Terror on Arrival: An Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novel

“If our orders are to return to Belize, we better get cracking. We don’t want to miss those Chauzek,” Jayde reminded them. Pleasantries could wait.

Jayde and Alexi said farewell, and left the Oval Office.

“Are you male or female?” President Logan asked Cheauflux.

“My people are asexual, Sydney Logan. We do not need another Cheasu to reproduce,” Cheauflux revealed. “It is an advantage to the propagation of our species.”

President Logan was surprised. He had more questions. What other time would he be able to interview an alien? This was his ‘Nat Geo’ moment.

“How old are you?” he continued.

“Our make-up is radically different than yours. Aging is not what we do. Our physical forms expire, our souls are eternal. They transfer to our chealings, our children, as our physical bodies expire,” Cheauflux said.

“We sort of, do the same thing. Our kids perpetuate our family line,” Logan said.

“The difference is that your children share different features from their mother and father, mixing them into an individual entity of their own design. That individual entity’s soul expires with their physical bodies in this dimension. They don’t come back mentally. Our kind is, individually, from us. Since there are no mixture of two beings, there aren’t other entities. Our chealings are, merely, our next physical vessels. We still have the whole ‘rearing’ aspect of having children. Furthermore our memory and experience stay intact when our chealings evolve into maturity, keeping our population copacetic with our planet’s size.” Cheauflux showed how his people existed. “Your kind is terminal, which is fortuitous for your planet. If you were eternal, you would run out of room on the Earth, and since you can’t exist, comfortably in water of extreme temperature, and pressure, and you don’t know how to migrate from this planet due to your biological make-up, your Earth would be doomed.”

President Logan had to soak all this information in. He thought that was the way you reproduced. Actually reproduction was so natural, he didn’t think about it.

“So you have memories from about a million years back!?” Logan asked.

“According to what you call time, I have memories from trillions of millennium back,” Cheauflux said.

“Well, you learn something new every day,” Logan said.

“Your contractors will learn how to construct a transport. As soon as you employ them,” Cheauflux said.

“We had an enormous conspiracy theory about our SR-71 Blackbird being constructed from alien technology,” Logan said.

“That means your contractors should be able to understand my instructions,” Cheauflux alluded to the conspiracy theory being true.

“I’ll employ some sharp people to follow your instructions,” Logan assured Cheauflux.

“When you are prepared, we can commence,” Cheauflux said.

Logan got on the phone to Crenshaw Industries, Lockheed, Boeing, and Cessna. He asked for their best, and to put them on a plane to NASA, where they build spacecraft. Cheauflux was told where NASA was located and transported there when the first contractors arrived.

The contractors took around ten hours to get to NASA. Cheauflux’s travel was instant.

Cheauflux was greeted by a general.

“Welcome to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cheauflux,” General Harper said.

“Greetings, General Harper. I believe your NASA is off to a good start,” Cheauflux said.

“We went to the moon in ’69, and we’ve been sending probes to Mars for around twenty years,” General Harper touted.

“As I said, NASA is off to a good start. Once you can physically travel to your closest neighbor planet with ease, you will be past infancy,” Cheauflux said.

“We don’t take kindly to insults!” Harper was offended at Cheauflux’s statement.

“I am not insulting NASA, I’m just merely stating facts, General,” Cheauflux explained.

“You aliens aren’t too keen on social skills, are you?” Harper asked.

“If stating facts in your culture is socially unacceptable, I believe my social skills are inadequate,” Cheauflux said.

General Harperfinally realized his foreign relationswere inadequate, and Cheauflux was, definitely, a foreigner.

“I’m sorry Cheauflux. I keep forgetting, you’re literally not from around here.I’ll adjust my attitude,” Harper said.

“The Cheasu do not get offended at attitudes, General. Allowing offense births hate, and hate initiates violence. We learned from violence since before humans existed. We aren’t a violent entity,” Cheauflux explained his demeanor.

“Well, we haven’t evolved to that state yet. If you don’t apologize after you inadvertently, offend someone, they will think you mean it, and you’re an ass.” Harper tried to show how the human society operated.

