Nest Among The Stars

Intruder - Part 2

Mars was colonized and, until recent events argued for their removal, sustained over half a million inhabitants. Many had now evacuated, not out of necessity, but as a precaution. Fear of the unknown is a great motivator to flight even when assurances of safety are given. After the destruction of Mercury and Venus there were few in the solar system willing to take any chances.

Mercury had been uninhabited, while sufficient warning was given so that Venus' eighteen research scientists, the only people on that hostile world, could be removed without harm. The evacuees fled along with the billions from Earth to the deep space colonies.

Hundreds of planets, many little more than primitive mining stations, welcomed the new arrivals. The colonies wanted growth, needed fresh blood, even those that were long established with cities in the millions. Travel back to the home world often took months, in some cases years when coming from the farthest colonies, and new ideas and points of view would refresh stagnant 'other world' lives.

Some of the more adventurous chose to head out on voyages of discovery to areas of space not yet touched by humans, hoping to find adventure at the least, while betting against the odds to find personal fortune. The displaced traveled individually as well as in organized groups comprising thousands, searching for new worlds to call home. Most intended to return to Earth at some time in the future, but all who left were under no illusions about the certainty of doing so.

Unexpectedly, and without any hint of its possibility, the universe and humanity's place in it had irrevocably changed. There would no longer be any guarantees. No longer any certainty. We had been contacted. There was a race of beings other than ourselves. And they were coming to Earth. They were coming in unknown numbers and for an unknown purpose. They would stay for a brief but indefinite time. We had been promised that when they did leave Earth we would find everything exactly as it was before they came.

The initial contact was as unexpected as the reason for their coming was unexplained. Exploration, conquest, pillage, the historically traditional excuses humans used for attending upon other societies uninvited, were possibilities. However, if the Aliens were to be believed, then they weren't coming to explore and have our culture explained to them or to extend a hand of friendship. They told us to evacuate, they had no desire to meet with us. They were not coming for conquest; they said they were going to leave soon after their arrival. It wasn't to rape the planet of its resources; Earth would be left untouched by them, everything remaining as it was.

The platforms had long been neglected. Nothing 'out there' had ever been found which needed to be defended against. Nothing had ever been found period. No life, not even a microbe existed anywhere but on Earth. Nothing alive to be found that had not come from Earth in the first place.

In conjunction with refurbishing the purely defensive platforms, a deep space battle fleet was also readied. Ostensibly of a protective nature when first built over two hundred years ago, the fleet was at that time equipped with every offensive weapon we possessed. It moved out with the first explorers and colonists, providing a psychological security. We were hoping that nothing more than the knowledge of its availability would ever be required. Since nothing more had ever been required, complacency set in as the years passed and, along with the platforms, the fleet became a minor consideration, a financial burden barely maintained and never enhanced, its weaponry now minimal and ancient.

The smaller ships of Earth's near space fleet were placed on high alert after the 'voice' was first heard. This status was lowered only a few weeks later. However, after the 'voice' was heard a second time the highest alert was again ordered and both the near space and deep space fleets were refurbished, rearmed and expanded, using designs engineers had prepared years earlier and, until then, had been collecting dust.