't walk didn't mean I couldn't function. I was alive. That was all that mattered to me."

"Don't mention flying to me," Benjamin said. "After my last experience, I'm afraid to ever get on a plane again.

"There were no problems with the take-off. The first third of the flight was fine, too.

"All of a sudden, we dropped quickly. The pilot told us that one of the engines had failed and that we needed to make an emergency landing.

"I was so scared that we would crash, that I would never see my wife and kids again.

"Luckily, there was an airport nearby in Santa Fe that we could land at. They offered us a change of flight at no cost. I decided that I was done with flying and took the Greyhound the rest of the way to Phoenix.

"Was I late? Yes. Was I alive? Yes. Ever since then, I can't get onto a plane."

"I'm afraid of something happening to one of my kids," said Luisa. "That happened once, and I freaked.

"I was serving peanut butter cookies for snack time. Unfortunately, one of the kids was allergic to peanuts. After one bite, he had trouble breathing. His throat was swelling shut.

"If not for one of my helpers knowing about allergies and having an EpiPen handy, he could have died. And I would have been facing a lawsuit that would have shut my business down.

"Since then, I make the parents fill out an application that asks for any information that may be relevant, including allergies."

"I didn't plan to get pregnant," Twyla said. "I thought this would be a blessing.

"Then, Gary left me. Now I'm scared, wondering how in the world I'm going to raise this baby all by myself.

"Eventually, I'm going to need to go back to work at the beauty counter at JC Penney. Who is going to watch my baby? My mom lives in Miami, and I can't afford daycare or babysitting.

"Then, there are the clothes, the food and formula. And I can't imagine all the diapers.

"And once I have that baby, there's no man out there that's going to want to go out with me. Thank you, Gary for ruining my life, you selfish piece of shit."

"That is almost like my biggest fear," Helen said. "I was always afraid of how I would survive if anything would happen to my Alan.

"Then, it happened. About six months ago, he had a heart attack and left me alone. Now, I have to do everything around the house. All the cleaning, cooking and fixing anything that breaks.

"I don't want to put the pressure on my kids to take care of me. They have kids of their own to worry about. They don't need to worry about their mother.

"Luckily, I found an apartment that caters to the elderly. The rent is reasonable. They offer Meals on Wheels. They offer housekeeping services. There's always somebody there if anything breaks.

"It's perfect for me. Alan would have loved it, but I'm sure he is happy that I'm safe, that I'm happy."

"I wish I had something like that," Christian said. "Too bad I'm a long way away from that.

"At least I don't have to worry about losing my wife. I can't even get a woman to go out with me. I'm afraid of dying alone.

"At least when you're with someone, if something happens, you have someone to help. If I slip in the shower and knock myself out, I could drown in a few inches of water. No one to call 911.

"I just want to know what it feels like to be wanted by someone, to be needed by someone, before I die."

"I'm afraid of just the opposite," Travis said. "I'm more afraid of getting too committed. I don't want to pour my heart out to anyone.

"My parents divorced when I was thirteen. I saw the pain my mother went through, and I couldn't bear to put a woman that kind of hurt.

"That doesn't mean that I will never get married. I need to know that she is the one for me. I plan on only getting married once, and I want it to last forever. Call me crazy, but that is what I want."

"When I was in high school," Chloe said, "I was afraid of talking to boys. My mom told me that boys were only interested in one thing. So, every time a boy asked me out, I thought that was what he wanted, so I shut down. My guard was always up.

"It was only when I started dating my best friend Grant Duhon that I was able to see past that. From then on, I had no problem talking to guys."

"You know, a classic story of fear was that of Jesus walking on water," Dennis said.

"In Matthew, Chapter 14, Jesus had just fed the five thousand. He made his disciples get into a boat and leave while he prayed on a mountainside. Just before dawn, Jesus walked to them on the water. When they saw him, they were terrified. They thought they had seen a ghost.

"Verses 27-29: 'But Jesus immediately said to them, 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.' 'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.' 'Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.'

"Because he believed rather than feared him, he, too, was able to walk on the water."

"I get nervous whenever anyone presents a script to me," Jessica said. "I know that all it takes is one bad movie, and my acting career could be over. Directors would always ignore all the great work I had done and concentrate on the one bad role.

"Or just as bad, I could take a role and be typecast, hurting my chances of future roles. I mean, look at the kids from Harry Potter. Once the franchise was over, no one would hire them. All producers could see when they looked at them was Harry, Ron, or Hermione.

"I still have a lot of movies left in me. I want to do this as long as I can. I'm scared of what would happen if I couldn't act again."

"I was afraid of what would happen my first night in prison," Quincy said. "You hear all these prison stories, about prisoners getting beat up in their cells. I'm not a fighter. I only killed in an act of jealous rage.

"Or worse, I didn't want to become somebody's bitch. I never turned my back to anyone in the shower. I didn't trust my cellmate, so I had to keep home base covered."

"I kept to myself and didn't bother anyone. In return, they left me alone."

"I'm afraid of having to speak in public," Bella said. "In school, I would always freeze up whenever I had to give a speech in class.

"I tried out for the school play and would up with a major case of stage fright.

"I tried the old trick of imagining everyone in their underwear. The problem with that was sometimes, that picture was actually scarier than public speaking.

"That is why I took a job as a secretary. That way, I can talk to people and not have to face them."

"I have a paralyzing fear of heights," Cassidy said. "Even climbing a ladder is too much. I lock up more than a few feet off the ground.

"Living in Toronto, I've always wanted to go to the top of the CN Tower, but I know one look out the window one thousand eight hundred fifteen feet up and I'd lose all bodily control.

"It also makes flying impossible. Being that high up and knowing I'm stuck there until we land."

"I'm petrified of snakes and spiders," Tracy said. "I know that most of them are harmless, but they just look so icky. Every time I see one, I run away screaming my head off.

"I can't even look at them in the zoo. I know they're locked up, but the sight of them makes my skin crawl."

"When I fought in Vietnam," Francis said, "we had some intense battles. I was aboard the USS Hanson during Operation Custom Tailor.

"We entered Haiphong Harbor to suppress hostile shore batteries while other ships mined the harbor. We took on a lot of fire, especially when we had to save about a hundred twenty men who were overrun in the Mo Duc District.

"Any soldier that tells they aren't scared in battle is a liar. As much a chance as you have of killing your enemy, he also has of killing you.

"We are trained to suppress that fear to honor our commitment to our country. SSgt. Wilkes can attest to that."

"You got that right, Petty Officer Kolar," Brody said. "Each and every time we were under fire, I was scared.

"I was scared of dying not for myself, but for my family. A soldier's wife is one of the hardest lives to live. You have no guarantee that your husband will be coming home.

"Add kids to that and that is all the more reason to do everything I could to come home safely. Thankfully, I did. I was shot in combat, but the thought of my family gave me the will to come home."

"It's like that on the force, too," Wyatt said. "Every chase, every arrest has the potential to be hazardous or lethal.

"I had a colleague who was killed in the line of duty for merely pulling someone over for a speeding ticket. The guy had a gun and drew it on the officer when he asked for his license. He was shot twice in the chest.

"My wife gets scared every time I get a call at dinner. She is afraid they are calling me out and that I may not come home."

"I get scared every time I hear of a shooting at a school," Scott said. "I had just gotten my tenure when the Columbine situation happened.

"I still remember the shooting at Virginia Tech and, most recently, at Temple just last year. And those are close to where I live.

"If it can happen there, what is to stop it from happening at Coppin State? All it takes is one person with a thought of killing, and me or my students could be put in danger."

"I get scared for the future of the economy," Neveah said. "When the government defaulted on the national debt, inflation increased exponentially.

"As a result, more and more people who were able to make their payments before could barely afford the bare necessities of food, gas and heat.

"So more and more people filed for bankruptcy, both Chapter 13 and Chapter 7. My docket was overloaded.

"Then there was talk of doing away with bankruptcies given the high number of people trying to take the easy way out. That would mean I would be out of a job, another reason to be afraid."

"Especially with unemployment as high as it is, even in Canada," Marc said. "That is why I try to do everything I can to stay on my boss's good side.

"If I lose my construction job, I have nothing else to fall back on. I'm not trained to do anything else. And if I do find another job, I'm back at the bottom of the pecking order at base pay."

"I'm more concerned with the fate of the planet," Robin said. "For years, the government has denied the existence of global warming, but the facts are there. The polar caps are a fraction of what they used to be.

"The rainforests are being destroyed at the rate of ten acres an hour. Ninety percent of the species on this planet are either extinct or endangered.

"And that doesn't even count the rate of violence in this country. Every second in this country, a person is killed as a result of a violent crime.

"If we keep this up, even the Qadarians won't be able to save us."

"When my divorce with Jack was finalized," Barbara said, "I had no idea what I was going to do.

"I couldn't stay in that house with him, and he wouldn't leave. I had no living relatives. Friends didn't have the room for me to move in.

"What would I do for income? I hadn't sold a painting in over a year. How would I eat?

"If not for the homeless shelter, I surely would be dead now. I still don't have a car; I have to use public transit to go places.

"I'm still here. As long as I am, I will create art and try to make a better life for myself. Who knows how much time the shelter will give me."

"Thank you so much for all your input," Levi said.

"Can you tell us more about Qadaris? What does it look like?" Robin asked.

"Qadaris resembles your planet in a lot of ways. With the exception of the abundance of water, our worlds are quite similar."

With that, dinner appeared. There were two choices for spaghetti: meat sauce and marinara. Along with the pasta was a tossed salad and garlic bread.

Outside of the cube, the curing stations had finished being set up and started taking patients. Some were turned away at first to help those with the greatest need first. The Qadarians said all would be treated in due time that requested it.

Back in New Jersey, Howard's cult had reached a hundred thousand people worldwide. It was now time to act. He urged those in the Newark area to meet at his house in two days to begin strategizing their attack.

Night fell on the cube. Travis was still enamored over Jessica. He sat near her at every meal. He tried talking with her, but the gibberish he sputtered made little sense to her.

Michael had started to make a connection with Twyla. She was due any day now, and he was trained in child delivery.

For the first time since their abduction, Benjamin and Tracy slept in the same bed, hers.

# CHAPTER FIVE

I'M SORRY

Tobias was preparing a demonstration on changing water into fuel. President Sinclair sent one of his advisors to oversee the demonstration.

Using a machine that resembled a pump, the Qadarians lowered it into the Atlantic Ocean near Richmond, Virginia. The water was sucked into a hose and ran through a series of cycles. A few minutes later, it was emptied into a barrel as fuel.

To test it, they put the fuel in an Army Hummer and took it for a test drive. Not only was it a viable source of fuel, but it also got better mileage than ordinary gas.

Needless to say, the advisor was very impressed. He called President Sinclair to give him the results. The President ordered him to approve the acquisition of as many of those pumps as he could.

In New Jersey, Howard's cult continued to grow. He worked on the details for exposing the Qadarians for what they were, a parasite meant to live off of our needs.

In the cube, Chloe had a few more followers in her morning run. She felt like she was back at work motivating others to get healthier.

As word spread all over the world about the water-to-fuel pumps, some countries got concerned. Countries like Uganda, Afghanistan and the Czech Republic that were landlocked and would gain no income from such a machine. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, and the other OPEC countries that would stand to lose considerable money with such a plentiful resource.

Howard used that to fuel (pun intended) his campaign against the Qadarians.

Since it was Sunday, Pastor Dennis gave a sermon after breakfast.

As lunch ended, it was time for Levi to address the twenty-four again.

"Good day. Is everyone doing well? Today, we would like to know a little about what you call regret or remorse."

"My friend Julia Shafer had been feeling really depressed," Chloe said. "Her boyfriend had broken up with her. Her job was really stressing her out. In short, she said her life was going through a downward spiral.

"She told me she wanted to kill herself. She had never said anything like that to me before, so I didn't take her seriously.

"The next day, she didn't show up for work. When I drove by her house that afternoon, there was an ambulance carrying her out.

"She went through with it. I felt so responsible, like there was something I could have done to stop her. She didn't have to do this. She turned to me for help, and I shunned her. Maybe I pushed her further."

"When I was seventeen," Neveah said, "I was in a serious relationship with an older man, twenty-one, I believe. His name was Keenan Murphy. Well, one thing led to another, and I got pregnant.

"He was afraid if I had this baby, he would be arrested for statutory rape. I was afraid of becoming a mother at such a young age.

"We felt it best that I get an abortion. He was willing to pay for it to keep me quiet. We went and had the procedure done.

"A few years ago, I tried to have a child, but was unable to conceive. I went to a specialist. He told me that in the process of the abortion, damage was done to my uterus, damage that was unfixable.

"For the next month, I cried myself to sleep every night, knowing I could be a mother today if I had acted rationally. Now, I will never know that experience." She started to cry as she reminisced.

"When I was in college," Twyla said, "I was a bit of a wild child. I drank a lot; I partied a lot. Some of it I don't remember, but there is one thing I can never forget.

"When I was a senior, a group of us went to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break. Well, we had been out partying one night when a camera crew approached us.

"They didn't tell us, but they were filming for Girls Gone Wild. They asked us to flash them. I was nervous, but my friends weren't. They lifted their tops for a string of beads.

"They tried to talk me into it. In the end, I joined them and showed my boobs to the camera. Not my proudest moment. One I wish I could take back.

"Especially when my brother bought the DVD and saw me on there. I had never been that embarrassed in my life."

"In the Bible," Dennis said, "the most famous case of remorse is that of Judas Iscariot.

"Judas was asked to betray Jesus and hand him over to the priests. He was offered thirty pieces of silver.

"He led the Roman soldiers to Gethsemane to arrest Jesus for blasphemy.

"What Judas did not know was that Jesus was to be put to death. Matthew 27, Verse 3: 'When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.'

"Verse 4: ''I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility.''

"Verse 5: 'So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then, he went away and hanged himself.'"

"My son came home one day," Wayne said, "and told me that the girl he was seeing was pregnant. I asked him who the father was, hoping it wasn't him.

"Unfortunately, I was wrong. She hadn't seen anyone else. The baby was his.

"I lost it. He didn't have a job, nor did he put much effort into searching for one. How in the world was he going to support a child? Did he plan to marry this woman? I wasn't about to raise his child for him.

"Since he put zero thought into his actions, I did it for him. I kicked him out of the house and told him not to come back until he learned some responsibility.

"That was three years ago. From what I heard, he did get a job and marry this woman, but he still refuses to see me. I have never seen as much as a picture of my one and only grandson.

"It seemed like tough love, but I would take it all back just to see my grandson."

"Back in 2008," Francis said, "I heard some friends talking about a company that was growing by leaps and bounds called Facebook. Their kids and grandkids were obsessed with it. Stock options were going to be made to the public, and they asked me if I wanted in. I said yes and bought fifty shares.

"Within a year, I doubled my money. With three years, my initial investment had quintupled.

"My stock broker told me to sell while it was high. All I saw were the numbers continuing to go up. I let it ride.

"Then came the scandals about bullying on Facebook, identities being stolen on Facebook. The stock started to drop.

"But that was nothing compared to what happened when Mark Zuckerberg sold the rights to Facebook to a Japanese computer firm. In a matter of weeks, the company was disbanded.

"Stocks plummeted to almost nothing. I wish I had sold my stock when I had the chance. Instead, I was out ten thousand dollars."

"While I haven't dated many men," Bella said, "none meant more to me than Jonathan Wilder. We dated for a year. I was never happier than when I was with him.

"Then one night, we went to a fancy restaurant to dinner. I knew what he was going to ask me, and I didn't know if I was ready to take that next step.

"Sure enough, he did propose to me, on one knee and all. I was only twenty-two. I was too young to get married. There was too much of my life to live.

"Plus, I wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. I freaked out. Not only did I turn him down, I broke up with him. He ran out of the restaurant in tears, as did I.

"I have been miserable since then. I wish he was here today so that I could tell him how much he meant to me."

"You know the saying 'What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas'?" Christian said. "That isn't necessarily so.

"On my twenty-first birthday, my friends took me to Vegas. Some people get cash for their birthday; others get presents. My friends got me drunk and a hooker.

"They spent a hundred dollars for someone whose job was done in two minutes. If not for a videotape of the evening, I wouldn't have remembered a thing.

"Actually, yes I would. A few weeks later, I felt a burning sensation when I urinated. I went to the doctor, and he told me I contracted a sexually transmitted disease, chlamydia to be more specific. After a cocktail of antibiotics, I was cured."

"As I said yesterday," Jessica said, "sometimes I get scared to take a role, fearing it may shorten or end my career.

"Well, sometimes it causes me to pass up roles that would lengthen it. One such case was Reality Check. I was offered the lead female role in the movie. There was just something about it I didn't like, so I turned it down.

"As you know, Miley Cyrus took the lead, and the movie was a huge success. Miley reached mega-superstar level because of this movie, a level I have yet to reach. I think Final Exam will take me there, but I should be there already if only I had taken that role."

"There was a girl in high school, Carmella Principe, who asked me out to senior prom," Travis said. "I already had a date, but she didn't know that. My friends told me to pull a prank on her and say that I would go with her. I did.