“I am on your planet, so I’ll be the one to adjust, General,” Cheauflux said.

“Just obliterate the, blatant obviousness, and you’ll get along fine in this world,” Harper said.

“If that means alleviating the saying of what you mean, I could do that,” Cheauflux said.

All your people haven’t arrived yet, but some of them are here, and can’t wait to meet you,” Harper said.

“Show them to me, General,” Cheauflux requested.

“Follow me, they’re right down this corridor,” Harper said.

Cheauflux followed General Harper down the hallway, to a certain room.

“Now remember, these people didn’t think they’d spot an alien when they woke up this morning, let alone be greeted by one. Hold your tongue whenever you think you need to,” Harper advised.

“I just would like to say hello to your area’s most competent contractors, and I don’t have a tongue to hold,” Cheauflux said.

“So, you can anticipate,” Harper deducted.

“We have not evolved out of anticipation. That is a trait every being that wants to evolve should have. You can’t advance if you have no desire to learn the previously unknown. Anticipation is that drive to learn,” Cheauflux explained.

“Just when I thought I figured you out, you keep turning the page on me,” Harper said. “I would think you look at us the way we see an ant hill.”

“You still have entomologists studying that ant hill to learn what they do. I have the same drive to learn as you have that drive,” Cheauflux said. “May I meet the contractors?”

Harper had warned it about the contractor’s apprehensions, so he decided to just let the chips fall.

“Let’s meet your people.” Harper opened the door, and Cheauflux followed him.

As they walked in, the murmurs became quickly silent. One, because Harper was a general, and, more so, two, Cheauflux was an alien.

“Good day, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am General Harper. I would like you to meet your teacher, Cheauflux,” Harper said. “As you already know, Cheauflux is a Xenomorph. It is fluent in the English language, so there should be no problems with understanding. It speaks with a Midwestern accent, so his pronunciation is accurate. Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you, Cheauflux,” Harper said.

Cheauflux stepped forward, and began to speak. “Greetings contractors, I am going to teach you the art of constructing a transport space craft, designed to go to Mars. It will be simple, because the lifeforms housed in the transport require no life support. With the size of the craft, we just have to build it sturdy enough so it can make it there. The rest of the contractors should arrive by tomorrow morning. You will consume nourishment... let me correct that. You will have breakfast, and then we will begin. Are there any questions?”

The entire room was silent. Everyone was stunned, and, strangely uncomfortable being addressed by a Xenomorph.

“I understand your abnormality towards me. I look like a funny mermaid, mixed with a cheetah and a rhinoceros. Just call me NASA’s Griffin if that eases your preternatural feeling. How do you humans say it? Treat me like one of the guys,” Cheauflux said.

The contractors felt a bit odd. They were all college graduates. They were, automatically, realists. Dreamers couldn’t build an accurate aircraft, especially not one that transported human passengers. Listening to an alien talking about something they’ve never built before threw them. They’ve never even seen this exotic alien design before. For that matter, no one has ever seen this thing. It felt dangerous believing a Xenomorphic being, one never even discovered in ancient lore.

A contractor raised his hand. Cheauflux called on him.

“You have a question, Sir?” it asked.

“It is not a question, alien entity. It is more so a statement,” Mr. Chandler of Boeing said. “I was a sergeant in the military; greetings General Harper. I was in Intelligence. We speculated on the SR-71 Blackbird, and Area 51. I’ve expected aliens existing for years, so your appearance doesn’t bother me. I can see everyone else’s… botheration, and I speculate it won’t be the last. I don’t believe you know humans well enough to ease their minds. Since I’m actually excited to create something no other contractors, outside of our circle, have the privilege to create, I would love to be your Mediator of Foreign Affairs.” Chandler broke down the particulars everyone knew, but no one dared say.

Cheauflux knew, at least, one human was a dreamer enough to understand what Cheauflux was trying to convey.

“Your offer is adequate, and accepted...” Cheauflux didn’t know his name.

“My name is Mister Chandler, Cheauflux,” Chandler said.

“Mister Chandler, you will be my Number One. You can subjugate the weirdness,” Cheauflux said.

