Crash Landing on Earth Part 2: Spectres on Earth [REVISING]

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9/15/2042. Planet Earth; Oakland, CA

"Customer #91, your order is ready! 91?"

The last customer left Starbucks with his double expresso, letting the door swing shut behind him. The employee who had called his order sighed softly and reached behind her back to untie her green apron. Another successful day at work.

The employee felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see one of her coworkers holding out a strawberry latte.

"Free latte, Penny?" She asked.

Penny took the drink. "Thanks, Nikki."

She sipped it as she went to grab cleaning supplies from the storage room, only to find that another coworker had beat her to it.

"I-I thought I was gonna-"

"Nah, you do it too much," said the coworker, Matt. "I'll take care of the sweeping, so you can rest easy and take care of the ice machine or something."

"Oh, ok." Penny walked away.

After doing her part in the maintenance work and getting her paycheck, Penny walked out of the building. Setting her folded apron and latte down on a nearby table after firmly ordering it not to get stolen, she took a moment to stretch her upper limbs. Just as she looked up she heard something in the distance.

"It's just an airplane," she told herself, given that she lived pretty close to the airport in Oakland, CA. But an airplane wouldn't sound like... shiiiiiiiiinnnnggg.

More like... fwooooommm.

Now that was weird.

Grabbing her belongings, Penny headed into her car and went to check it out. She was now halfway to the airport when she saw it.

"That's no plane..." she muttered as she found a place to park. "That's no plane...!"

Hopping out of the car, Penny rushed over to the strange vehicle, which appeared to be some kind of spaceship. Well, as close as she could get, anyway.

6, no, 8 people disembarked along with 2 robots. The tall one with the blindfold appeared to be diffusing the situation they were in with the airport security, with the shabby looking one backing him up. Penny had to stifle a giggle. With a ship like that no one would get past the security.

But as she watched the group get handcuffed and led away, a cloud of curiosity filled Penny's mind. Perhaps it was just some old memories. Maybe she had the feeling she'd seen the blindfold guy before. Or maybe...

No, she thought. It's just a group of outlanders who got arrested. End of story.

But Earth never got outlanders. Nope. A few UFO sightings and returning astronauts, but that was it.

After a moment, she decided to check it out. Grabbing her passport from her car pocket, Penny headed into the terminal. Speedwalking down the hallway, she made it to the security center, where the 8 newcomers were sitting around a table at the detention room, talking indistinctively as an officer left the room.

She knew she couldn't just walk in there. So, she needed a disguise, or an excuse. Unfortunately, she couldn't pose as a security officer.

I suppose an excuse would do, she decided. I'm just a friend who came to pick them up at the airport. Even though I doubt they know me.

Penny took a deep breath. Then she walked in.

"He-ey, random people who I... probably never met before," she ventured, smiling sheepishly. "How's it going?"