"On the night of prom, my friends, our dates and I rode by her house in a limo. She had worked for three straight days on her prom dress. It looked like one you would buy in a fancy store.

"I stood up through the sunroof as we approached her house. Then, my date stood up and kissed me. I will never forget the look on her face. Her heart was shattered.

"My friends all laughed at their cruel prank, but I couldn't enjoy the evening, knowing I had ruined one of the most important nights of her life.

"Monday at school, I tried to explain what happened and try to make restitutions. She refused to acknowledge me. I can't blame her. I wish I had just been honest with her from the start."

"When I killed my wife," Quincy said, "I knew what I did was wrong. I wasn't thinking rationally and let my emotions take over.

"When reality hit me, I felt instant remorse. I wished that I could take it back, but there was no coming back from where she went.

"I felt so bad that I nearly took the cleaver to my own throat, but I was too distraught to follow through.

"One time in prison while folding bed sheets, I entertained the thought of tying one around my throat and throwing the other end over a rafter and pulling.

"I can never forget nor forgive myself for killing them."

"I have never told my wife this," Benjamin said. "I had gotten a new secretary, Kyla Bradshaw. The temp agency sent her over.

"For the first few months, everything seemed normal. As time went on, though, I could see a few subtle changes in her.

"She was quick to bring me my morning coffee, and not just your average store brand coffee. The expensive Starbucks coffee.

"She also dressed a bit more provocatively than normal business attire. She made sure I noticed how she looked.

"Then one morning when she brought me my coffee, she told me she loved me and wanted to be with me. She grabbed my tie and drew me in for a kiss. Our lips touched. I pushed away.

"I told her I was a happily married man, and nothing or no one was going to change that. I fired her that day for sexual harassment."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Tracy asked. "How long ago was this?"

"Six months ago. I didn't tell you because it was nothing and I was afraid you would overreact."

"Well, since we are confessing, I have a confession, too. You know our new gardener Ignacio? Well, I have been watching him work.

"I have seen him with his shirt off in the summer, with his long, dark hair. I couldn't help but think of the covers of some of my romance novels.

"In bed, when things weren't happening, I thought of him. I know it was wrong thinking of another man when I'm in bed with my husband. Can you forgive me?"

"I wondered why the sex was better these last few months. I guess if you can forgive me, I can forgive you."

After a few more stories, dinner appeared. They presented steamed tilapia, Spanish rice, salsa and spinach.

In New Jersey, Howard put the finishing touches to his plan. He would unveil them tomorrow night outside Newark Town Hall.

As night fell on the cube, Twyla felt a bit uneasy. She asked Michael to help her back to her pod. She may have had a bit too much salsa at dinner. Or maybe it was something else.

# CHAPTER SIX

LIFE ENTERS THE WORLD

About two o'clock in the morning, there was a loud yelling heard from the women's side of the cube. Ten minutes later, another.

"I think the baby is coming!" Twyla yelled.

Thankfully, Akiko was in the pod next to her and heard her screams. She ran over to attend to her.

She asked her neighbor Luisa to help get her to the center of the cube. She was already awake. Not having a cigarette in four days had caused her to have insomnia. As they helped her to the center, her water broke.

When they reached the center, Akiko asked Luisa to go find Michael to help her with the birthing.

Not knowing which pod was his, she woke each man up as she searched. After the seventh try, she finally found him. She told him that the contractions were starting and that Akiko needed his assistance.

After putting on a new jumpsuit, he ran to the table to help. He saw that she was still in the early stages and still had plenty of time.

As the others came to the table for breakfast, they found it a little difficult to eat with her suffering through her first childbirth.

Meanwhile, the power pumps caused a new crisis. With the pumps available to all nations, the nations of the world wondered how the water boundaries would be determined.

For example, the United States claimed the Pacific Ocean, but so too did Russia, China, Chile, and Japan. How much of the ocean would be made available to each country? If Russia didn't think they were given enough territory, what would be the consequences?

Likewise, the United States could lay claim to the Atlantic Ocean, but so too could Brazil, England, and the west coast of Africa. The countries of the world feared the United States would get too big of a share of the pie.

Then, there were the Arabic countries. They calculated how much money they stood to lose from the new source of fuel. They threatened to go to war with the Qadarians.

It was decided that before the first of the pumps became operational, all concerns would be voiced, and a fair agreement would be made to boost the ailing economies of all nations, not just a select few.

In Newark, the first of the followers began to arrive. Howard would hold a rally that night to unveil his plan to send the Qadarians packing. Or at least expose them as the frauds they were.

As lunch approached, Twyla was well into her labor. She had dilated to three centimeters. Michael was there holding her hand every step of the way.

After lunch, Levi spoke to the twenty-four.

"Good day. How is everyone doing today?"

"Most of us are doing fine. However, Twyla is having her baby."

"Baby? You mean reproducing?"

"Yes."

"We are curious to see how your species reproduces. How does it happen?"

Everyone there flashed back to that moment when they had to give "the talk" to their child and explain to them where babies came from. Just like then, none of them felt comfortable enough to tell them. They turned to the expert, the doctor, to provide the answer. Even Akiko was nervous, but she told them.

"The male human has a penis. The female has a vagina and ovaries. The ovaries store eggs.

"When a man and a woman engage in sexual intercourse, the man puts his penis into the woman's vagina. At the peak of arousal, the male ejaculates sperm into the female.

"Hundreds of thousands of sperm swim through until they get to the ovaries. The sperm fertilizes the egg. At that point, life is created.

"After a period of around nine months, the fetus is grown enough, and the female gives birth."

"How do you reproduce?" Scott asked.

"We aren't nearly as physical as your race is. Ours is more of what you would call an asexual reproduction. We reproduce once during our life expectancy. When we reach our thirtieth year, our fingers and toes drop off.

"Each of those grows into a new life. Each of those is a newborn Qadarian. Now that we have told you how we reproduce, we wish to see a demonstration of how you humans create the fetus."

Again, an uneasy feeling fell over the twenty-four. While they had gotten to know each other over these past four plus days, none had grown to that intimate level. One did try to "take one for the team".

"Jessica, would you like to have sex with me, just as an educational experience for them?" Travis asked.

"No way. Ew."

After talking it out, they felt the most suitable demonstration would be between the two who have had sex before, the husband and wife.

Benjamin and Tracy agreed to show them, but they couldn't do it with an audience watching. The other twenty-two turned their backs to them.

Still, they couldn't perform knowing the others were present. The others stepped away from the group.

The Lundquists took off their clothes and lay on the floor. Knowing the Qadarians were watching still hindered their efforts.

"You could always pretend I'm Ignacio," Benjamin stabbed.

"You aren't helping."

"Just making a suggestion."

It was the most awkward sex they had ever had, but the Qadarians seemed satisfied with their presentation. When they put their clothes back on, the rest returned.

Twyla's cervix had dilated to four centimeters. Michael began breathing exercises with her, exercises that she had learned in her Lamaze classes. Akiko asked the Qadarians for a few supplies to help her.

As the birthing continued, the group talked amongst themselves. The topic came up about when each person lost their virginity.

"There has only been one woman in my life," Francis said. "I met my wife Alice back in high school. We dated for several years.

"We waited until the day we were married to have sex. I was just about to set sail for Vietnam. We got married at the Justice of the Peace, and then spent the night at a motel. The next day, I left for war."

"Roy Wohlford," Barbara said. "I met him as a freshman in college at a frat party. He was interested in me in a room full of beautiful women. He made me feel special. In one foolish moment, I decided to have sex with him I never saw him again after that, but I heard he bragged about the moment to all his brothers."

"I already told you about mine," Christian said. "My friends took me out to Vegas to pop my cherry. She said her name was Bridget Kelly. You never know if a prostitute is giving their real name."

"I met Tomiichi Kojima before I moved to the United States from Japan," Akiko said, taking a break from birthing. "He was handsome, tall. He was also my next door neighbor.

"One night when our parents were away, he came over. One thing led to another. Soon, we were in bed."

"In my tribe," Michael said, "we believe that it's bad karma to have sex before marriage. I haven't had sex, and won't until I marry."

"I, too, am choosing to remain abstinent until marriage," Cassidy said. "Boys have tried, but my body is a temple, a palace no man can enter without my permission."

"Her name was Sandra Gross," Scott said. "She was my date for Prom. I had wanted to ask her out for a long time, but only then could I get up the nerve to do so.

"We rented a hotel room and spent the night there. Somehow, how I pictured it and how it happened were totally different."

"I met Edward Burke on the set of one of my first movies Fit for a King," Jessica said. "Though we didn't have any spoken lines in the same scene, we did share a few scenes. I was smitten at first sight.

"Two weeks later, production wrapped. He took me out to celebrate. That night, we had sex. He said he wanted a serious relationship with me.

"A month later, he left for a film in England. I never heard from him again."

"Well, I can say I had sex with Pamela Anderson," Wyatt said. "No, not that Pam Anderson.

"I was nineteen. She was twenty. We dated for three months before having sex. The most memorable thirty-nine seconds of my life. Two months later, she dumped me."

"Dean Krebs was in my biology class," Tracy said. "He sat behind me, slipping me notes every so often.

"We started dating. He took me up to Lookout Point. In the backseat of his Buick, I lost my virginity."

"Janet Mullenger was my date for Homecoming," Benjamin said. "We had a couple dates before the dance.

"It wasn't until after the dance that we had sex. I will never forget it. It was such a terrible experience that I didn't have sex again until I met Tracy."

"Keenan Murphy was friends with my older brother," Neveah said. "I was seventeen; he was twenty.

"He said he had a crush on me, and I was dumb enough to believe him. One night, I let him have his way with me. It hurt so much, yet he wouldn't stop no matter how much I screamed.

"A few weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. He denied being the father, but since he was my first and only, he had to be. As I said before, he made me get an abortion."

By now Twyla's cervix had dilated to six centimeters.

"Spencer Quinn was one of my first clients," Chloe said. "I worked with him once a week. Soon, it was twice a week.

"Eventually, he asked me out. I knew it was wrong to mix business with pleasure, but he seemed harmless enough.

"After a few months, we decided it was time to take the next step. That was when we had sex for the first time, my first time."

"I am reminded of the Virgin Mary," Dennis said.

"Stop. That's enough. Every day, we have been spilling stories of our personal lives and you have been quoting Bible verses, not telling us a thing about yourself. What are you hiding?" Quincy said.

"Fair enough. I met my wife Ruth when I was in Bible College. She had the voice of an angel and a voice to match.

"A year and a half later, we were married. It was only then that we consummated our relationship."

"When I was seventeen," Bella said, "I was asked out by Ryan Celce, the quarterback of our football team. He made me feel like I was special, something few others in my school did.

"That was until he had sex with me. Once that happened, he discarded me like a candy bar wrapper. He really hurt me."

"I had almost the opposite happen to me," Travis said. "When I was sixteen, my friends set me up with the school slut Shelly Grabowski.

"I knew I was done way too early, but she never let on. She kept me excited well after I was spent."

"I knew my first husband Charlie Parker since I was five years old," Helen said. "He lived just a few houses down the road from me.

"We played together as kids. When we hit high school, we started dating. For my twenty-first birthday, he proposed to me.

"We were married a year later. Only then did we finally have sex for the first time.

"I miss him so much. We were only married for a few years when he died in a car accident."

"Loretta Horowitz was my Prom date," Wayne said. "She wasn't the most popular girl in school. Then again, neither was I."

"She wasn't my first choice for Prom, but she was the only one who said yes. We had fun at the dance.

"Like so many others, we carried that fun back to the hotel room. It didn't last very long, but I will never forget it."

"I wish I could forget my first time," Luisa said. "I was a sophomore in college. I was walking home from a fraternity party. I did have a little too much to drink.

"Still, that doesn't condone what Alejandro Vargas did to me. We had gone on a few dates. He wanted to have sex with me; I wasn't ready. That didn't stop him. He forced himself on me. He held me down and ripped off my panties from under my dress. I screamed 'Stop', but he kept going.

"He stole that precious moment from me. We broke up that night, and I filed rape charges against him. Thankfully, he paid for his crime by going to jail. Not long enough, as far as I'm concerned."

"My first time was with a girl named Sheryl Rosenblum," Quincy said. "In the early nineties, it was still taboo for a black man to date a white woman, especially in Detroit.

"We never bothered anyone. To us, love had no color boundaries. We didn't care what everyone else thought.

"After a few dates, we decided the time was right for sex. It wasn't her first time, but it was mine. Both of us enjoyed that brief moment.

"In the end, we felt it best to part ways a few months afterward. Things started getting violent, not between us, but the way people reacted to us. We stayed friends, but for her safety, I broke it off."

"Celeste Thibault was a cheerleader at a rival high school," Marc said. "We first met when my basketball team played hers. I hit the game winning shot. As I fell to the ground and looked up, she was the first person I saw.

"It was love at first sight. I asked her out the moment I stood up. She said yes.

"We dated for six months before we finally had sex. We would still be together, but she left for college. I got hurt and couldn't go with her to Central Michigan."

Twyla was fully dilated. Akiko told her to start pushing. The pain was intense for Twyla. Michael stayed with her every step of the way, holding her hand and comforting her. While the Qadarians did make available the supplies needed, the one thing they couldn't provide was pain relief.

"I first met Cody Holmquist online through match.com," Robin said. "A friend of mine met her man on that site, so I figured I would give it a shot.

"After chatting a few times, we decided to meet. We hit it off instantly. It wasn't long before we were an item.

"A few months later, we felt the time was right for sex. At least it felt right at the time. After that moment, we thought otherwise.

"It was too quick to jump into that. We backed off for a while. Eventually, we went our separate ways. Guess those websites aren't always right."

"I met Kelsey Booker at basic training," Brody said. "I took a bad fall off the obstacle course and twisted my ankle pretty bad. She was the nurse that took care of me.

"After she fixed me up, I knew I had to get to know her better. I would go back making up stories of stomach cramps and such just to talk to her. Eventually, I asked her out.

"We dated a few times. The chemistry between us was something I had never felt before. One night, the passion between us just grew to the point where we had sex.

"Then, a few weeks later, she was deployed to Iraq. I still had to finish basic and couldn't go with her. If not for that, I would be married to her today and not my wife."

As Twyla continued to push, Akiko said she could see the head. After a few more pushes, the baby was born. It was a girl. Akiko used the scissors provided to her by the Qadarians to cut the cord.

Twyla was still in pain. This wasn't over yet. As Akiko looked a few minutes later, she said, "Another head is coming." Twyla was unaware she was having twins.

After a few more pushes, the second baby was born. It was a boy. "Is that it?" Twyla asked jokingly.

"I believe that is all," Akiko said.

"You did great," Michael said.

The Qadarians were watching the entire time, witnessing the miracle of birth.

"Is it normal for your species to reproduce in pairs?" Levi asked.

"No," said Akiko. "The norm is usually a single child. Sometimes, more than one egg gets fertilized that creates multiple fetuses. Other times, the fertilized egg will split into two creating twins. It's not rare, but it's not common."

As mother lay with her two newborns, she was asked what their names would be. When she first learned she was pregnant, she decided on Adam if it was a boy and Eve if it was a girl. Since she had one of each, and given the circumstances, she decided to use those names.

Now that the excitement was over, the Qadarians delivered a Chinese dinner, with shrimp fried rice, egg rolls, wonton soup, Peking duck, kung pao chicken, moo sho pork, and, of course, fortune cookies.

"Well, since everyone else had their say," Twyla said, having had time to recover, "my first was Bruce Muldoon. I was a bit of a wild child in high school, willing to go out with anyone that asked me.

"Bruce was the first, though, that wanted to have sex with me. It was a bit painful, but I enjoyed it. I decided Bruce wasn't the man I wanted to date exclusively.

"Once we broke up, he spread the rumor that I was easy, that any guy could score with me. Needless to say, I got many offers for dates, but I knew what they really wanted. I limited my dating after that."

Each of the twenty-four took turns holding the babies. Twyla asked the Qadarians for formula, diapers in abundance, and twin strollers and basinets. They obliged.

It was a happy time inside the cube.

Meanwhile in New Jersey, Howard revealed his master plan to his gathering of followers, which reached two hundred. When the curing tents were made available to the general public, a few of them would pose as patients wanting the cure-all. One would incite the Qadarians to attack. The rest of the group would fan the flame into panic and riot.

But that wouldn't be for a few days.

# CHAPTER SEVEN

WHAT IS LOVE?

For her first night as a mother, Twyla and the twins all slept well. She knew this wouldn't last long, so she enjoyed that quiet night's sleep.

Chloe's group grew to five for her morning run. Joining Wayne and Michael on the run were Robin and Marc.

In Washington, a new factor came into play regarding the use of the power pumps. Executives from BP, Exxon and Chevron pleaded their case to not use the pumps. Using them would cause most of the major oil corporations to go bankrupt and put them out of business, which would lead to the loss of thousands of jobs, only making the unemployment rate soar to new highs.

As President Sinclair presented the issue to the Qadarians, they offered their next olive branch to restore order to Earth. They unveiled their economic reform plan.

On Qadaris, they had a similar problem with greed. Those who had wanted more and more, while those who had not lost what little they had. It wasn't until their great leader Abraham was made king that this problem was fixed.