“I am honored to do it, Cheauflux,” Chandler said.

Cheauflux knew humans felt uncomfortable in new environments, so he wanted to release them.

“Enjoy this base. General Harper will engineer a tour. Be back in this room, tomorrow morning, at six AM. By that time, everyone should be here, and ready to work. Number One, subjugate the new contractors in the morning,” Cheauflux requested.

“I’ve been here before for the building of the 787 Dreamliner, I can get some sleep so can be chipper in the morning,” Chandler said.

“Whoever else wants the tour, see General Harper; that is all.” Cheauflux dismissed them.

All the contractors filed out. Some of them spoke to General Harper, while others followed Chandler to their quarters. After General Harper directed them to the greet desk, he walked to Cheauflux.

“What are you going to do, while waiting? Get some shut eye?” he asked.

“We have no eyelids, so shutting ones eye is an impossibility, Cheauflux said.

“I’m sorry for my slang. Boy, I apologize a lot. I guess humans have a long way to get to your evolutionary level. What I meant was, are you going to get some sleep?” he asked.

“Humans use sleep for regeneration. Your stamina is miniscule. Your planet revolves around your star, and change light shades constantly. When your light becomes absent, you generally become tired. Your system has been designed that way, so you are used to that conformity. Valan-Cheanaus is positioned the same place your system’s seventh planet is positioned. Our planet is more massive than yours. In your language, we have a six week day, and the same length of night. We can last much longer than you. The only difference is, I guess you would call our sleep hibernation. We shut down for six weeks. So, do not bother me for those six weeks.”

“I must remember, waking you up in two weeks is like waking you at three in the morning,” Harper surmised.

“What you consider a cat nap would be a blink to me, if I had eyelids,” Cheauflux said.

“Well, at least your kind hasn’t evolved past humor,” Harper said, and inadvertently gained a bit of rapport.

“I must review every available contractor to discover their specialty. It will make construction more efficient,” Cheauflux answered his initial question.

That was when General Harper realized alien meant not of the normal; different than what you were used to. Cheauflux displayed his title. He was what we called an extraterrestrial.

“Come to my office. I have everyone’s dossier,” Harper began to walk towards his athenaeum, Cheauflux followed.

They got to his office. General Harper opened the door, and walked in. The office was filled with science journals. He typed on his computer and brought up the contractor file. Cheauflux gazed at the computer, and concluded the human race had barely evolved.

“Okay, Cheauflux, use this thing called a mouse to navigate the screen. I’ll show you.” Harper pulled out the chair for him.

“If you don’t mind, General Harper, I prefer to stand. Cheasu don’t bend that way,” Cheauflux explained another anatomical difference between them.

Harper grabbed the mouse. “All right Cheauflux, you use this thing to move that arrow around the screen. The text will change to a different color when you can open the file. When you want to know more about a certain contractor, just click this left button, like so.”

General Harper clicked the button, and the file for a contractor’s resume opened and displayed itself on-screen. It showed his background, his accomplishments, and his aptitude.

Cheauflux grabbed the mouse. “How do I view the next contractor?”

Harper pointed to the X displayed at the top right corner of the screen. “Click on that icon, and the first file will close.”

Cheauflux clicked the mouse, and the resume dropped back into the folder.

“Now, the next file will change to the color of translucent blue when you highlight it with that arrow on-screen,” Harper instructed.

Cheauflux moved the mouse, and the arrow on the screen moved over the next contractor’s folder. It clicked the left mouse button, and the folder opened.

“I assumed that was the next step you would instruct me on,” Cheauflux said.

“I’ve been a military general for five years. All of my subordinates need… guidance. I’ve been in professor mode for five years. I’ve been instructing for that long. Forgive my presumption. I’ve been used to that all my military career,” Harper apologized.

“You must understand me, General Harper. The Cheasu are an assimilating entity. I must adjust to what humans are used to. You can’t learn every language of Earthen vernacular because you decide that is what you aspire to do, and know them automatically. Humans aren’t advanced enough, yet, to do that. Since I know your language, and your idiosyncrasies, all I can say is, when in Rome...” Cheauflux began.

