Invaders (a sequel to Vaz, Tiona and Disc) (42 page)

“Well, we’re setting up a charity to give away float chairs to people who need them but can’t afford them. I’m thinking someone like you might have just the perspective we need to run it.”

Karen’s eyes widened. Back before Ronnie got hurt, when she and John were together and their finances were solvent, she’d volunteered with a couple of small charity organizations and found it really fulfilling. “I’d… I’d so much like to say yes. But right now we’re having our own financial trouble. I’m looking for a second job and spending all my time filling out applications. Much as I’d like to help, I just
can’t
spare the time. Maybe… maybe someday in the future, if I can get a better job, maybe I could help then?”

Gettnor looked a tiny bit startled, then her eyes crinkled a little at the corner. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t very clear was I? We’d like to
hire
you to run our charity. With your degree in social work I think you’d be perfect. I have a guy in mind with a degree in accounting who’d be running the books.”

Then Gettnor named a salary figure that nearly doubled the best job Karen had
ever
had.

Karen found herself lying on the bare porch with Gettnor holding her hand. Ronnie’s chair shot out from inside and he handed Gettnor a wet rag to put on Karen’s forehead. Gettnor frowned with concern, “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Oh yes! I’ll take the job. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.” She glanced at Ronnie.

He had a
huge
smile on his face.

The End

Hope you liked the book!

If so, please give it a positive review on Amazon.

This is a comment on the “science” in this science fiction novel. I’ve always been partial to science fiction that posed a “what if” question. Not everything in the story has to be scientifically plausible, but you suspend your disbelief regarding one or two things that aren’t thought to be possible. Then you ask,
what if
something (such as faster than light travel) were possible, how might that change our world?

This story poses several “what ifs?” First, as in “Tiona” it continues to wonder “what if” we had a reactionless drive in which thrust is generated by accelerating dark matter to produce thrust. What effects would such technology have on our lives? It certainly would find more uses than just spaceflight. Helping the handicapped is an example to be found in this book.

The second “what if” hearkens back to “Vaz.” What would it be like if the preeminent genius of our times was a socially impaired person on the autism spectrum? There are socially impaired geniuses out there somewhat like this, though none with the capabilities of a Vaz. How might such a person deal with the stress of an alien invasion? Could their brilliance help the world or would their social impairments prevent them from being able to do so?

In the past I’ve found it hard to accept the common SF theme that aliens might travel between the stars to make war on us. The cost of transportation would make it unreasonable to believe that they’d come here to steal valuable resources from us. Making slaves out of us? Why? Surely robotics would be easier. Because they’re afraid of us might be plausible because we’re so warlike, but surely if they can travel between the stars they can’t fear us now—perhaps they might fear what we might become though even that seems doubtful. But then, considering the way our own population keeps growing, I realized it might be plausible that they just can’t stop reproducing and need the room. However, that’d
only
be credible if they had an easy way to move
huge
numbers of their people between the stars.

Another concept I find interesting is the possibility that aliens, even star traveling ones, might be way ahead of us in some sciences, yet behind us in others. Here the aliens have better materials technology, but no thrusters; they have wormhole tech, but less capable computers. I’m not the first author to consider this—I loved Harry Turtledove’s short story
The Road Not Taken
and also liked several books by Christopher Anvil that examine this theme.

Finally, some of you may recognize that I stole an idea about social hierarchy from orangutans who, by unclear methods and reasons, hormonally elevate one of their males to a massively powerful, highly-dominant state called a “flanged male” who lords it over the others and is almost the exclusive mate of the local females. With these aliens it’s a female who becomes the dominant one and she’s the only one allowed to use a name instead of a title.

I would like to acknowledge the editing and advice of Nora Dahners, Gail Gilman, Mike Alsobrook, Allen Dietz, Mike Giroux, Jack Hudler, and Eddie Still, each of whom significantly improved this story.