First of all, all currency would be united into one form. There would be no more dollar, yen, euro or peso. That singular unit of money would be used worldwide.

Next, there would be no rich or poor. All on the planet would be given an equal amount of the wealth. None would receive more or less than another.

"That will never be accepted in this country," President Sinclair said. "Our Congress would never approve of such a drastic change, especially how it would affect them. CEO's like Bill Gates and Donald Trump would never give up their wealth willingly."

"Not to mention those who are now poor who would have money," President-elect Wheeler added. "They would feel the greed that the rich now do, or they would spend their newfound wealth thinking that more was coming.

"This would also kill employment rates. Those who are unemployed would choose to stay unemployed. They who are employed wouldn't feel the need to work hard, thus producing inferior products. I'm sorry, but this is the worst thing we could do to the world."

As word of this hit the internet, Howard added this to his blog.

"Now, the Qadarians are trying to turn us against ourselves. If we accept their economic plan, we are killing the rich and our workforce. If we don't, the poor will continue to suffer and Congress and the rich will only get more powerful.

"The aliens need to leave now before they destroy this planet. Join my cause. Just say no to the Qadarians."

Inside the cube, Levi addressed the group as they finished lunch.

"Good day, all. I trust all are doing well, even our two newest additions. Since we are on that subject, we would like to know about what you refer to as love. You say this is what leads to reproduction."

"No, sex leads to reproduction," Luisa said. "You don't need love to have sex, but it helps."

"Then, tell us about someone you have loved."

"I met Rhonda after I returned from my first tour in Iraq," Brody said. "She was a singer at Circus Circus. She had the voice of a nightingale. She had me at her first note.

"I asked her out after her show was over. She had a two-year-old son from a previous relationship, but I didn't mind. The two of them were the missing pieces of the puzzle that was my life.

"The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave them when I was called to a second tour. If not for them, I would never have made it back."

"I met Fiona Manteau at a party on campus," Travis said. "I saw some guys messing with her, trying to make her drink something she didn't want to drink. Probably trying to slip her a roofie.

"I walked over and pulled her away. They were upset, but I didn't care. We talked for the rest of the night and really hit it off.

"We have dated a few times. I don't want to call her my girlfriend yet, given my whole fear of commitment, but I honestly think she may be the one, the woman I have searched for all my life."

"I met Jack at the Gallery Hop," Barbara said. "It was an event on the first Friday of the month that showcased artists and their work.

"He took a real liking to one of my abstract paintings and offered to buy it. At first, I was overwhelmed at the price he offered. I told him it was too much. He only agreed to lower the price if I agreed to go out with him. The rest is history.

"We had our moments in our fifteen years together. In the end, I saw what he truly loved was money. When it was gone, so was he."

"I met Tracy when I was just a teller at Household Bank," Benjamin said. "She had come in to open a new account. I was really taken with her. She just blew me away. I was nervous to ask her out, so I wrote my number on the back of her receipt."

"I didn't know what to think of him," Tracy said. "He didn't sound interested as he filled out the paperwork. I almost didn't see his number. I was about to throw it away."

"Thank God you didn't. I couldn't picture my life without you."

"After seventeen years, neither could I."

"I met Vanessa Cutsinger on my route," Christian said. "She came running out one day in her robe carrying two big bags of trash.

"Even with curlers in her hair, she still looked so beautiful. She wasn't married. I knew I had to ask her out.

"A few weeks later, she came running out with her trash again. This time, she was dressed. After she handed me the trash, I asked her if she would like to go out for coffee later.

"She told me not if I was the last man on earth."

"We are supposed to be telling stories about love."

"I did love her. She just didn't love me back."

"I met my husband Yukio while in grad school," Akiko said. "We were interning at the same hospital.

"He comforted me after I saw my first compound fracture. It grossed me out. I know, a doctor isn't supposed to be grossed out, but seeing the bone sticking through was sickening.

"From that moment on, we were inseparable. As we received out doctorates, he dropped to one knee on stage and proposed to me.

"Twenty-three years later, we are still as much in love as the day we met."

"I met Serena Wolfe when I was a junior in high school," Michael said. "She was the only other Native American in our school.

"We dated for half of our junior year and all of our senior year. We were voted Best Couple by our class.

"But we weren't meant to stay together. While I embraced my heritage, she tried to distance herself from our traditions. After high school, she went to school as far away from Arizona as she could.

"Since then, I haven't found a woman that I could love as much as I did her. I hope she finds everything she is seeking. My only wish for her now, as it was then, is that she be happy."

"I met my current boyfriend Brett Mulroy at a PETA rally," Robin said. "We were protesting the way chickens were treated, exploited for their eggs, and then slaughtered for their meat."

"He was a vegetarian, just like me. He taught me how to cook some of the tastiest vegetarian meals I have ever eaten. That was what he went to school for, to become a vegan chef.

"It's great to finally meet someone who doesn't try to change me into their ideal woman. Brett accepts me for who I am. I hope to become his wife one day."

"I met Patrice Lemieux through a mutual friend," Marc said. "My best friend set me up on a blind date with his girlfriend's best friend.

"We hit it off instantly. Blind dates have gone horribly in the past for me, but Patrice was everything I could possibly want in a woman.

"On our one-year anniversary, I took her to a Canadiens game. She was a huge hockey fan. I wasn't as much, but she was teaching me the game.

"I arranged for the scoreboard to show 'PATRICE, WILL YOU MARRY ME?' at the first intermission. When they flashed it, I stood up and dropped to one knee. I had the ring in my hand. She, of course, said yes.

"These past few days have been torturous for me, not being able to see her or know that she is okay. I would give anything to see her again."

"I went to the gym to blow off a little steam one day," Neveah said. "As I started on the treadmill, I looked over and saw him. His name was Maurice Thomas.

"I don't normally flirt with men, but he was so fine. I smiled at him. He smiled back. I tried talking to him, but my voice couldn't carry over the music blaring into his ears from his iPod.

"Somehow, though, I think he got the message because when he was done, he asked me out. From that moment on, I had a new spotter at the gym.

"What I love most about him is that he knows I can't have children, and he still wants to have a future with me. He doesn't feel threatened dating a judge. To him, I'm just a woman, no different than anyone else."

"I originally met my future wife Dolores as she was redeeming a coupon for a free flying lesson," Wayne said. "I knew there was chemistry between us when I walked her through takeoff. There was a spark the first time we touched hands.

"After that initial lesson, she came back for another. I hoped I would see her again. I was thankful when I did.

"We started dating shortly after that second lesson. A year and a half later, we were married.

"I thought we would be together forever. Then, I had the accident that paralyzed me. I thought our love would overcome any obstacle. I never lost my love in her.

"Apparently, she lost hers in me. My needs and medical expenses were too much for her to bear. Six months later, she left me."

"I met Andrew Biales on the set of Final Exam," Jessica said. "He was the romantic lead opposite me. We were required to be passionate on screen.

"I never expected to take the passion off screen, but it happened. I never fell for a co-star before.

"After this, I hope I never do again. The relationship lasted as long as the filming of the movie. When production stopped, so did our relationship. He wanted to pursue other interests."

"Alice was the first and only woman I ever dated," Francis said. "She asked me to the Sadie Hawkins dance. I had no interest in her before then, but since no one else had asked me, I said yes.

"I definitely had an interest in her after the dance. I didn't like the Beatles; she did. After a few dates, I saw what she liked in them.

"After high school, we went to swing dances. This was the early sixties. There weren't a lot of options.

"We were twenty-one when we got married. Last month, we celebrated out fiftieth wedding anniversary. I can't imagine what my life would be like if she hadn't asked me out. I don't want to imagine my life without her."

"I met my ex-husband Emilio when he fixed my car," Luisa said. "He was a mechanic. He tried to jack up the price on a brake job. He was trying to rip me off. I called him on it. I fought with him until he actually cut twenty dollars off the price of labor.

"He saw I was a strong woman who didn't take shit from nobody. He liked that and asked me out.

"I was young and naïve, so I said yes. I knew he was no good, but he was a charmer. I was lonely. Put two and two together and it spells trouble in the long run.

"In the short term, he was great. We fought every now and then, and I always won. I think he got turned on by it.

"But after eleven years, I saw him for the scumbag he truly was and left him."

"I met David Christopher on a night out with the girls," Bella said. "He came over to us and introduced himself. He didn't spout some cheesy line to get our attention. Just gave his name and offered to buy us a drink.

"He then pulled me aside from them and told me I was the most beautiful woman in the bar. Naturally, I was flattered. Again, he said it with a sincerity few guys there would use.

"We started dating that weekend, and have gone out every weekend after. He is a gentleman in every sense of the word. If you looked up perfect in the dictionary, his picture would be there."

"I have seen that before," Twyla said. "My baby daddy Gary Pratt was the exact same way. He charmed me in a way no other man had.

"After three months, it was all about sex with him. He was always trying to get into my pants. And when I finally let him..." Twyla held up her children. "Well, you see the result. He ran out of there faster than Usain Bolt. Love is overrated."

"I first saw Ruth singing in the choir," Dennis said. "She won my heart with her solo one Sunday morning in church.

"After the service, I walked up to her to complement her singing. One thing led to another, and she gave me her telephone number.

"The next time we met was at a church group for singles. I knew after that meeting that she truly was a gift from God. I walked her back to her house that night.

"We started dating the next night, and we married two years to the day. Every night when I say my prayers, I thank God for my inspiration, my being, my wife."

"I met my third husband Alan at a bingo game," Helen said. "We both yelled bingo at the same time. We split the top prize.

"After the game, he asked me out. Enough time had passed since my second husband left me. I was ready to date again.

"We got married after a few months. Hey, at our age, we don't have time left to enjoy. I don't know why they call this our golden years. I feel more like rust than gold.

"The few years I had Alan were some of the best of my life. I only wish I had met him in my younger years."

"Carol would make my coffee every morning at Starbucks," Wyatt said. "I never had to give her my order; she knew what to make as soon as I walked in. A venti Sumatra coffee with soy milk and Splenda.

"One morning, she gave me a pumpkin scone on the house. She also wrote her number down on the receipt. I called her that evening.

"Normally, I take a first date out to a fancy coffee shop, but this seemed inappropriate in her case. We went to a Bulls game. Strangely enough, she enjoyed it.

"She was the yin to my yang. I knew she was my soul mate. We have been inseparable since."

"I met my husband Shawn in the grocery store," Chloe said. "I wanted some Greek yogurt, but the last one was way in the back, just out of my reach. As he walked by, I asked him to get it for me.

"Looking in his cart, all I could see were potato chips, pizza, and other junk food. I knew he had to be saved, so I asked him out.

"It took a bit of time, but I kicked him of his unhealthy habits. He started eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. Fifty pounds lighter and two pants sizes smaller, we were married.

"Whenever I have a client that doesn't think he or she can drop the weight, I show them a before and after of Shawn, and they are inspired.

"As much as I changed him, he also changed me. I was wound up so tight. I was so stressed out. He taught me how to chillax, how to loosen up, how to have fun.

"Now, I have a craving for some Greek yogurt."

"I met my wife Eleanor at a poetry reading," Scott said. "She was on last to read her poem. I was mesmerized by her words.

"After the reading, I had to find out who her muse was. It turned out she had no muse. She just wrote whatever came into her mind at that particular time. Such spontaneity in a woman. I was attracted.

"I asked that she write one about me. She said she couldn't because she didn't know me. I used that as my way in for our first date.

"Thirty-one years later, she has two books of poetry published, just on things we have done together. I had long given up poetry. I couldn't compare to her eloquent words.

"However, she was my inspiration for my novel which was released four months ago. A story with a very happy ending."

"Randy Hough was my Prom date," Cassidy said. "He wasn't the most popular kid in school, nor the best looking. You could say he was quite average.

"The jocks knew he liked me, yet he never spoke to me. They picked on him all the time. He didn't care.

"Then one day, a few weeks before the Prom, he asked me to be his date. He was quiet at first. I could barely hear him. He asked me again, this time in a more confident tone.

"The jocks laughed at him when he asked me. They stopped laughing when I said yes.

"For a jock to ask me to the Prom was common nature, but for somebody like Randy to ask must have taken a tremendous amount of courage. He knew the consequences, yes or no, and he didn't care.

"That is why I said yes to him. That is also why we dated for several months afterward.

"Summer soon passed, and we went our separate ways to different colleges. I still think of him every now and again.

"I received a letter from him a few weeks ago. He thanked me for changing his life. Since Prom, his confidence has skyrocketed. He has a new girlfriend. I'm happy for him."

"I met Veronica on the side of the road," Quincy said. "She had a flat tire. Her spare was flat, too. Her cell phone was dead. No one stopped to help.

"That was when I drove up. It had started to sprinkle. I asked her if she needed a lift to get her spare fixed. I loaded it into my truck and took her to get a new spare.

"After I helped put it on, she wanted to thank me for all my help. I said she could thank me over dinner.

"That was nine years ago. We were so happy back then." He started to cry. "What happened that made her cheat on me?

"I never stopped loving her, and I never will." Neveah gave him a hug.

The Qadarians presented a ham dinner for the night's meal. A glazed ham with green bean casserole, deviled eggs, and glazed carrots.

After the meal, most of them left to go to their sleeping quarters. Travis felt the need to talk to Jessica.

"Jessica, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. That was very disrespectful of me to ask you to do something like that, especially since I barely know you as a person.

"All day long, I have tried to get this taste of foot out of my mouth. I really hope you can accept my apology. I would very much like us to become friends." He extended his hand.

She could see he was genuine in his feelings. She accepted his apology, grabbed his hand, and pulled him in for a hug.

The smile on his face could have stretched from one side of the cube to the other. They parted company and went to bed.

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, Howard had assembled his team. Tomorrow, the cure-all would be made available to anyone who could show a need for it.

That would be when they would strike.

# CHAPTER EIGHT

C'MON GET HAPPY

As dawn broke, Howard and his four-man team loaded into his minivan and left Newark for the nearest curing tent in New York City.

In Washington, President Sinclair collaborated with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Transportation to come up with an agreement that would benefit all parties not just in the United States, but worldwide, as it related to the use of the power pumps.

Inside the cube, nearly half the people joined in Chloe's morning jog. Twyla even joined them, pushing a stroller with the twins inside. Some of them couldn't finish the run, but they still joined the run. Today would be the end of their first week with the Qadarians.

About noon, the minivan arrived at the curing tent. There was already a line five blocks long. It was going to be quite a wait to get the cure-all.

After lunch, Levi addressed the twenty-six.

"Good day all. Well, today ends your first week of study. I trust all is to your liking here.

"Well, today we want to follow up on the subject of love with another positive emotion: happiness. Tell us about one of the happiest times in your life."

"Happiness is spending another day with the kids," Luisa said. "There is just something about being around them that makes me feel young as well.

"They say children are innocent. Most times this is true, but even the bad kids can learn right from wrong.

"Emilio ran off with my heart. These kids gave it back to me."

"The happiest moment of my life was when Patrice agreed to marry me," Marc said. "Before I met her, my life was going nowhere.

"She gave me a new direction, a reason to live. Without her, I have nothing. Without her, I am nothing.

"I'm sure that our wedding day will trump that as the happiest day of my life."

"I can vouch for that," Benjamin said. "The day I married Tracy was the happiest day of my life.

"I knew how strong my love was for her. This was my chance to shout it to the world for all to hear.

"Tracy never looked more beautiful than she did as she walked down the aisle in her wedding dress.

"Our parents were so happy. Our friends were so happy. But the combination of all the happiness in the audience still couldn't compare to how happy I was."

"My very first acting job," Jessica said. "I was eleven. It was only two lines on a television show, and I only had about thirty seconds of air time.

"Still, it got my face out there for others to see. It soon led to other television spots and a couple of commercials.

"Soon, I had bit roles in movies. Then, my first leading role came Switched at Birth. Now, I'm known all over the world, but I never forget where it all started, on one of the happiest days of my life."

"In my culture," Michael said, "we are happy for every living thing around us. We are happy for the trees in the forest and the animals that dwell within.

"We are happy for the sun in the morning and the moon at night. We are happy for the wind that blows. We are happy for the ground beneath our feet.

"We are happy for the rain that falls from the sky. In short, we are happy for all that has been provided to us."

"The happiest day of my life was my sixteenth birthday," Robin said. "All my friends came over to my sweet sixteen party. I got plenty of great gifts.

"My parents got me the one I truly wanted, a 2012 Prius. A new car that was environmentally friendly. I took it out for a test drive, with a licensed adult, of course.

"I even got kissed by Ross Accetola, the class hunk. I cried my eyes out. I couldn't have asked for a better day."

"I was brought up a Cubs fan," Wyatt said. "Needless to say, I didn't have many seasons to be happy about.

"That all changed this past season. The Cubs made the World Series for the first time since 1946. They played the Yankees.

"I was able to get tickets to Game Seven. They were along the third base line. I was fortunate enough to catch a foul ball.

"At least now I can die now that I have seen the Cubs win their first championship since 1906."