“... do as the Romans do.” Harper unconsciously completed the saying.

“Interesting, if you know the apothegm, you either finish it in your mind, or vocally,” Cheauflux assumed, and was correct. “I can navigate your information box, with ease. Your help was invaluable, but not essential anymore. I know it’s called a computer. I just wanted to sound extra-terrestrial to comfort you. Leave me to my evaluations, and inform me when they arrive.”

“I’ll let you be. You don’t have two minds, or do you?” Harper asked. “We’re going to have to sit down, and have a beer, and discuss you. I’m very curious.”

“To answer your query, and request. I only have one brain. It’s highly efficient on your planet, and when we’ve completed this task, you can ask me anything, except I don’t consume behavior altering beverages. I understand that is what you always say to a peer, when you want to discuss subjects. I didn’t want you to be surprised, or insulted, when I decline your beer,” Cheauflux said.

Harper looked at Cheauflux, and began another saying he knew. “No harm...”

“You have turned my assumption on the speculator. You knew I was thinking ‘no foul’.” Cheauflux said.

“I’m sorry Cheauflux, I compete over trivial things. What’s good for the goose...” Harper started another saying.

“You can stop now. I understand, you understand,” Cheauflux said.

General Harper gave Cheauflux a smile. “I’ll inform you when the contractors arrive, Cheauflux.”

It was three AM. Everyone, except Cheauflux had eaten earlier. They all were bestowed a gourmet meal of steak and lobster. The NASA chefs flexed their culinary skill with celestial surf-n-turf. The meal was accented with Dom Perignon champagne. A 750 milliliter bottle ran around $360. It was NASA; they could afford it. Those astronauts were waited on hand and foot, when they re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and came back to NASA. The astronauts were really obliged. NASA was indebted to them.

General Harper entered the room where Cheauflux was going over the contractors resumes.

“The rest of your team has arrived, Cheauflux,” Harper said.

“I will address the entire crew tomorrow at six AM. Give them these pills. They will sleep like the dead, until the meeting at six. They will have no fatigue at the meeting, actually, it will be hard pressed to contain them.” Cheauflux gave General Harper a packet of pills.

“These things aren’t harmful to anybody?” Harper looked at the pills in his hand.

“They were engineered for human physiology. They are as harmful as jelly beans to a thin, non-diabetic person,” Cheauflux said. “We have alleviated your side-effect conundrum.”

“Wow, I’m distributing pills for an alien drug dealer,” Harper joked.

“I’m not like all the aliens in your action sci-fi movies, I have a sense of humor. That anecdote was funny. That laughing thing is impossible for my structure. Just know, I’m laughing inside, literally,” Cheauflux said.

“That’s one for the books; an alien with a sense of humor. You’re more human than you think, Cheauflux,” Harper said.

“Just administer those pills. I don’t want my crew tired when they are beginning the conception of their construction task. Jayde and Alexi should arrive in Belize soon. They should find a way to corral the Chauzek and transport them here,” Cheauflux said.

“Won’t it take a while to corral the strays? Even cowboys rope stray calves,” Harper said.

“That won’t be their problem, General, the Chauzek don’t stray. They are, inherently, communal. They believe they would expire if weren’t with the crowd. They’re just indestructible monsters, with one goal; clean whatever is in front of them,” Cheauflux said. “That is their elite complication, augmenting their intended, obsessed course. Their dilemma is being able to turn a straight, determined line.”

“That may take some time,” Harper said.

“Those two are very resourceful. Don’t underestimate determination,” Cheauflux said. “I speculate hearing from them in six days. That is why I need my team chipper. They need to work with expedience.”

“Let me give out these pills. Your team will be bright by six,” Harper said.

“Make sure that Faolin Thunderstar contractor gets one. He’s the lynch pin to the propulsion system,” Cheauflux said.

It was 5:46 in the morning. Every contractor was in the meeting room waiting for Cheauflux. Chandler decided to review what Cheauflux had said yesterday to get the rest of the team up to speed.