"In many ways, I'm like Michael," Dennis said. "I, too, am grateful for everything that God has provided me. Without Him, nothing is possible. He created it all.

"Whenever I start to feel sad, I turn to His word and find comfort. Whenever I'm unsure of what to do, He is there.

"But my happiest day is yet to come. That will be when I meet my God face to face, walk side by side with Him.

"Until then, it brings me joy to spread His word to all who will listen."

"My happiest day was the day my first child was born," Tracy said. "We had tried for years to have a child. Finally, we were able to conceive one.

"What made the whole experience better was the fact that I had my best friend Benjamin there to help me through the tough times and to enjoy the good. We both cried when I got my first ultrasound.

"He was there in the delivery room through all twenty-four hours of labor. He only left my side for restroom breaks and to eat. Even then, he hurried back.

"The greatest moment came when I heard my daughter cry for the first time. We created a little miracle."

"The only moment more precious than that," said Helen, "will be the day your first grandchild is born.

"I still remember the day. All of the happiness with none of the pain. Just kidding.

"When you hold that precious little bundle of joy for the first time, you forget about all the problems in your life, all the problems in the world. All that matters is that child."

"My happiest day was my first day as a teacher," Scott said. "My dad taught me that the greatest feeling you can get is that of helping someone else.

"I wasn't skilled physically to help, but I could help in other ways. In high school and college, I tutored others having problems in English.

"I knew early on I wanted to teach. To help future generations better themselves.

"With every A I hand out, I feel a sense of accomplishment, that I was able to reach another student. With every student that struggles, I see an opportunity to help more."

"The day I sold my first painting," Barbara said. "Since college, I had been painting. I kept most of them because my teacher didn't like them.

"I entered one of them in a competition. I came in last place. Still, I didn't give up. It was something I loved to do, and no one was going to stop me from making my art.

"I started showcasing my work at the Gallery Hop. It wasn't until a few months later that someone liked my work, but not enough to buy it.

"As I kept painting, my greatest inspiration came. It was my best painting to date. When I entered it in a contest, I finished fourth place, a huge step up from last.

"At the Gallery Hop was where I finally sold it. The good news was I also met my future husband there. The bad news was I met my future ex-husband there, too."

In New York, Howard and his team were within a block of the curing tent.

"The two happiest days of my life were the days I returned home from Iraq," Brody said. "The first was to see my mom and brother again. When you are at war, there is no guarantee of a safe return.

"It was also shortly after that return that I met Rhonda, who was the reason I was so happy to come back the second time. That and the fact that I hadn't seen my daughter before. She gave birth to her while I was away.

"My family means more to me than anything in the world. Seeing their smiling faces is the greatest feeling I can get."

"Growing up, I was a huge Bon Jovi fan," Chloe said. "I had all their albums. I had gotten to see them in concert once before.

"This time, I was only a few rows back from the stage at Madison Square Garden. I could almost feel the sweat as he wiped it from his brow.

"Then, Jon was about to sing a ballad and asked for someone to come on stage for him to sing to. I waved my hands in the air and screamed my head off. He looked in my direction and called me up on stage.

"He sang 'Always' to me as I sat on a chair on the stage. When it was over, I got to hug Jon and Richie. That was one of the happiest moments of my life."

Howard's team made it to the curing tent after a four hour wait. The first to be treated was Joseph Maddox, who owned an Army-Navy surplus store. He faked symptoms of the flu.

At first, he tried to provoke the Qadarian verbally, insulting the size of his head and his body. The Qadarian was unphased.

Knowing he had to take more drastic measures, he bent over, acting as though he was suffering from stomach cramps. As he bent over, he took out his hunting knife, outside of the view of the Qadarian.

When the Qadarian checked to see if he was okay, Joseph stabbed him where he assumed his heart was. A thick, black substance resembling blood gushed from the wound.

Another Qadarian brandished a gun and shot Joseph with a laser. He was vaporized instantly.

Howard quickly spoke up. "See, the Qadarians can't be trusted. He just killed one of my best friends."

The Qadarian defended himself. "I was only defending myself. The human attacked my colleague, and I was afraid he would attack me."

"Liar! My friend Joseph was acting in self-defense. He was threatened by the Qadarian. I could hear the threat. He said, 'You will be the first of many to die today.' Fearing for his life, he did the only thing he could. He took the alien's life before the alien could take his."

The people in the tent took the side of Howard. A riot ensued, driving the Qadarians away from the tent.

Word of this attack soon made national news. Howard told the national media the same story of self-defense.

The ship left Nevada and soon arrived at the curing tent to uncover the truth. They were unable to talk with Bartholomew, the alien who killed Joseph. He was taken into custody by the New York Police. In jail, he was beaten into submission by the other prisoners.

The other Qadarians verified Bartholomew's story that his shooting was justified.

Tobias asked to speak with Bartholomew. He was denied access. By orders of President Sinclair, only military personnel could speak with the alien prisoner.

Inside the cube, the twenty-four were unaware of the attack. They were a bit concerned when dinner was late.

Fifteen minutes after six, Levi addressed the group.

"Sorry for the delay. We have decided to make for you a traditional Qadarian celebration feast."

"What are we celebrating?"

"We just wanted you to sample some of our cuisine."

Several dished appeared. There was glaodnor, which looked like a charred pig. It also tasted like charred pork. There was yisko, a blue leafy vegetable, and modracki, a brownish vegetable that tasted like black licorice. There was fe, their version of bread. For dessert, there was rusblah, a slimy dish like cake covered with a runny custard. To drink, that had azti, which tasted like several different flavors of Kool-Aid mixed together.

The group was nervous at first to try such strange food. Christian liked trying foods of other cultures. He was the guinea pig. He sampled each of the dishes.

When nothing happened to him, the others dug in. Even Robin, the vegetarian, tried the glaodnor.

They were oblivious to the fact that while they feasted on a peace dinner, the first shots of war had been fired.

# CHAPTER NINE

THE AWARD GOES TO...

Before Howard went to bed last night, he put out a request to all of the followers of his blog to set up a picket line at curing tests all over the country and all over the world.

"Now is the time for us to strike. It's time to let them know that they aren't wanted here on Earth, that they aren't needed here on Earth."

As the sun rose, there were two groups of people at the New York curing tent. There was a line of people waiting for the cure-all. The other line stood in front of the patients preventing them from entering the tent, with Howard leading the way.

Police were called in to disperse the picketers. They refused to budge. They threatened to use tear gas on the picketers. Still, they refused to budge.

Likewise, the same was going on in Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Milwaukee. Also, boycotts were taking place in Moscow, Sao Paulo, Beijing, Sydney, Cairo, Athens, Berlin, and London.

The Qadarians addressed the picket lines. They continued to say that they didn't instigate the attack on Joseph Maddox. The crowd refused to believe them.

Per Howard's request, they didn't physically attack the Qadarians, just set up a line of resistance. In time, the lines were opened up, and those wanting the cure-all could obtain it.

The picketers didn't leave. They stayed all day long, educating those in need of the cure-all of the intentions of its distributor.

In Washington, Congress confirmed what the President and President-elect had said a few days ago. The radical economic plan the Qadarians offered would never pass the Senate or the House of Representatives.

During the night, Bartholomew was transported to Guantanamo Bay to face further interrogation.

Inside the cube, the twenty-four enjoyed their breakfast and lunch, oblivious to the drama outside. They all took turns holding Adam and Eve.

"Good day all," Levi said. "I hoped you liked our taste of Qadaris yesterday. Today, we want to know what you consider to be a great achievement in your life."

"My mom raised me and my three brothers by herself in a two-bedroom trailer in Louisiana," Neveah said. "I was the first member of our family to go to college.

"My mom had to drop out of school to raise us. Her brothers and sisters didn't go to college.

"I worked my butt off to get good enough grades to get accepted. And when I got in, I continued to work my butt off to be as successful as I could be.

"To thank her for everything she did for me, I bought her a house."

"Since I came back from Iraq," Brody said, "I have been very active with Toys for Tots every Christmas. In fact, I was preparing to play Santa on their float in the Las Vegas Christmas Parade.

"To me, that is more of an accomplishment than my Combat Action Ribbon, my Meritorious Service Medal, my Bronze Star, or my Purple Heart."

"For months, I had trained to run the New York City Marathon," Chloe said. "A few weeks ago, I got my chance to run it.

"I had ran marathons before and failed, but this was in my hometown. I couldn't fail. I wouldn't fail.

"And I didn't fail. I struggled around mile seventeen, but I pushed through. Around mile twenty-three, I got my fourth wind.

"When I saw the finish line, I sprinted with every last bit of energy I had left and finished. My husband scooped my up in his arms and carried me to the medical tent just to make sure I was okay.

"Next year, I'm planning on talking him into running it with me."

"Nine years ago," Scott said, "one of my students came up to me after class. He mentioned to me that he was trying something in November called NaNoWriMo.

"I asked him, 'What is NaNoWriMo?'

"'It stands for National Novel Writing Month,' he said. 'It is a challenge to writers to write a fifty thousand word novel in the thirty days of November.'

"I had an idea for a novel for years, but I never had the motivation to write it. He challenged me to try it. I accepted his challenge.

"As a child, I loved watching John Wayne and Clint Eastwood westerns. My dad loved reading books by Louis L'Amour, and he got me hooked on them.

"I looked over those old books for inspiration for mine. I built my idea and outlined my book.

"When November 1 came, I started writing. I had my good days and my bad days. By midnight on December 1, I had more than fifty thousand words.

"By NaNoWriMo 2006, my book was revised and approved for publication. I have tried it every year since. I haven't finished each year, but that isn't the point. It's about getting the creative juices flowing."

"Every year, the firehouse makes a calendar, with all proceeds going to a different charity," Michael said. "This year, the charity was the halfway house for battered women. With last year being my first year with the unit, I wasn't sure if I would be included.

"They actually approached me and asked me if I would pose. I wanted to do it, but, at first, I was offended. They wanted me to be in the November picture.

"I agreed to do it on the condition that it be done tastefully. I didn't want to wear the savage costume they wanted me to wear at the Thanksgiving table. We adjusted the costume to please all.

"I had a number of women ask me to sign my picture. Apparently, they liked it, too."

"Not everyone can say they got to meet the President," Francis said, "but I can.

"When the Vietnam War ended, President Ford invited a number of military personnel to the white House. Among them were the crew of the USS Hanson.

"I wore my dress blues. I got to shake his hand."

"I stand by my beliefs," Jessica said. "I refuse to take off my clothes on camera. I refuse to smoke on camera. And I refuse to drink alcohol on camera.

"I know I'm a role model to girls all over the world, and I want to set a positive example. I believe you can do anything you set your mind to, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't.

"Like, when I made That's What Friends Are For, I asked if I could sing a remake of the title track that Dionne Warwick made famous. They not only said I could, but they made it a duet with Jesse Youso, the singer who finished third on American Idol back in 2013.

"It reached number one on the Billboard Charts. How is that for being a positive role model?"

"My son struggled with his grades all through school," Benjamin said. "He was always good in math, but had problems with English and history.

"We had him tested and discovered he was dyslexic. We got him help so that he could overcome this learning deficit.

"When he got his first report card his freshman year, I couldn't have been prouder of him. He got straight A's."

"In Denver, we understand how important community is," Dennis said. "As the Bible says, 'Love thy neighbor'.

"That is why a few years ago, we decided to donate half of our offering from the third Sunday of every month to the Denver Soup Kitchen to feed the needy.

"To date, we have contributed over thirty-one thousand dollars. To us, that is a major accomplishment."

"My mother died from breast cancer five years ago," Robin said. "I had to watch her suffer through months of chemotherapy. She wasted away to nothing. And I was helpless.

"Shortly after her death, I joined the Milwaukee chapter of the American Cancer society. I organized Relay for Life walks to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness.

"Someday, we will find a cure for this epidemic. Until that day, I will do whatever it takes to enlighten people of this killer and raise money to find a cure."

Too bad she couldn't contact the outside world. She would know her job was done. Levi chose not to tell her about the cure-all.

"I was part of my high school's first ever state championship," Travis said. "We worked so hard to get there.

"Our first playoff win was against the number one seed in our region. It took everything we had to beat them and every second on the clock, but we moved on to the next round.

"A few more wins later, we were regional champions. After a few more hard-fought games, we were Oregon state champions in football."

"I originally opened my daycare center as a means for mothers who couldn't afford daycare could drop off their kids and make a living," Luisa said. "I know just how tough it is.

"My mom had to work to put food on the table for us. She couldn't afford to drop us off at a daycare center. Her only option was relatives.

"I knew this daycare center would benefit not only the parents so they can earn enough to keep their family safe, but also the kids. They would have a safe place to play and to learn.

"If the parents could afford to pay, they did. If they couldn't, I still would take their kids. No one was turned away.

"Last summer, the Houston Chamber of Commerce came and gave me an award for my selfless service to the community."

"In my years on the force," Wyatt said, "I have been involved in a number of arrests. Some were simple; others not so much.

"But I have only received one commendation. My partner and I were called in to handle a bank robbery and hostage situation. We were the first at the scene.

"Our main concern was the safety of the hostages. We worked with a negotiator to get them to release at least one, as an act of good faith.

"Meanwhile, we had someone looking over the plans for the bank, trying to find a way inside that the robbers didn't know about. It wasn't pretty, but there was a way in via an opening in the floor. It meant sludging through the sewers of Chicago.

"It had to be done. The robbers were becoming more hostile. My partner and I descended into the sewer. They talked us to the entrance.

"We came up through a panel in the women's restroom. Our goal wasn't to kill the robbers because there was a risk of hitting a hostage. All we had to do was to get everyone outside where the additional forces would apprehend them.

"We rolled in a couple of smoke canisters. As the room filled with smoke, we put air masks on. We helped guide the hostages to the main door.

"My partner accidentally guided a robber and was shot in the leg. The other robbers started shooting. Fortunately, we had already gotten most of the hostages out.

"I fired in the direction of the shooting. This was the first time in my life that I had killed another human being, but I had to. It was either him or me.

"I walked out unscathed. My partner was okay. After a few weeks of recovery, he returned to the force."

"My sophomore year, I saw limited playing time on my high school basketball team," Marc said. "I knew to play more, I had to do more. I had to work hard to make myself better.

"At the tryouts, coach was impressed at my audition. We had lost a couple of starters to graduation. And I was able to win one of those starting positions.

"I wasn't the leading scorer on the team, nor the leading rebounder. I didn't lead the team in steals or assists, but I was a contributor in most of our games.

"In a vote by my coach and teammates, they voted me the Most Improved Player. This meant a lot to me. This meant that all of my hard work to get better paid off.

"I continued improving my game and would probably have won Most Valuable Player my senior year if I hadn't gotten hurt."

"After Jack bought my painting," Barbara said, "my work got better and better. I sold a few more paintings.

"I also entered more into competitions. I took home some fourth places, some third places, and even second, but I never took home the blue ribbon.

"Jack never gave up on me. He knew I had that one magical painting in me.

"For him, I dug deep within myself and found that painting. I entered it in the biggest art competition of the year in Columbus. And I finally took home that first place award. My one big trophy on a mantle of small ones.

"I refused to sell that piece. That was one of the few things Jack let me take when he kicked me out. Actually, I was taking that whether he let me or not.

"After that, I no longer painted for awards and prizes. I painted for the sheer fun of it. I sold a few more, but there was no more stress."

That night, the Qadarians treated the twenty-four to a pot roast dinner. It was served with mashed potatoes, broccoli and buttered noodles.

After dinner, Michael walked Twyla and the twins back to her bed. The two of them have gotten much friendlier since the birth. At the bed, the two shared their first kiss.

Some of the others stayed and played games. Others went to bed early. Benjamin and Tracy were sharing a bed once again for the first time since their confessions.

In Guantanamo Bay, Bartholomew was being tortured by the guards. They demanded that he say why he attacked Joseph. He continued to give the same response, that his fellow Qadarian was attacked first. They refused to believe him.

Before he left New York, Howard issued an ultimatum. He demanded that Bartholomew be publicly executed, to show the Qadarians that we wouldn't be pushed around. If Bartholomew lived to see another sunrise, things would be worse tomorrow.

As he got home, he checked his blog. It had reached over a million followers. He made a post to the blog.

"Today went great. Phase One showed them that we don't want them here. But justice hasn't been served, for Bartholomew lives.

"If he still lives in the morning, we must take our actions to the next level. If they won't leave by choice, we must force them to leave. Tomorrow, either we win, or we go to war."

# CHAPTER TEN

I'M SO EMBARRASSED

All night long, President Sinclair deliberated on what would happen to Bartholomew. Should he live, or would he be sacrificed? He talked with the warden at Guantanamo Bay. The alien was a model prisoner. He made no trouble. He never fought back. He stuck to his story. The warden started to believe him.

As the sun rose, the President and President-elect came to a decision. Howard and his million plus followers awaited it.

"My fellow Americans, the Qadarians have had many chances to attack us and have chosen not to. They insist they are only here to help us.

"There is a man out there who is trying to instill terror in not only America, but also the world. So far, his opinion has yet to be proven to be fact.

"It's in the best judgment for not only our race, but also theirs that at nine o'clock this morning, the alien Bartholomew is to be released and free to return to his people.

"Furthermore, any attacks on the Qadarians would be treated as an attack on America. And anyone who attacks a Qadarian will be arrested."

Howard was furious. Immediately, he went to his blog.

"Time to put Phase Two into effect. We must drive the aliens from our planet by any means necessary.

"Our President has threatened to arrest anyone who attacks one of them. Well, there are more of us than there are of them. He must be shown their true nature.

"This lame-duck President refuses to take action. We won't. The Resistance now declares war on the parasites."

Seeing this, President Sinclair called on the National Guard. They would join the local police departments in protecting the Qadarians.

Inside the cube, the runners had increased to sixteen. Again, they were oblivious to the drama outside.

At nine o'clock, Bartholomew was released from the prison. As a ship was landing to pick him up, a single shot was fired. The shot came from Armando Figueroa. The bullet struck Bartholomew in the back of the head. He collapsed to the ground. The shot killed him instantly.

"¡Viva la Resistencia!" He put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger as guards from Guantanamo Prison ran to arrest him.

At first, Tobias was noticeably upset. He felt betrayed, told one thing by the President and action to the contrary.

Before he let anger consume him, something that was rare among the Qadarians, he saw it was an act of a single person, not the race as a whole.

He decided that the curing stations would open as scheduled. There would be no retaliation.

As they opened the curing tent in New York, the line for the cure-all was smaller, while the line for the Resistance had grown. Some carried weapons, such as baseball bats and two-by-fours.

The police and National Guard tried to stop the Resistance from interfering. When they were overpowered by the greater number, they drew their weapons. They would only shoot as a last resort.

Some of the Resistance still broke through the line and began to attack the Qadarians. They beat the aliens until they could no longer move.

Having reached the breaking point and to prevent further deaths, the Qadarians fired back at their attackers. The Resistance was no match for the advanced weapons.

As the bodies piled up, some of the National Guardsmen had a change of heart. They saw the Qadarians had weapons of mass destruction. Was their loyalty to America or to the Qadarians?

Though it violated a direct order from their Commander-in-Chief, they shot at the Qadarians. Outnumbered, the Qadarians retreated to their ship.

Howard stood back and watched everything unfold as he predicted. His message was sent loud and clear. If you stay, you will die.

All around the world, the Qadarians met the same kind of resistance. And likewise, they were driven back.

After lunch, Levi addressed the twenty-four. He was told to make no mention of the attacks and to act as though nothing had happened.

"Good day, all. Today, we will discuss a different kind of topic. The past few days have been about pleasant moments. Today, we want to talk about some unpleasant moments. We would like for you to share a time in your life you consider embarrassing."

"My friend and I stopped off for a few drinks after seeing the Alouettes beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers," Marc said. "I was still young and not much of a drinker.

"As we left the bar at closing time, I felt fine. We went to Denny's for a late night snack. I ordered cheese fries and a root beer.

"After eating, I still felt fine. I went up to use the restroom. The next image I remember was coming to sitting against a booth.

"My friends told me that I passed out, that I did a head-first nosedive into the booth. Just lucky I didn't hit my head on the table. One of my friends stood by the door, apparently ashamed to be with me.

"As I started to stand, I could feel the cheese fries come back up. I motioned for a trash can. When they brought it over, I threw up in it. Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at me."

"I was still new to the firm," Bella said. "My boss asked me to bring him a very important file about a major acquisition.

"I went to the file cabinet to get the file. It was gone. I asked him if he had the file. He got mad and demanded I bring him the file.

"I panicked. I frantically searched around the office looking for the file. I just couldn't find it.

"I gave up searching for it. My head fell to the desk. When I opened my eyes, there was the file, sitting there the whole time.

"I forgot I got it out that morning, thinking he would need it later. How embarrassing."

"I get embarrassed sometimes when some parents drop off their kids and think I don't speak English," Luisa said. "They take one look at me and think I'm an illegal alien.

"They talk slowly, sometimes in broken English. Depending on my mood, I will either talk normal and prove them wrong or play stupid and act as they assume me to be.

"I'm embarrassed that people use that stereotype thinking every Hispanic person doesn't speak English and that we are all illegal aliens."

"The day I gave my first sermon," Dennis said, "I was so nervous. I spent all night on the message.

"Then, I got in front of the congregation and tripped on my way to the pulpit. Midway through the service, I lost my place and read the wrong passage.

"I was so scared that I would mess up the next Sunday. I spent the entire week getting ready. I was much more comfortable the second time."

"The proudest moment of my life was to be when I was to receive my doctorate degree," Akiko said. "Instead it became one of my most embarrassing.

"As I walked up the steps to the stage, I tripped over my gown and fell flat on my face in front of everybody.

"I almost didn't get up. How could I ever show my face in public again?

"Then, I felt somebody helping me up. I wanted to shake that person free. Then, I heard his voice. 'You have to get up.'

"It was Yukio. In all my darkest moment, he was there to bring me back into the light. He helped me up, then dropped to one knee and proposed to me.

"I forgot all about the fall when he asked me to marry him."

"I remember my freshman year of high school," Tracy said. "It was the awards assembly at the end of the year. As it went on, they announced Tracy Myers for an award in world history. I got up to accept the award.

"As I was about to reach the stage, it occurred to me. I don't take world history. The award was for Tracy Myers, M-Y-E-R-S, a junior. My maiden name was Meyers, M-E-Y-E-R-S.

"I'm glad I stopped myself before I got on stage and made an even bigger fool of myself."

"I get embarrassed anytime I go to a cookout," Robin said. "Being a vegetarian surrounded by charred animal flesh leaves my plate pretty empty.

"All I can eat there are beans, potato or macaroni salad, and corn on the cob. And that is if they even bring anything else.

"I have to deal with everyone trying to get me to eat a hamburger or a chicken leg or a steak. I have to explain to them that I don't eat meat. Then, I have to hear them lecturing me about how much of a freak I am.

"The arguing continues all day. It just makes me wish I had stayed home that day."

"It's like me being limited by my handicap," Wayne said. "If I went anywhere that had steps, I couldn't get inside.

"Unless there was a ramp or an elevator, I was unable to visit my friends or go out to eat. And I was too proud to ask for any help. This was my burden, no one else's."

"My mom embarrasses me all the time," Twyla said. "I love her to death, but I can't take her anywhere.

"She had a mouth that always has to say something. It doesn't matter if she knows the person; she's not shy about talking to anyone about anything.

"Even worse is when we have company over. Eventually, the conversation turns to my childhood. All the embarrassing things I did as a child.

"The cherry on the sundae would be when she brings out the baby pictures. Pictures of me in my diaper. Just what others need to see.

"I know she means well and all, but she just doesn't know when to quit."

"As I said before, I hate the paparazzi," Jessica said. "Especially the one time that nearly ruined my career.

"I was out with some friends, celebrating the release of Final Exam. The bartender brings us a round of shots. As we go to pay for them, he says they are already paid for by the guy at the end of the bar.

"As we look down the bar, my friends cringe as he walks toward us. It wasn't until he reached us that I saw why they cringed.

"The guy who bought us the drinks was the has-been known as Justin Beiber. His trademark hair was disheveled. Once he hit puberty, he lost his voice that made him famous. (Okay, so it wasn't his voice that made him famous.) He had long since been forgotten.

"My friends left, but I stayed. He kept buying me shots. By the end of the night, I was so drunk that I kissed him passionately and threatened to go home with him.

"Unbeknownst to me, TMZ was taping the entire embarrassing episode and sold it to every tabloid on the planet.

"Andrew saw it and broke up with me on the spot. I lost several roles due to the negative publicity. My career nearly died.

"All thanks to an overhyped, no-talent has-been."

"I was busted for a DUI once," Benjamin said. "I was on my way home from our annual Christmas party. I had a few glasses of wine that night. I felt fine to drive home.

"Apparently, I was wrong. A cop saw me swerving and pulled me over. He asked me to step out of the car and walk a straight line. I barely passed that test.

"Then, he asked me to stand on one leg and touch my fingers to my nose. That test I couldn't pass. He made me take a breathalyzer. I blew a .10, just over the legal limit.

"I was taken into custody and fined for not wearing my seat belt. It was embarrassing to call Tracy to bail me out of jail.

"I had to have special license plates put on my car, even more embarrassing. This let everyone know I was busted. I also had to go to several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings."

"When Jack kicked me out of the house," Barbara said, "I had no idea where I was going to live. The checking account was in his name, so I had no money to rent a room. I had no job.

"I had no family or friends that would let me stay with them for an undetermined period of time. I didn't even have a car to sleep in.

"I considered finding the nearest cardboard box to spend the night. That was when I saw the homeless shelter. I went inside and told them of my situation.

"They gave me a bed to sleep in and a blanket to keep me warm, but they also told me this was a temporary situation. I could stay, but I also had to try and find a more permanent residence.

"That was so embarrassing going from the penthouse to the poorhouse."

"I'm embarrassed any time I have to give my full name," Travis said. "Not so much for my first name, but rather my middle.

"My middle name is Ashley, a girl's name. Do you know how much I was teased as a child with a middle name like Ashley?

"That's why I took up as many sports as I could. I had to shed the feminine image my middle name projected.

"I even got a nickname out of it. I was so crazy, they called me 'Taz' because of how wild I was and because it was my initials."

"At my age, certain bodily functions tend to give out on me from time to time," Helen said. "I fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. I forget things frequently.

"The worst is my incontinence. My bowels would release without any notice. I had no control over it. My only means of protection was Depends.

"I always had to carry an extra pair of panties and pants in the unlikely event of me pooping my pants."

"I know it's wrong," Christian said, "but sometimes, I search through people's garbage. Whenever something catches my eye, I have to see what it is.

"If it's intriguing enough, I will, on occasion, take it for myself. After all, once you throw something away, you cease being its owner.

"One day, I saw a stack of Penthouse magazines on top of the trashcan. I looked around to see if anyone was watching. With no one else around, I put the stack on the front seat for myself. I shared a few with my partner, but I kept the rest for myself.

"Don't look at me as if I was doing something you wouldn't do."

"I have been involved in a number of car chases," Wyatt said. "Most of the times, the end result is an arrest.

"There was the one embarrassing time when the suspect got away from me. We were on a drug bust. Two of the dealers escaped out the back. They drove off.

"My partner and I followed in pursuit. Thirty minutes later, we still hadn't caught them. We failed to notice that the gas gauge was dangerously close to empty.

"As we closed in for the arrest, we ran out of gas. The car slowly came to a halt. Thankfully, the suspects were stopped by a spike strip a few miles down the road.

"I prided myself on checking such things, but this one time I didn't. I wouldn't make that mistake again."

"In 2004, my son Marshall told me that he was getting married. I didn't know he was dating anyone. I was thrilled to meet her.

"Imagine my surprise when he introduced me to Lance McKay, the man he was going to marry. I had never been so embarrassed in all my life.

"I didn't even know my son was a fruit. This was unthinkable. My son, gay?

"He told me he knew how I would react. They had wanted to get married for quite a while. It was only recently that gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts.

"I refused to acknowledge their 'relationship', and I didn't attend their sham of a wedding. Pastor will agree with me that the Bible defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. It's about Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

"I haven't spoken to him since."

"I think my story tops them all," Cassidy said. "My friend Lacey Hilgendorf and I were enjoying a fun day at the water park.

"We noticed these two creeps following us. They couldn't have been more than sixteen. We paid no attention to them.

"As we reached the top of the water slide, one of them ran up to me and ripped off my bikini top. He jumped down the slide head first. I was so embarrassed. I quickly covered up my boobs. Still, some little kids saw me without my top.

"When I covered my top with both arms, that left my bottoms exposed. The other guy ran up and ripped off my bottoms. Now, I was completely naked. Again, he dove down the slide head first. I could cover up my boobs and my cooter, but couldn't cover my butt.

"Thankfully, the attendant stood in front of me, blocking the view from those in line. But those coming up could still see my butt. He gave me his shirt so I could cover a little.

"I guess when they were going down the slide, they tore my bathing suit to pieces. At least it looked that way when they came out the end of the slide.

"The attendant called for security to arrest them. They tried to get out as quickly as they could, but it wasn't quick enough. Security caught them as they got out.

"They were handcuffed with their hands behind their backs. As an act of retaliation, the security guard dropped their swimming trunks and escorted them to the police in the parking lot naked.

"Lacey went to get my clothes from my locker. She passed by them on the way back. She took their picture with her cellphone and posted it on a gay website.

"From that day on, I never wore a two-piece swimsuit again. And I never will."

Christian hung to her every word, having to wipe the drool from his mouth. He was infatuated with her, but he also knew she was way out of his league. So, he watched like a pervert from afar.

Knowing that no one could top that story, they ate their steak dinner, complete with baked potato, salad, and macaroni & cheese.

Howard posted the following on his blog:

"A few days ago, we took a sample of their 'cure-all'. Just as we suspected, one of the ingredients was a substance to control our minds. Their mission wasn't for peace, but rather to conquer our planet."

In reality, they didn't have the cure-all in their possession, nor did they know anyone who could analyze the contents of it, but Howard wanted everyone to believe he did.

"Today was but the first of many attacks to rid ourselves of this disease. The attacks will continue. If our President has a clue, he will see their intent and send the military after these invaders."

That evening, Tobias addressed the world concerning the attacks at the curing tents.

"We came to your planet in peace, but you have driven us to war. We came only to help your savage planet. You have made it clear you do not want our help. You have spilled Qadarian blood but the human blood that will be spilled is on your hands. This is a fight you can't win."

# CHAPTER ELEVEN

NO CRYING IN WAR

While the world slept, the Qadarians tried to pack up their curing tents. It had become clear that the residents of Earth didn't want their help, even though they needed it. They wanted to avoid future conflict.

However, President Sinclair took their threat very seriously and placed soldiers at every tent. He knew that sooner or later they would return to the tents, and he wanted to make initial contact.

The Qadarians tried to explain their peaceful attempt to leave. The soldiers fired upon them before they had the chance to. Several Qadarians were killed.

As they retreated to their ship, jeeps swarmed the area and fired on the ship. However, their bullets had little impact on the alien ship.

As much as they didn't want to, the Qadarians were left with little choice but to retaliate. The soldiers were no match for their advanced weaponry. With but a few blasts from their ship, the Qadarians had defeated the soldiers.

Ships from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas all returned to the mother ship in Washington, D.C. They told Tobias how they were attacked. They suggested that they need to take the offensive and convince the humans that they were wrong in their attack.

Inside the cube, the running group now consisted of two-thirds of the group. Michael pushed the twins around. He and Twyla were a serious couple, so he felt the need to be a father figure.

After lunch, Levi addressed the twenty-four. He was to make no mention of the attacks.

"Good day all. How are we doing today? A few days ago, we asked you to describe a moment in your life when you were happy. Now, we want you to tell us of a time when you were sad."

"Marines aren't supposed to cry," Brody said, "but I cried Niagara Falls when my friend Samuel Gillespie was killed.

"We went through basic training together. We were deployed to Iraq together. We were even bunkmates. He was like a brother to me.

"Then, on a mission in Al Fallujah, we were ambushed by a group of Iraqi soldiers. As he was trying to gain a better angle, he stepped on a land mine. The explosion filled his body with shrapnel. He lost his left leg in the explosion.

"I ran to protect him. I stayed by his side until the rescue copter came. I rode back with him.

"He died as we landed. I took it upon myself to let his wife and children know the news of his death.

"I was never the same. I finished my tour, but I could never get the vision of his lifeless body out of my head."

"When I was eight," Tracy said, "I had a cat named Dude. I loved that cat. He meant more to me than any doll I owned. He was white from head to tail.

"He stayed in my room all the time. He never left.

"Then one day, I left the window cracked open. While it was barely open, it was enough for him to get out. By the time I noticed he was gone, he was already by the road.

"Then, I saw the most horrifying thing I have ever seen. He took two steps onto the road. He didn't see that truck coming.

"I tried to turn away before he was hit, but I was too late. He was nothing but a red blotch on the road.

"I cried for two days straight. My mom tried to buy me another cat, but I was too heartbroken. There would never be another Dude."

"Nothing could be more saddening than knowing a relative of yours is dying and being helpless," Robin said. "That's how I was with my mother.

"For months, I watched her suffer not only from breast cancer, but also from the chemotherapy. When she wasn't in pain, she was sick from the radiation.

"A few months later, the cancer won. But my mother didn't lie down and let it win. She fought it every step of the way. She never gave up.

"I grew strength from her. As the last ounce of strength was drained from her, so, too, was it drained from me."

"You may think I hated my wife," Quincy said, "but I loved her more than you will ever know.

"That's why I was so sad when I came home one day and found a condom wrapper under our bed. I knew it wasn't mine since I stopped using them on our wedding night.

"I thought of confronting her, but I was afraid if I did, it would only confirm my worst fears. Maybe if I had, she would still be alive."

"Growing up, my parents didn't have much, but we survived," Neveah said. "We appreciated what we had.

"Then, we lost everything when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Our house suffered a lot of damage. What the wind didn't ruin, the waters did. We lost everything. All of our clothes, belongings, pictures.