“Attention everybody!” Chandler began. “I know you’ve been getting rumors about who’s leading this project. These are the facts. The leader’s name is Cheauflux. Cheauflux is an alien from a planet you’ve never heard of, called Valan-Cheanaus. Whatever you’ve imagined an alien to look like? You aren’t even close. If you’ve had a bad acid trip in college, you might be close. Don’t freak out. I think humans made up the word ‘humanoid’. That was arrogant presumption by science fiction writers to believe an alien can look similar to us. When you see Cheauflux, the words ‘alien humanoid’ will become an oxymoron.

I just want to prepare you for the shock of its appearance.

You people from Crenshaw and Cessna got in at three this morning. Why aren’t you catching Z’s?” Chandler was curious.

“General Harper gave us these amazing pills that knocked you out, and then woke you up, like a mutant adrenaline shot,” Faolin said. “Trust me, we’re very awake.”

Chandler was amazed, for a second. Then he realized where those super-pills came from, and settled back to normalcy.

“That probably isn’t the only alien bobble you’ll witness for your duration here. Cheauflux is going to show us how to build a transport that can make it to Mars. It’ll be like building a Star Destroyer, except it won’t do any destroying. Just think about sending a cruise liner to Mars,” Chandler said.

Faolin shot his hand up. Chandler pointed at Faolin.

Faolin began to ask, “I am Faolin Thunderstar, a propulsion contractor. I specialize in constructing containers that can house JP-8 jet fuel. What will we use to move this... behemoth?”

“This is just the orientation,” Chandler explained. “We just opened the book, and you’re asking what happens on page fifty.”

Faolin understood they all were on the same ride. They were going to go down the same death-drop together.

“To answer your question, Faolin, the fuel we will use is something called Cheamytex.” Cheauflux walked in from his contractor research. “Good morning people from Cessna, and Crenshaw. And Dobrýto you Misses Novakova.”

“It is true, I emigrated from Czechoslovakia, however, I am all American now. Thank you for the nostalgic greeting,” Mrs. Novakova said.

“Není zač; prosím Misses Novakova,” Cheauflux added ‘you’re welcome’ in Czechoslovakian. “Is everyone ready to play in the proverbial sandbox?”

“Nobody knew what they were in for, but Cheauflux was an intriguing character. Chandler was right. They couldn’t even come close to imagining what an alien looked like. Arthur C. Clarke, Phillip K. Dick, and George Lucas had lied to them.

Chandler stood, and clapped his hands together. “Come on people, we have to build this thing, and the president chose you! Your questions will be answered during the course of construction! Is everybody ready to play?!”

Faolin stood. “Come on everybody, Chandler’s interrobanging here! Aren’t you just a little bit interested?”

Everybody nodded to each other, and began to clap. They all gave a positive response.

“I just want to see what E.T. makes,” a Lockheed contractor said.

“I’m just going to show you how to build it. You probably can’t wait to see what you build,” Cheauflux corrected him.

“All right, everyone has the preliminaries. I know the Crenshaw and Cessna people don’t need any coffee. I took one of those super-pills also, and I’m wired like an alien computer, pun intended. There’s breakfast. Let’s charge for the morning, and report back here in an hour,” Harper said.

The contractors adjourned to the mess hall. They had a gourmet breakfast. It consisted of raspberry crepes, quiche lorraine, with french toast. Most of them didn’t need the Hawaiian Ka’u coffee, but others were about to partake in the beverage.

Cheauflux interrupted their consumption.

“I need my team running at 100%. That term is different on Valan-Cheanaus. Everyone who arrived initially, take these pills.” Cheauflux offered the turbo pills.

Chandler took them, and handed them out to the initial group.

“100% means you won’t sleep until the task is completed. Humans waste time recharging. These pills augment your natural replenishment. You will not become tired until this undertaking has been completed,” Cheauflux explained.

The rest of the contractors took the pills. They felt as if they were on speed. The difference wasn’t the ‘high’ speed produced, it was the lucidity the pills generated. As gourmet as the coffee was, and their ritual of not moving without a cup of coffee, they had no use for it.