"The government took their sweet time in giving us the means to start over. We had to stay at the Superdome until then. When they did, it wasn't nearly enough to reimburse us for our losses.

"We struggled, but we were able to rebuild our house. We built it to withstand anything. That was tested when Hurricane Isaac hit New Orleans in 2012.

"We rebuilt the physical, but we could never rebuild the memories from our old house. We could never regain that which we lost."

"When I think of sadness," Dennis said, "I am reminded of the story of Lazarus. When Lazarus became sick, his sisters sent a message to Jesus.

"By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Lazarus's sister Martha told him that if he had arrived sooner, Lazarus would still be alive.

"His other sister Mary was grieving over his death, as were others from the village. Jesus was moved by this and wept with them.

"Jesus asked Martha, Mary and the other mourners to follow him to the tomb of Lazarus. They removed the stone that covered the hillside burial place. Jesus looked up to Heaven and prayed to his Father, closing with these words: 'Lazarus, come out!' When he said that, Lazarus rose from the grave."

"9/11 affected all of us as Americans," Chloe said, "but as a fellow New Yorker, it impacted me so much more.

"My neighbor's brother worked in the North Tower. My boyfriend's uncle was part of the harbor patrol that went into the South Tower trying to rescue people. Although he survived, he was never the same.

"Not to mention the constant reminder of that event. First, the sight of the towers missing, then the 9/11 Memorial built on the spot where they stood."

"There's always a risk you take whenever you pull someone over," Wyatt said. "My partner found that out the hard way.

"We saw a car speeding and swerving left of center. We knew he was drunk. We pursued him to arrest him.

"After a mile-long chase, we were able to get him pulled over. My partner stepped out to apprehend him.

"He never saw the .22 the driver had sitting on the passenger seat. When he got to the driver's window, two shots were fired, one in the shoulder and one in the chest.

"I got out and ordered him to drop his gun. He refused and fired on me. I returned fire and wounded him. I didn't kill him; I just hurt him enough to where he stopped firing at me.

"I arrested the driver, then went to check on my partner. He was still conscious, but had lost a lot of blood. I called for an ambulance.

"By the time the medics arrived, he was gone. I had never cried while in uniform before, but I lost it when he passed. He was my partner for the past five years. We rode together; we hung out together. I was like a second father to his son.

"Now, I had to tell him that Daddy wasn't coming home again. How do you break that news to a seven-year-old?"

"When I was in high school," Christian said, "there was a girl I was dying to ask out. Her name was Harper Vaillancourt. She was everything I wanted to be. She was popular. She was pretty. She was smart.

"Now, I wasn't attractive, but I was confident. I wasn't afraid to ask someone out, despite my constant rejection, but I was terrified of asking Harper out.

"That is, until I overheard a conversation between her and her friends. I didn't really pay attention until one of them told her I had asked her out.

"'I wish he would ask me out,' I heard her say. I was so excited and nervous at the same time that I had to run to the restroom to shout it to the world.

"What I missed was the end of her sentence. 'So I can laugh in his face.' I didn't find that part out until I actually asked her. I never saw someone's face get so red from laughter.

"I was so depressed after that that I tried to commit suicide. I grabbed a bottle of my mom's pills and was about to down them when she walked in and caught me. It took me years to get up the confidence to ask out another woman."

"The day after Gary left me," Twyla said, "I cried from sunup to sundown. No man had ever made me feel as special as he did.

"At first, I thought of ways to win him back. But I knew he was never coming back, and even if he did, it would never be as it was.

"Then, I realized that I would never love anyone like that again or be loved by anyone again." She turned and looked at Michael. "That was until I met Michael. He made me feel special again."

Michael started to blush.

"When Jack told me he wanted a divorce," Barbara said, "I was devastated. I never saw it coming.

"We vowed to take each other for better or for worse. I would have loved him if he lost everything. Apparently, he couldn't. He loved his money more than his wife.

"When I woke up that first morning in a strange place alone, I cried. My world was gone, and I couldn't get it back."

"When we were kids, Noah Faessler and I were inseparable," Travis said. "We were more than best friends. We were like brothers.

"Then, just before we started high school, his dad got transferred to Minneapolis. That meant he was moving. I was never going to see him again.

"He did call me when he got settled in. We talked all the time, but it wasn't the same. We couldn't go to the movies together, to Blazers games together. And no one could replace him."

"When I was in college, I was sexually assaulted," Bella said. "I was at a fraternity party. A guy put something in my drink.

"When I woke up, I was in a strange bedroom, and my panties were thrown on the floor. I know I couldn't have given consent. At least I don't remember giving it.

"I felt so dirty. I spent the next several hours trying to scrub the filth off of me, but it wouldn't come off.

"In retrospect, I probably should have reported it first. I washed away any of the evidence, so I was never able to find out who raped me.

"I couldn't go to another college party after that, and I needed an escort home after dark. I got so depressed that I eventually dropped out of college."

"My acting coach told me whenever I play a sad scene to visualize a sad moment," Jessica said. "I couldn't think of any of my own experiences, so I used some from other movies I saw.

"When Julia Roberts' character died in Steel Magnolias. When Snoopy ran away from Charlie Brown in Snoopy, Come Home! When Travis shot Old Yeller.

"That's how I got the lead in The Heart of America. They said my emotion was so realistic that they didn't audition anyone else. I was even nominated for a Golden Globe for my performance."

While the rest of them gave their sad stories, Howard was posting video from the attack earlier in the day in New York. Of course, he edited out the portion where the soldiers opened fire on the Qadarians. He just showed where they attacked the soldiers.

This lit a fire in the hearts of the detractors of the aliens. In fact, it added to his growing army.

The government, however, had finally had enough of his blog. He was instigating riots not only in the United States, but all over the world.

They took it upon themselves to shut down his website. If he couldn't fan the fire, maybe peace could be salvaged.

Howard, of course, viewed it as a form of censorship. The First Amendment guaranteed freedom of speech. The people of earth needed to be warned of the danger the Qadarians presented.

Since that forum was taken from him, Howard took his message directly to the people. He grabbed a megaphone and walked the streets of New Jersey, urging everyone to start their own blogs and voice their opinions.

After the last of the stories, the twenty-four were given a vegetarian dinner, complete with a tossed salad with choice of Italian or ranch dressing, stuffed peppers, kale, and corn casserole.

After dinner, Travis and Jessica went off by themselves and talked. They had become good friends. He wanted more, but was perfectly happy with friendship. For now.

# CHAPTER TWELVE

SECOND PLACE IS THE FIRST LOSER

President Sinclair asked to speak with Tobias. He wanted to put an end to the fighting and bring things back to when they first arrived.

The Qadarians arrived on a mission of peace, but the recent attacks showed them the kind of people those on Earth were.

Besides, protesters continued their attacks all throughout the night, led by the words of Howard. What the aliens left of the curing tents were destroyed.

Tobias knew that they would never be welcomed here. They would be ostracized any time they showed their face.

After a meeting with the captains of the other ships, it was decided. The humans were afraid of them. Now, they would give them a reason to be afraid.

Inside the cube, Chloe doubled her usual morning run. By now, everyone was running, even Francis and Helen. Most only ran the one lap. Michael and Wayne ran the extra lap with her.

It was Sunday as usual for Pastor Dennis. He gave his sermon after breakfast as he had the week prior.

Tobias instructed Levi not to let those inside the cube know of their impending doom until the time was right. Those twenty-four had done no wrong. They had fully cooperated with the Qadarians.

After the sermon, Levi addressed the group.

"Good day, all. Today, I want to talk about something everyone experiences. A few days ago, we wanted to know about your successes. Today, we would like to know about failure in your lives."

"I saw an ad on TV for gold coins at a ridiculously low price," Francis said. "For the past ten years, gold prices were skyrocketing. Since I had no Social Security, I had to prepare for the future.

"You know the saying, 'If something looks too good to be true, it probably is'? Well, this was just that, and I ignored it.

"When I went to get cash for them, I was told the gold was fake. I was the victim of a scam. When I called the company to get my money back, I was told the number was no longer in service. I felt so foolish."

"As a teacher, you want all of your students to succeed," Scott said, "but there are some you just can't teach.

"There was one in particular I remember, Hunter Broughton. He had the ability to write, but not the passion. I worked with him to find his passion. I tutored him.

"In the end, he simply refused to turn in the work on time. I had no choice but to fail him. Two quarters later, he dropped out of school."

"Last year, I ran in my first New York City Marathon," Chloe said. "I had been training for months, since I had never run that distance before.

"I was running a nice pace. Then, around mile fourteen, I twisted my ankle. I was in a lot of pain. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't put any weight on it.

"Months of preparation for nothing. I wanted to finish this race so bad, but I had to be help off. I was in tears.

"Thankfully, I didn't let it get me down. I continued to train and did finish it this year."

"That reminds me of my basketball career," Marc said. "I had big dreams for my future. I knew I was never going to play in the NBA. The odds of me getting drafted were astronomical.

"I wanted to use my skills to help me get an education. I wanted to become an architect. I was all set to go to Central Michigan to get my degree.

"Then I got hurt and got my scholarship revoked. My parents couldn't afford to send me to school. I had no other choice but to get a job.

"Since I couldn't design buildings, I figured I could build them. I still want to go to school to get my degree. I just need to save up the money for it."

"A friend of mine talked me into entering the Toughman Contest," Christian said. "I've never been much of a fighter, but at my size, he said I would be tough to knock down.

"I watched a few UFC fights and played quite a bit of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out in training. I was psyched for my fight.

"Thirty seconds into the first round, I took two shots to my jaw and dropped like a sack of potatoes. The next thing I remember, I was back in the locker room, checking to make sure all my teeth were still in my mouth.

"I decided to stick to Punch-Out. I haven't been able to beat Bald Bull yet."

"Ever since I was a little girl," Cassidy said, "my mom had entered me in beauty pageants. And every time she entered me, I took home the first place trophy.

"Then, I entered the Miss Teen Toronto pageant. I did everything I usually did, sang the same song in the talent portion and gave the usual answer in the Q&A portion.

"And I left with the second place trophy. My mom made me feel so worthless. She said I lost my beauty, that I would never win another pageant again.

"And I believed her. She made me feel so miniscule that I never worked up the nerve to enter another pageant again."

"Don't be ridiculous, Cassidy. You are stunning," Marc said. "Mothers can be cruel sometimes, especially those stage moms."

"I know. Every guy I've dated has told me the same thing."

"I'm not trying to date you. I'm just saying as a friend. You are first place in my eyes."

"You're so sweet. Thank you."

"I know what it's like to be runner-up," Travis said. "We made it all the way to the championship game my junior year.

"We had outplayed them all game, and still we trailed by four points late into the fourth quarter. I was leading us down the field for the touchdown that would win us our first-ever state championship.

"That was when I threw that interception. I saw my receiver open in the end zone. What I didn't see was the safety waiting for me to throw so he could swoop in and steal my moment.

"I couldn't forget about that senior year. By week three, I got benched. I never got that starting role back. When we finally won the state title, I felt so useless. I knew I was the reason we lost junior year, and my not playing was the reason we won my senior year."

"When Ruth and I were married," Dennis said, "we talked about having kids. A few years later, I was so delighted when she told me she was pregnant.

"Delight soon turned to sorrow. A few months later, she miscarried. We took that as a sign from God that we weren't meant to have kids.

"She wanted to be a mother in the worst way. I asked God to answer our prayer for a child. He sent me the answer.

"Northwest Bible has a mission in Tartu, Estonia. We went to visit that mission. Among the places we visited was an orphanage.

"There was one little guy we just absolutely fell in love with, an eight-year-old named Jaan. We wasted little time in asking about adoption. He said he wouldn't go with us unless we also took his eleven-old-brother Kristjan.

"If we could, we would have taken all those kids home to have Jaan. But we could only take him and his brother.

"We thank God every morning for bringing these two angels into our lives."

"For years, I entered my strawberry rhubarb pie in the county fair," Tracy said. "And for years, I took home the blue ribbon.

"Then one year, for some reason, I tried a different recipe, for very berry pie. I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. No blue ribbon. In fact, I didn't win any kind of ribbon.

"I went back to my famous strawberry rhubarb the next year, but it never won the blue ribbon again. Last year, I stopped entering altogether."

"Months after the accident that left me paralyzed," Wayne said, "I tried working with my therapist to try to walk again.

"I tried on my own. My legs just wouldn't move. I tried electronic stimulation on my legs. I was able to take a few steps with the parallel bars, but my arms were doing most of the work. The minute I moved away from the bars, I was helpless.

"I was told of an experimental procedure that could reestablish the connections to my legs. They also told me there was a chance that it could fail and ruin any progress I had made. I felt it best to steer clear of regressing.

"Until two weeks ago, I never thought I would ever walk again. Thank you Qadarians for giving me my legs back."

"My very first credited acting gig was for a sitcom called 'Welcome to the Five'," Jessica said. "I was thirteen and played the middle child in a family of five.

"I loved the concept of the show. I felt like this could be my launching pad to a long future.

"Unfortunately, the critics slammed the show. The network put us in the same timeslot as CSI and The Office. We were dead in the water before we could even get a following.

"We lasted four episodes before we were cancelled. I was devastated. For months, I tried getting auditions for a different show. No one would hire me.

"I gave up on television, but I never gave up on acting. Thankfully, the director of Switched at Birth took a chance on me, and the rest is history."

While they were answering Levi's question, the Qadarians began their first attacks. They didn't target military bases. They didn't target civilians. Instead, they targeted power plants, anyplace that generated power.

They wanted to cripple the world. They wanted to establish that they were the dominant being.

The Americans counterattacked. They launched thousands of planes and hundreds of tanks to attack the Qadarians.

But they were no match for the superior technology the Qadarians possessed. Each ship was made from a strong metal, once not found on earth called herculium. It was strong enough to withstand shells and missiles. They could not penetrate.

Some of the Qadarian attack craft fired electromagnetic pulses to disable the planes rather than kill the pilots. The planes dropped like flies. Others used beams of intense energy to destroy. The tanks melted like butter to their rays.

Howard decided to take his fight to the highest power, President Sinclair. He drove from New Jersey to Washington, bringing his megaphone. He stood outside the White House and led his protest.

"Peace is no longer an option. They have declared war on us. We must use every means possible to drive this parasite from our planet.

For an hour, he kept ranting. He refused to back down when approached by aides. He refused to back down when approached by guards. Even when he was arrested and taken away, he still preached his message.

Based on the attacks, not by Howard's words, President Sinclair reluctantly declared a state of war. Every National Guardsman was called to active duty. Military bases all over the world were put on red alert.

Meanwhile in the cube, the twenty-six were treated to a pizza dinner. There were cheese pizzas, pepperoni pizzas, veggie pizzas, meat lover's pizzas, and pizzas with everything. There were breadsticks, Pepsi, Coke, and Diet Coke.

By midnight, two-thirds of the cities in the United States slept in pitch blackness. And the Qadarians continued to destroy the remaining power plants.

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

GOOD DEED FOR THE DAY

The sun rose on day twelve. This was the first light the world had seen in hours. Throughout the night, the Qadarians finished their mission and destroyed every generator in the world. Every human on the planet was without electricity.

Now, it was time for the Qadarians to set their sights on their next mission. They set out to destroy every means of communication. Electricity may be out, but people could still relay messages through cell phones and other battery powered means of communication.

Two of the Qadarian ships left the atmosphere to destroy all satellites in orbit. The rest proceeded to destroy all towers on earth.

President Sinclair was speaking with some of the other heads of state when the communication was cut. He called in the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"We can't penetrate their defenses. They are basically doing whatever they want to us. Any ideas on how we can defeat these creatures?"

"We could always do what they did in Independence Day. Upload a virus onto their main ship and disable all their shields."

"And just how are we supposed to do that? Our communications are down, and we don't have one of their ships."

"What about the alien that was killed at Guantanamo? Haven't we been studying it? Maybe there is a biological weakness."

"Good thinking. Let's get there to see how their research is coming along."

Meanwhile, in one of the few places on the planet to have power, Chloe led the morning run with the rest of the group.

Most of the Qadarians were resting, preparing for their next assault. Levi, however, did not. He had set his biological clock to match that of those he was studying. After breakfast, he spoke to the twenty-six.

"Good day all. Our study is almost complete. Based on your responses, we will decide if your race deserves to live or die.

"For our study today, we would like to know about an act of kindness that you have either shown to another or have shown to you."

"I know how hard it is to be a single parent," Luisa said. "My mother raised me and my brothers by herself.

"So when someone brings a child in for me to watch, I don't turn anyone down. Even if they cannot pay, I still take them in.

"Granted, I would prefer that they did, but I know how bad the economy is. I just tell them to pay me back when they can."

"Winters in Portland can be bad at times," Travis said. "And there are some people who can't clear the snow when it gets bad enough.

"For the past few years, I have offered to shovel my neighbor's sidewalks for free and clear off their cars. Some have offered to pay me, but I refuse to take it."

"I can never thank my friend Tyler Phillips enough," Wayne said. "When my wife left me, I had no idea how I would get to places like the supermarket.

"He told me to call him anytime I needed a ride. I always offer to give him gas money or buy him lunch. It's the least I can do for the trouble I am putting him through."

"Whenever I go shopping," Helen said, "there's always this one employee who goes out of his way to follow me to my car and load my groceries for me. He knows I can't lift some of the heavier bags.

"I only wish he could follow me home to help me bring them into the house, but that's what I have my son for."

"Every year, I go to some of the high schools in the Chicago area," Wyatt said. "I go mainly to explain about the dangers of drinking and driving.

"I know they are still a few years away from legally being able to purchase alcohol, but I also know that some will still obtain it. I tell them what alcohol can do to their bodies and mind.

"I discourage them from drinking altogether, but I also tell them that if they are going to drink, they need to appoint a designated driver. I lead by example. As a cop, I have to."

"In jail, we participate in the Adopt a Highway program," Quincy said. "Along a stretch of I-95, we pick up trash once a month.

"At first, I did it because the warden told me I had to. The more I did it, the more I realized I was making a difference. I tried to recruit other inmates."

"There were several of us at work who lived with a mile of each other," Benjamin said. "So, I came up with the idea of starting a carpool.

"With gas prices so high, we could take turns each week and save a bunch on gas money."

"Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved animals," Robin said. "So when I saw a report on the news about a local animal shelter, I knew I had to help.

"I take a couple hours every week and volunteer taking care of sick cats and dogs. I did what I could to keep those defenseless animals from being euthanized."

"My niece asked me to coach her soccer team," Chloe said. "Now, I don't know much about soccer, but I watched some on ESPN and I figured, 'How hard can it be?'

"You just kick the ball around and try to get it in the net. You just can't use your hands.

"I came up with a few basic strategies. I mean, their only eight-year-olds. I didn't want to get too complicated.

"We didn't win too many games. At least I don't think we did. No one kept score. Everyone was a winner."

"What a bunch of hooey. Trying to spare the kid the feeling of being a loser just turns them into a wuss. When they finally do lose, they won't be able to handle it," Christian said.

"Before I was deployed on my first tour, I was a huge advocate of Toys for Tots," Brody said. "I always bought a couple extra toys for kids whose parents couldn't afford to.

"When I returned from my last tour, I became involved in a different way. Since it was the Marines that founded the program, I wanted to serve in some way for the Las Vegas chapter.

"I appeared on posters and other publicity where toys were collected, and I made personal appearances on toy drives."

"As a senior in high school, a group of us heard about the Adopt a Soldier program," Bella said. "A way to say thank you to our soldiers overseas.

"We were each given one soldier to adopt. We sent them letters and care packages, filled with stuff like toiletries, pillows, books and DVDs, and snack foods."

"Yeah. I remember that," Brody said. "I was adopted by Grace Merriman from Roswell, New Mexico. She baked me the best oatmeal raisin cookies."

"One day, I got a call from the Make-A-Wish Foundation," Jessica said. "There was a little girl from Montana who was dying from cancer. They granted her one wish. It was to spend the day with me.

"I was overwhelmed. Out of all the famous people in the world, she wanted to meet me. Of course I said yes.

"That Saturday, I flew out to spend the day with her. We had lunch at McDonalds. Then, I spent the rest of the day with her family. They told me about the treatments she has been through. I thought, 'How could such a little girl go through so much and still have a big smile on her face?'

"That day was the greatest day of my life. I hope I get the chance to do that again once we are released from here."

"My daughter came home in tears one day," Akiko said. "She said her best friend told her she had leukemia and was given less than a year to live unless she got a bone marrow transplant.

"My daughter asked me what we could do to help. Bless her heart; she wanted to give her friend some of her own marrow. I told her it wasn't that simple. The donor has to match her or her body will reject it.

"'Is there anything we can do?' she asked me. I said we can look into starting a drive to collect names for the National Bone Marrow Registry. From there, maybe they could find a match.

"She organized a marrow drive at her school and got about thirty people to sign up. She didn't stop there. She took her case to the local mall and set up a drive there. There, she got a few hundred people to sign up.

"The best news out of it was that one of them was a match and agreed to donate. That person saved her friend's life."

That story brought tears to a few of the group.

"As an English professor, I do a lot of reading," Scott said. "As a result, I have a lot of books in my library.

"Sometimes, my library gets a bit full. Rather than selling the books, I donate them to the school's library. That way, if I ever wanted to read them again, I could check them out. Plus, other would get to enjoy the books, too."

"As my kids were growing up, I loved reading stories to them at night," Tracy said. "When they grew up, I had no one to read to.

"I asked at the local library if they had any kind of story time for kids. They said they did, but only in the summer months.

"I asked if I could start a story time hour during the other nine months. They were more than pleased to say yes.

"Every Wednesday at 4:30, I went to the library to read to the kids. I didn't ask to be paid; I just wanted to see the smiles on their faces."

"Winters in Toronto get to be very cold," Cassidy said. "Some people don't have the means to get a quality winter coat to keep them warm.

"Our high school started a drive to collect gently used or new coats for kids. I took it a step further and started a drive to collect coats for anyone who needed one.

"My senior year, we managed to collect eighty-two coats. That meant eighty-two people wouldn't have to struggle with the cold Toronto winter."

"Years ago, I was preparing my weekly sermon," Dennis said. "My secretary told me I had a phone call from Tim Tebow, who was then the quarterback of the Denver Broncos."

"Yeah. I remember Tebow," Quincy said. "A mediocre quarterback who got traded to the Jets and later Tampa Bay. The media made him out to be the second coming of Jesus. At least until my boy Ndamukong Suh ended his pathetic career."

"Anyway," Dennis said, "I had asked him if he could speak at our church and tell the congregation about his journey to righteousness. He called to say he could come that Sunday.

"After he had spoken to the congregation, he surprised me with a check, a donation of twenty-five thousand dollars to the church. I was caught complete off-guard.

"We used that money to help our missionaries overseas. God Bless Tim Tebow."

"About a month ago, some nice old lady dropped off some quilts she had made," Barbara said. "She was cleaning out her attic and found a bunch of old clothes from her late husband and their children.

"Rather than throwing them out, she used them to make squares and hand-sewed them together to make quilts.

"She saw on the news how our homeless shelter was running short on blankets and graciously donated her quilts so we could keep warm."

"In eighth grade, our science teacher gave us a sapling to plant," Marc said. "I saw how my tree grew over the years.

"In Canada, lumberjacks cut down trees so fast, they can't be replanted fast enough. So, I raised enough money in my neighborhood to plant twenty trees. Just doing my part to help the environment.

"Trees are not only a great source of shade in the summertime, but the carbon dioxide they produce helps keep the circle of life in balance."

"I agree. We have to keep Mother Nature happy," Michael said. "It is a critical part of my culture.

"In Arizona, hiking trails are few and far between. And those we do have are destroyed by those who do not care for it.

"My people work to preserve these trails. Primarily, I work on the Little Saddle Mountain Trail, a seven-mile trail just outside of Phoenix."

"There was a kid in my neighborhood, Miguel Perez," Neveah said. "He was always getting into trouble, and his parents were afraid he was considering joining a gang.

"They asked me to step in and become a mentor to him. They wanted me to share my story with him of how I came from a hard life as a child to become the successful judge.

"I talked with him. At first I couldn't get through to him, but I wasn't giving up on him. I kept on him, telling him about the dangerous road he was traveling unless he changed his ways.

"Several months later, he was an honor roll student and a model citizen. I was so proud of him."

That night they were treated to a fried chicken dinner, complete with hash brown casserole, coleslaw, macaroni salad, and baked beans.

In Guantanamo Bay, President Sinclair and President-elect Wheeler arrived to see the progress that was made on the anatomy of the Qadarians. Like us, they breathed in oxygen. However, theirs was a six-chambered heart, and their blood was a navy bluish color.

The worst-case scenario was that no weakness could be found and we would be helpless to stop them. The best case was a simple virus or bacteria would be found to stop them.

Unfortunately, without a living guinea pig, the worst-case scenario came to fruition. Priority one now was to restore communication and power to certain areas.

Meanwhile, the Qadarians targeted what would be their final objective. They started to attack oil refineries and any place that produced or supplied fuel. Without a moving Army, Navy, or Air Force, victory was inevitable.

And Howard was helpless to stop them. He remained incarcerated and was put under a gag order. He had escalated this issue to its current level, and he needed to be silenced.

Inside the cube, Michael had become the father the twins needed so bad. Twyla knew the real father would never step up. He was also becoming the man she needed so bad.

Wayne and Barbara had also been spending a lot of time getting to know each other better. Wayne had been alone for the past few years, and Barbara only had those in the shelter to talk to. They desperately needed companionship and found it with each other.

Jessica and Travis were traveling along that thin line between friendship and relationship. He wanted to pursue it further; she didn't. He had put Fiona out of his mind. He knew he would never see her again; even if he did, his time with Jessica had made him forget her.

# CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE LAST SUPPER

As the sun rose on day thirteen of the Qadarian 'invasion', most of the oil refineries had been destroyed. Picture the spill from the BP disaster of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico times twenty.

The Qadarians knew that once this stage was complete, they would start their final stage. Reinforcements had been called in days ago.

Still, those inside the cubes around the world were oblivious to the war. Chloe and the rest started their morning run as usual.

Communication was restored to several of the major military bases in the United States, albeit primitive telegraph communication. Power was also restored, but not on a permanent basis. It was in spurts of fifteen minutes at a time to conserve what little they had.

President Sinclair and President-elect Wheeler returned to the White House. They ordered every last plane, tank and other military vehicle into battle. They knew with their fuel running low, they had one last gasp attack left in them and wanted to hit them with everything they had.

It didn't matter the quantity of weaponry fired against the aliens. They were still outmatched. The planes could not maneuver as well as the alien crafts. The tanks' armor was not nearly as strong as the herculium.

For the first time since the start of the war, however, there were Qadarian casualties. For every Qadarian who was killed, a thousand humans died. It didn't take long at that rate for the barrage to end.

As this fight was ending, Tobias addressed the rest of the world.

"We came to this planet in peace. We see now that it was a futile effort. You humans are a war-like people.

"We came to save you, but you have made it clear to us that you are not worth saving. We will leave your planet in twenty-four hours. Before we leave, we will destroy all life on Earth."

Instantly, chaos ensued all over the planet. Stores were looted. Property was destroyed. Martial law was declared everywhere.

Well, almost everywhere. The news had yet to reach the cubes, but that would change soon.

"Good morning all," Levi addressed the group. "Today will be the last day of study. Tomorrow, we will make our decision.

"For today, we want to know, if you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?"

"I know what I would do," Twyla said. "I would track down that prick Gary and chop off his dick so he couldn't further contaminate the world. If he can't take responsibility, he shouldn't have the means to reproduce."

That got a laugh from a few of the group.

"I would try to track down my son Marshall," Wayne said. "If I'm going to die, I'd want to make amends if for no other reason than to see my only grandchild. I never got to see Caleb, and I just wanted to spend some time with him before I died."

"I would max out every credit card I owned," Barbara said. "I wouldn't have to pay anything back, and I could die happy and looking good."

"I've always been an avid reader," Scott said. "And that's what I would do on my last day. I would read my favorite book one last time."

"I would ask out the most beautiful woman I could find," Christian said. "If I'm going to die, I want to die with a smile on my face.

"If she said no, I would ask another. And another, until someone said yes."

"Ben and I would take our kids to Disneyworld," Tracy said. "We always talked about it, but never had the time or money. With neither holding us back, we could finally take the vacation we always wanted to."

"Would I still be in jail?" Quincy said. "If I was still in jail, I would probably just kill myself and save myself the trouble. If I was free, I would try to make amends with Veronica's family to die with a clear conscience."

"After spending the day with Maurice," Neveah said, "I would go on one last night out with the girls on Bourbon Street."

"I would call off work and take my family of the Ferris Bueller tour," Wyatt said. "We would look out from the observation deck of the Willis Tower, go to Chez Quis for lunch as Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago, and go to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Art Institute of Chicago. We would finish the day at Wrigley Field or Comiskey Field or wherever there was a sporting event."

"I've always wanted to try skydiving," Chloe said. "The rush of freefalling at hundreds of miles an hour. If I knew it would be my last day, I would do this."

"Make sure you do it as a tandem jump if it's your first time," Wayne said.

"I would do my best to save as many lost souls as I could," Dennis said. "Everyone will one day stand face to face with God, and I hope to have helped many find salvation."

"I would take this one last day and just pig out," Robin said. "If I wasn't living past the next day, what would it matter how many chemicals and preservatives I put into my temple?"

"When I married Rhonda, we never had the chance to go on our honeymoon," Brody said. "If tomorrow were my last day on earth, I would love to take her to Hawaii so we could finally have that honeymoon."

"I would love to have just one day as a normal person," Jessica said. "With my hectic schedule, that's impossible. I just want to spend one day like everyone else does. And if the paparazzi show their faces, I would love to pick a fight with them."

"I would just soak in every last bit of nature," Michael said. "I would have to see one final sunset and sunrise."

"I would treat it as I would every other day," Akiko said. "I would go to work and do my best to save as many lives as I could, even if I know I would be losing my own in the next twenty-four hours."

"I would just take the day and spend it with Patrice," Marc said. "I want to make as many happy memories with her as I could so she would always remember me when I was gone.

The rest of the group shared his thought. They also said they would spend their last day with their loved ones.

Meanwhile, a fleet of about a hundred Qadarian ships was entering the Milky Way. These were not warships. These were tankers meant for siphoning resources from the planet.

President Sinclair had been in contact with the other heads of state. They knew with the end of humanity just hours away, they had to try one final effort to save our species, even if it meant possibly condemning ourselves.

The United States, along with Russia, Korea, Iran, and any other country with nuclear capabilities would launch every last missile at the aliens. If this could not stop them, nothing would. If mankind was going to die, it would take out as many Qadarians as it could with it.

As the time came for dinner, Levi gave the twenty-six the fatal news.

"We regret to inform you that tomorrow the plague known as the human race will be extinguished from this planet. Because of your cooperation, we are granting you your choice of a last meal. Anything you desire."

"Anything?" Christian asked. "In that case, I want a cheesesteak from Pat's, an order of cheese fries, and a six-pack of Budweiser."

Instantly, it appeared in front of him. Seeing this, the rest let their hearts choose.

"Spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread and a bottle of red wine," Bella said.

"I want lobster with some mushroom risotto and a large sweet tea," Quincy said.

"Can I have a grilled cheese sandwich, a bowl of tomato soup, and a Pepsi?" Robin asked.

"I want some New England clam chowder, a couple of biscuits, and a glass of white wine," Francis said.

"Some of my mom's famous crawfish étouffée, rice, French bread, and a glass of pinot noir, with a few beignets for dessert," Neveah said.

"A couple pork chops, scalloped potatoes, lemonade, and a heaping slice of my wife's strawberry rhubarb pie," Benjamin said.

"I just want a taco salad and a Coke," Jessica said.

"A thick, juicy rib eye steak, cooked medium well, with a baked sweet potato and a Molson," Marc said.

"I'd like some sushi," Akiko said. "Some California roll, maybe a little Hawaiian roll, with some wasabi and soy sauce for dipping, and some sake."

"I want a cheeseburger with everything, onion rings, and a Yoo-hoo," Travis said.

"I love breakfast, so if it's my last meal, I want breakfast," Chloe said. "I want a ham steak, three eggs over easy, hash browns, toast with grape jelly, coffee and orange juice."

"I would like some grilled venison, acorn squash, posole, and water, with some wojape for dessert," Michael said.

"What's posole?" "What's wojape?"

"Posole is a Native American soup made with pork and hominy. Wojape is a berry dessert."

"I want a couple of chimichangas with some refried beans and rice, with some sangria to drink," Luisa said.

"I would love some Chicago-style deep dish pizza, with Italian sausage, bell peppers and onions, with a couple Samuel Adams beers," Wyatt said.

"If it's the last thing I'm ever going to eat, then I just want a gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream," Cassidy said.

"Two lamb chops with some couscous and a side salad," Dennis said. "Maybe a little wine."

"I want some fried catfish, with cornbread, corn on the cob, greens, and a large sweet tea," Twyla said.

"Can I have a rack of baby back ribs with some potato salad and a couple Blue Moons?" Wayne asked.

"I want some escargot, a medallion of filet mignon cooked medium, and two Grey Goose martinis with two olives each," Barbara said.

"A few slices of beef brisket with some coleslaw and roasted red potatoes," Brody said. "And a Dr. Pepper to drink."

"I just want a heaping helping of my grandma's kielbasa and sauerkraut, with some grape Kool-Aid, like when I was a kid," Tracy said.

"I want a couple of crab cakes with some fried okra and a Scotch," Scott said.

"I just want some liver and onions with a side salad and a cup of coffee," Helen said.

One by one, the meals they asked for appeared before them. As they did, Chloe made an additional request.

"Could we also have an iced yellow cake? Tomorrow is Wyatt's fortieth birthday."

He was embarrassed by the request. He didn't want to make a big deal of it. Nevertheless, the Qadarians complied.

One final request was made by Bella.