“You could sell these things on the street as natural uppers, Cheauflux,” Chandler said.

“These pills were designed for the contractors. They are not recreational, they are necessary,” Cheauflux said.

“You aliens need to learn sarcasm, Cheauflux. If you knew me, instead of knowing of me, you’d know I was just kidding,” Chandler said.

“We will work around the clock, so I can’t help but to know you, and by the way, aliens know sarcasm. We have a sense of humor. When there is appropriate humor, I will sense it,” Cheauflux said.

They had never experienced this before; human and alien interaction. They were the pioneers of this experience.

They finished their breakfast, and returned to the meeting room. They began speaking to each other, to get to know one another. They were chatting when General Harper entered the room.

“Is everyone recharged?” Harper asked.

“With those pills Cheauflux administered to us, I believe we’re on perpetual Nitrous,” Chandler said.

“So, everyone has taken the super-pill, good. That means everyone is running on all cylinders,” Harper said.

Cheauflux entered behind General Harper. “All right everyone, time to get dirty. Faolin, head up a team to engineer the fuel tanks, and don’t worry, Cheamytex isn’t flammable, or caustic. Misses Novakova, you will head a team on infrastructural integrity. You don’t have to integrate life support, it just has to be Tonka trucksturdy.” Cheauflux took out a holographic blueprint of the ship, and the anatomical make-up of the Chauzek. The images sent light directly into the contractors heads.

“Now you know what you’re dealing with, and what you are building. You have the specs. Your meals will be catered, and I have NASA chemists composing a gaseous suspension agent to put the Chauzek to sleep. It smells like strawberry air freshener to humans, but harmless. It can’t be used as a military war agent. Your other task, Misses Novakova, is to create canisters for this gas. It should permeate throughout the cabin. Everyone else, haul the materials. The blueprints are in your minds, people, you know the measurements, we have the material. Time to play,” Cheauflux said.

All the contractors were hyped. They felt as if this was their calling. Like they were made to build this ship. They were, literally itching to begin. Cheauflux cried havoc, and let the dogs slip.

The contractors broke out, and organized. They felt like the Olympic Dream Team. Everyone had their specialty, and didn’t mind showing off. That was what happened when you took pride in your work. They built the transport with expedience. Since the only time they had a break was for eating, and that was done in intervals, the construction remained constant. It was done in three days. With exigent wonder, relentless work ethic, and voracious dreamers, construction went smoothly.

The chemist created the suspension gas, and also the Cheamytex. It was going to be the new gas for every car. They didn’t have to make cars to house Cheamytex. It adapted to every property of oil based substances. It costs nothing to make, and was harmless. All the politicians had to do was give the authorization to convert oil refineries to switch to making Cheamytex, but the contractors had to erase the threat, first.

The construction was complete. Cheauflux inspected their work. The team was very efficient. They forged immediate friendships. The singles of opposite sex actually acquired like relationships. Their other suitors believed they were too obsessed with their vocation, and they had no time for another significant. The Chauzek weren’t the only beings that were communal.

Smoothness was the wish everyone aspired to. If that always happened, the story would be lifeless. Adversity has been the valiant component of every story. This was adversity’s introduction.

As Cheauflux was waiting for Jayde and Alexi to report, a NASA assistant entered the hangar.

“You have an urgent message from Belize, Cheauflux,” the assistant said.

“That must be Jayde and Alexi calling to tell me when the Chauzek are arriving, they are early,” Cheauflux told General Harper.

Cheauflux went to the office to answer the phone. They had to use a speaker phone, because a receiver didn’t work with Chauflux’s physics.

“Hello Jayde, how is the Chauzek capture commencing?” Cheauflux said.

“We hit a snag, Cheauflux. We corralled them in a diamond net, to contain them until we got them to Florida, but they ate through that, and are headed your way,” Jayde had desperation in her voice.

Cheauflux didn’t expect that. They can eat through the Earth’s hardest substance, however, it should have taken some time. The Chauzek personified the words ‘ferociously dogged’.

“The team President Logan put together for me is a resourceful crew. They’re coming this way. Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Cheauflux said.