"If this is my last day, I wanna party. Can you give us a shitload of alcohol so we can get drunk off our asses?"

Away from the table appeared several cases of beer, bottles of wine, and other bottles of alcohol.

As they prepared to eat, the launch codes were entered all over the globe. With the small amount of energy and fuel they had left, they launched every last nuclear missile at the various Qadarian ships around the planet.

Some of them were destroyed before they could impact, and those that did impact with the alien ships were unable to penetrate their hulls. The final mission was a failure. Earth was doomed.

Shortly thereafter, the tankers began to enter Earth's atmosphere. They began to position themselves over the oceans and other major bodies of water.

As they did, two of the Qadarian battleships left for the polar icecaps. When they reached them, they emitted a beam that began to melt the ice at the North and South Poles, thus creating more water.

Once the tankers were positioned, they began to siphon the water from the oceans. The people of Earth were helpless to prevent it from happening.

Especially Howard. He was still imprisoned for his rants. Even in jail, he continued ranting.

"I told you so. I told you not to trust them, but you didn't listen to me."

The other prisoners tired of hearing his complaints. In fact, they blamed him for everything. If he had kept his mouth shut, the planet could have survived.

That night, a group of them cornered him in the shower and beat him unmercifully. One of them pulled a shiv on him and stabbed him repeatedly in the back. Blood ran down the drain. He dropped to his knees and died lying face first on the shower floor.

Inside the cube, the twenty-six sat down to their last dinner. As he always did, Dennis said grace. At the end, Quincy said, "Where is your so-called 'God' now? Is it His will to let the human race get wiped out like this?"

As they talked, Scott asked an interesting question.

"If you could save just one other person besides yourself, who would it be?"

"No doubt about it," Marc said. "I'd have to save Patrice. I couldn't imagine living without her."

"Just one?" Brody asked. "How could I choose between my wife and my children? I suppose if I had to, I'd choose Rhonda."

"I'd have to bring my mom Margaret," Jessica said. "I wouldn't be where I am today without her help."

"My eight-year-old granddaughter Charlotte Swain," Helen said. "She's my favorite."

"Wow. Making me choose between my three kids," Luisa said. "I guess if I had to, I'd pick my oldest Javier."

"I'd bring Noah," Travis said. "We've did everything together, and I'd really like to catch up on everything that's happened since he moved. Plus, I'd love for him to see that I'm friends with the famous Jessica Schumacher."

"I'd save my daughter Olivia," Benjamin said.

"Well then, I'd save my son Jamie," Tracy said.

"Wait a minute," Quincy said. "How come they get to save two while the rest of us only get to save one?"

"Give it a rest,:" Brody said. "We know you're angry, but there's nothing you can do about it."

"I would have to bring my boyfriend Maurice," Neveah said. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

"I'd bring Vanessa Cutsinger," Christian said. "She said she wouldn't go out with me even if I was the last man on earth. Let's see what she has to say when faced with the limited options."

"My husband Yukio," Akiko said. "He's not only my husband; he's also my best friend."

"Without question, it would be my mom Rose," Quincy said. "She stood by my side during my trial when everyone else in my family abandoned me."

"While I love my adopted kids," Dennis said, "I would have to choose my wife Ruth. God is my Father. Jesus is my Savior. She is my life."

"After I made peace with my son," Wayne said, "I would have to save my grandson Caleb. Youth needs to be preserved. Plus, it would give me time to spend with him that I haven't had since he was born."

"My friend Mason Browning," Barbara said. "He wanted to take me in when I lost everything, but he lived in a one-bedroom apartment and didn't have the room."

"Don't make me choose between my wife and my daughter," Wyatt said. "I can't do it."

"You have to," Scott said.

"If I absolutely have to choose, then I pick Carol."

"I'd pick my older sister Sarah Tompkins," Twyla said. "She's raised three kids and would be of great help to me."

"I'd save my boyfriend David," Bella said.

"I don't want to choose," Michael said. "When the Great Spirit calls you home, you can't say no."

"But if you could save someone, who would it be?"

"I suppose if I had to choose, it would be my dad Daniel."

"My wife Alice," Francis said. "I can't live without her. I'd rather die than live without her."

"I'd have to say my boyfriend Brett," Robin said. "He's one of the few people who shares my beliefs on animals."

"Me and my best friend Lacey have shared so much together," Cassidy said. "It would have to be her."

"I would save my husband Shawn," Chloe said.

"And I would save my muse, my inspiration," Scott said. "I would save my wife Eleanor."

After dinner, they began to drink. If it was to be their last night alive, they were going to celebrate.

Well, almost everyone drank. Dennis left the group to return to his bed and pray.

As he was leaving, he was stopped by Michael.

"Can you please wait a minute? I have an important question to ask Twyla." He walked to her and held her hand. "Twyla, I've only known you two weeks, but you've become very special to me."

He dropped to one knee. "If tonight is our last night alive, then nothing would make me happier than to spend it with you as my wife. Will you marry me?"

She started to cry. "Yes, I will marry you."

"Right now?"

She seemed surprised by this request.

"After tonight, we won't have another chance to enter heaven together. Will you marry me right now?"

"Yes, I will."

"Pastor Young, can you marry us? I know we don't have rings and everything. I just want to say the words to her and hear them from her?"

"It would be my honor," Dennis said. He performed a standard ceremony. Afterward, they were Michael and Twyla Clearwater.

They left to spend their wedding night. If she wasn't surprised by his on-the-spot proposal, she was shocked when he took off his jumpsuit at their bed.

After a few drinks, Jessica walked up to Travis.

"Would you like to come back to my bed and talk?" She grabbed his hand and kissed him on the cheek. He could tell she wasn't thinking with a clear head.

"Sure." He didn't care. Hand in hand, they walked back to her bed.

When they got there, she asked him, "Remember about a week ago when you asked to have sex with me?"

"I remember. I'm sorry I brought that up. It was very inconsiderate of me."

"Well, since it's our last night..." She started to take off her jumpsuit. "Does that offer still stand? Or don't you think you can handle me?" Her suit fell to the ground.

This was better than he ever imagined. For a minute, he was speechless.

"I don't think I can, but I'd sure like to try."

"I wanna see how wild Taz can get."

He ripped off his jumpsuit, and they crawled into bed for the night.

Meanwhile, the consumption of alcohol continued. Before long, Francis and Helen retired for the evening. So, too, did Benjamin and Tracy.

Being only eighteen, Cassidy had never drunk before tonight. It didn't take much to make her tipsy. It also made her come to a conclusion.

She didn't want to die a virgin. Tonight would be her last chance to have sex, but with whom? The only man her own age was in bed with another woman. Most of the rest were old enough to be her father or grandfather.

In the end, she was faced with two options. Christian, whom she found repulsive. And Marc, engaged to a woman he would never see again. She made her choice obvious.

"Marc, I have a huge favor to ask of you. Tonight is our last night on earth, and I don't want to die a virgin. Would you have sex with me?"

"I can't, Cassidy. I'm engaged to Patrice, a woman I love more than life itself."

"A woman you're never going to see again."

"Still, there's a bond between us that I simply cannot break, will not break."

Cassidy started to cry. "Please. You're the only real option I have here."

He hesitated to answer. He took her words into consideration. Yes, he would do anything for Patrice. And yes, he was never going to see her again. If he did, she would never know of it.

"Please!"

Reluctantly, he agreed. It would be strictly sex, no emotional connection. She ran to him and hugged him. They left for his bed for the deflowering.

Most of the rest staggered back to their bed, or at least a bed. Quincy and Luisa passed out at the table.

That evening, President Sinclair and President-elect Wheeler addressed the nation.

"My fellow Americans. We have tried every effort to put an end to the impending doom our planet faces. And all of our efforts have failed.

"The world will end tomorrow. We ask that you stay in your homes and spend what little time remaining with those you love.

"Do not, I repeat, do not succumb to fear. The end is coming, and we are powerless to stop it.

"I am instituting a state of martial law. Anyone caught in any manner of disorderly conduct will be shot on sight.

"Good night America. May God have mercy on our souls."

# CHAPTER FIFTEEN

IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

One hundred Qadarian tankers continued to fill their tanks with water. Each tanker could hold a million gallons of water.

When their tanks were full, they left the earth and positioned themselves near the moon.

While the Qadarians remained quiet to the groups, they still listened to their conversations. They heard the North American cube talk about who they would save if they could. They heard similar conversations in the European and African cubes.

Because those in the cubes cooperated fully with their captors, the captors granted them one final wish. As the humans slept, the Qadarians traveled the planet and transported those chosen by the humans to the respective cubes.

The Qadarians chose not to let those in the cubes know. They wanted to make it a surprise.

The surprise wasn't just for those in the cube. The twenty-four who were transported to the table woke up in shock.

"Where are we?" Rhonda Wilkes asked.

"I don't know," Yukio Miyake replied. "I remember going to bed at home. How did we all get here?"

The rest of the newbies introduced themselves over breakfast.

Knowing they only had hours to live, Chloe decided to skip her morning run. Instead, she went straight to the table.

Marc woke up in bed with Cassidy. When he saw her, his heart filled with regret. Even though she would never know, he betrayed his fiancée.

On the other hand, Travis woke up in bed with Jessica. When he saw her, his heart exploded with joy. He spent the night with the woman of his dreams.

Travis and Jessica walked to the table hand in hand, as did Benjamin and Tracy. Marc and Cassidy walked together as well. The rest walked to the table one by one.

When they got to the table, they were surprised to see their loved ones. Those with family ran to them and hugged them.

Wayne walked up to a young boy. "Are you Caleb?"

"Yes."

"I'm your grandpa Wayne."

They tried to catch up on lost time.

When Marc saw Patrice, he quickly ran toward her, or rather away from Cassidy.

"Who is this you came here with?"

"I thought I'd never see you again. You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

"You didn't answer my question. Who is she?"

"She's nobody."

"If she's nobody, why did you walk here with her?"

Marc knew he had to confess. "She wanted to have sex before we died, and she wanted to have it with me. I told her how much I loved you. The only reason I did it was..."

She slapped him across the face and walked away.

"Patrice! Let me explain!"

She didn't want to hear any kind on explanation. She felt betrayed, and nothing he could say could fix her broken heart.

On the other hand, Travis couldn't wait to show off Jessica to Noah. He did do the proper thing and not go into great detail about how they spent the night.

Christian walked up to Vanessa. "Remember me?"

"No. Can't say that I do."

"I asked you out, and you told me 'Not if you were the last man on earth." Well, the earth is going to end today. Would you like to spend it with me?"

"Well, you're not the last man on earth. No." She walked away.

The newbies told the twenty-four what was going on outside the cube. They told them how the Qadarians attacked the humans. They told them why the earth was really being destroyed.

As they were reacquainted with those they chose to save, Levi spoke to the group.

"Good morning. As you can tell, we have chosen to reunite you with those you talked about yesterday. As we told you yesterday, today is the last day for your planet.

"However, after much discussion with our commander, we have decided to spare your lives. From what we have gathered, you are not the same as the others.

"You will be brought aboard our ship just before your planet will be wiped clean of all life."

A beam engulfed the cube. As it rose into the air, it also began to shrink. Only the cube shrank; the people inside did not.

A few minutes later the cube was small enough to fit inside the ship. For the first time since their imprisonment, a door opened to allow them to step outside.

When they stepped out, the original twenty-four got their first look at the Qadarians. Their initial reaction was one of shock, then acceptance. The sight of them was too much for Helen to deal with. She had a heart attack and died shortly after leaving the cube.

The soldier in Brody told him to attack the Qadarians. His family, his country, his planet was under attack, and he had to defend them. Then, he turned to his wife. What would he gain by taking them on single-handed? He calmed down and joined the others.

The aliens escorted them to their temporary living quarters. Families stayed together. Travis and Jessica stayed together, as did Michael, Twyla and the twins.

Marc wanted to stay with Patrice. He was begging for her forgiveness, but she was having nothing of it.

Everyone else had individual living quarters. Inside were beds and a machine that could create any food they desired.

As they were settling in, the tankers were in position, all on one side of the planet, the side facing away from the sun.

The tankers used the beams they used to drain the oceans, only in reverse. Instead of pulling, it pushed. One hundred beams were shoving Earth out of its current orbit and moving it closer to the sun.

As it did, temperatures gradually began to rise. First, the plants started dying. Then, the water that remained on Earth began to boil, killing the fish.

The goal of the tankers was not to push the planet into the sun, just far enough out of orbit to kill the planet. The beams were turned off after seven hundred thousand miles and left Earth to drift.

Death was not immediate on Earth. It was a slow, painful death. With water supplies dwindling, dehydration was the most common cause of death, followed by heat stroke.

While billions were facing imminent death, about three hundred humans total were whisked away. Within minutes, every last Qadarian ship had left the solar system.

# CHAPTER SIXTEEN

LIFE BEGINS ANEW

After a four day trip, they arrived at the planet Qoboros, which orbited Qadaris. The six Qadarian battleships landed. The humans were then asked to depart to start their new lives on this planet.

They were given some facts about their new home. A day on Qoboros lasted twenty-one Earth hours and forty-three Earth minutes. A Qoborian year lasted three hundred fifty-three Qoborian days. All in all, just slightly less than a month less than an Earth year.

The first thing they noticed was the lack of vegetation. Trees were few and far between. Though the soil was fertile, foliage was scattered about, but just a little bit here, a little bit there.

The second thing they noticed was they were not the only race on this planet. The Qadarians had done the same thing to the inhabitants of Jkotar, Sfenalix, and Oegu. Those planets were also destroyed, and a small group of their people was dropped off on this rock.

Each individual was given their own living quarters, similar to the ones they had onboard the spaceship. Again, the families stayed together. The humans were separated from the Sfenali, the Jktoarians, and the Oegans.

Marc was still begging Patrice for forgiveness. If it took the rest of his life, he was willing to make things right with her. Unfortunately for him, she had moved on and soon started dating Dalman Walker from Canberra, Australia.

Cassidy had put her night with him in the past and was dating Salvador Caceres from Caracas, Venezuela. Christian had also put aside his rejection by Vanessa. He finally found a woman who found him attractive. Her name was Vica Szabó from Budapest, Hungary.

Luisa met Mawuli Areme from Accra, Ghana and eventually married him. They set up a daycare center to watch over the kids, as she had in Houston.

As for Vanessa, she was an instant hit... to the Sfenali. They quickly started treating her as though she was royalty.

During their stay on Qoboros, the other races learned to cross-breed. Jktorians mated with Oegans; Oegans mated with Sfenali; Sfenali mated with Jktorians. Now, they had a new race to breed with. And the Sfenali set their sights on Vanessa.

The Oegans set their sights on Quincy. He wanted nothing to do with it. He wanted to stick with his own race. He soon found out, however, that the Oegans were an aggressive race who were used to getting what they wanted.

Eventually, the races became friends. The aliens shared with the humans their experience with the Qadarians. The stories were all the same. The Qadarians said they came in peace and initially helped. By the end, they turned on their hosts and destroyed their planet.

The humans quickly learned that no matter what happened, the Qadarians were going to take their water and leave their planet desolate and abandoned.

As years passed, the human race grew. Jessica and Travis eventually married and started a family. Michael and Twyla added more children to their family. Cassidy started a family with Salvador.

Patrice married Dalman and started a family. Marc knew Patrice would never forgive him. He was just happy knowing she was happy. He would start a new relationship with Laury Mortaud from Paris, France.

Bella and David were married, as were Robin and Brett. Chloe and Shawn had two daughters and a son. Wayne and Barbara eventually got married and raised Caleb as their own.

Over time, even Vica grew tired of Christian and left him. Christian would eventually find love with a Jktorian.

Perhaps the happiest person on Qoboros was Neveah. You see, she didn't know it inside the cube, but the treatment the Qadarians gave everyone when they were first beamed aboard fixed her uterus. She was able to conceive a child with Maurice. She became the mother she always wanted to be.

Francis and Alice would die within the first Qoborian year, Ruth within the first three. Dennis never lost his faith; he tried to start a church, but only a few humans kept their faith and followed him.

Scott teamed up with Francesca Meloni, a history teacher from Rome, Italy, to start a school on Qoboros. Scott would teach the language; Francesca told the kids about the history of their home planet, so what billions died for would not be forgotten.

The humans elected a leader to speak on their behalf. A man that everyone respected. That man was Daniel Clearwater.

Akiko and Yukio eventually learned the anatomies of the aliens and soon became doctors for everyone on Qoboros.

Vanessa eventually became Queen of the Sfenali. Unfortunately, she found out that being queen meant she had to serve in much the same role as a queen bee. The gestation cycle of the Sfenali was a fraction of that of a human, so she produced many babies in a short period of time. A very painful birthing process, as well.

Speaking of painful, Quincy fought the Oegans initially. After repeated mating, though, he learned to like it and embraced their culture.

Although they missed their home planet and the loved ones they left behind, the humans led a very happy and productive life on Qoboros. In fact, integrating with new cultures made their lives better.

It was through this integration that Brody and Wyatt teamed up to teach not only the humans but also those of the other races to defend themselves and to prepare for the next time the Qadarians landed. They would make sure that the next race brought to Qoboros would be the last.

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