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Among the tired, bored and restless patrons milling around the airport, many noticed the massive Air Force carrier plane touch down on the runway with a screech of its tyres. They watched as it taxied around, eventually parking in a far corner and lowering its rear door. Those still watching would have raised an eyebrow as five flashy, expensive vehicles rolled out of the carrier and drove away to some place unseen. The carrier’s passengers disembarked after that, numerous military men and women on their way home after their tour.
As they entered the airport waiting area, people took notice. Many of them clapped in recognition of their service, even though they had no clue as to where they had been and what they had been doing. One old man heaved himself out of his chair to stand at attention, joints creaking into a well-remembered stance. Others called out in happiness and ran towards their returning family member, incredibly grateful that they were back home safe and sound.
One little reunion was especially touching. A little girl, no more than four, sprinted as fast as her little legs could carry her to slam into the legs of the man at the head of the pack. The man immediately dropped his duffle bags to engulf her in a hug, swinging her around to the girl’s delight. A tall blonde woman soon followed her daughter and was similarly caught up in the embrace, joyfully laughing through the kiss the man gave her. The watching crowd laughed with her, caught in the happiness of the moment.
The couple eventually pulled away from each other.
“Miss me?” Will whispered, knowing the answer before he even asked the question.
“I did,” Sarah replied. “I really did.” She pulled back even further and looked him up and down, searching for any injury he had just happened to not mention over their fortnightly video calls. Spotting none, she jabbed him in the shoulder. Hard. “Five months, William Lennox! You said you wouldn’t be gone for more than four.”
Will winced, rubbing his shoulder while still holding little Annabelle. “Sorry, hon. I tried, I really did, but something came up and I had to take care of it.”
“Missed you,” Annabelle mumbled into his uniform, yet to let go of her dad.
“I know, sweetheart, me too.”
“So, are you okay? Did everything go well?”
Will nodded. “It did, actually, thanks to these guys.” He gestured towards a group of five who were watching the couple’s interactions with varying degrees of interest.
Sarah glanced at the people her husband indicated. Only one of them was in uniform, the others seemingly already changed into civvies. They were a very mismatched lot, from a teenager to a studious looking man that had to be in his fifties. The only similarity that stood out amongst those in the group were that they all had identical-coloured eyes; a bright, unsettling blue.
Will blushed. “I, uh, hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited them back to the ranch for a little while.”
It wasn’t strange for Will to spring things on her - it was something she had learnt to get used to when they only had contact every two weeks when he was away on tour. But if Will trusted these people enough to invite them to their home, that was fine by her. One problem though. There were five of them.
“Um, hon, they won’t fit. We only have one guest room, and that’s currently being used as my study.”
“They won’t be a problem, I promise! They’ve already decided that they can all sleep in the barn. They’ll be no trouble, seriously.”
The barn? Not her first choice when hosting, but if the group was happy with it… Sarah scratched the back of her head and sighed. “Well alright, then. Maybe they will behave at least, unlike you.”
Will sighed in mock-defeat then smiled at her, beckoning to his friends. They loped over, Sarah appraising them with every step. One looked like a stereotypical military officer, all muscle and buzz cut. Another, a man in a doctor’s coat, reminded her of Bones from Star Trek, especially with that scowl on his face. The only woman, the shortest of the group, walked with confidence and watched Sarah keenly, as if trying to make up her mind about her. The blond kid, possibly not even 20 yet, had an easy-going smile on his face and a skip in his step. Sarah’s eyes picked out some scarring on his throat, however, and decided then and there not to ask about it unless the information was offered. The one in uniform, well over 6 feet tall, held himself like he was used to being in command. Something in his face made Sarah trust him, for some inexplicable reason.
“Sarah, I’d like you to meet Aaron Hyde, Dr Richard Hammer, Rachel Collins, Cameron Burns, and Owen Price.” Will indicated each in turn. “Guys, this is Sarah, my wife.”
“It is an honour to meet you at last,” Owen Price said, extending his hand to shake. Sarah obliged. “Will has told us much about you.”
“All good things, I hope,” she smiled politely. He nodded.
“Of course.”
Annabelle tugged on Will, her eyes wide at the arrival of the new people. “Dad? Who are they?”
“They’re my friends, ‘Belle,” Will said, bouncing her in his arms slightly. “Fellas, this is my daughter, Annabelle. Can you tell them how old you are?” Annabelle proudly held up four fingers.
“Incredible,” Dr Hammer said, adjusting his frameless glasses. “Tell me, Annabelle, are you as efficient with a firearm as your father is?”
Sarah cleared her throat harshly. Will only chuckled. “Uh, yeah, no, she’s not there yet.”
Dr Hammer glanced at her and his eyes widened a little at her glare. He shuffled backwards a step. “Ah. My apologies, Mrs Lennox.”
An absurd tingle of satisfaction ran through Sarah, spurred on by the fact that she could startle the man. From the side-glances the others were giving her, it seemed that surprising ‘Dr. McCoy’ was no small feat. She pretended to brush it off. “Now, you guys will probably need to call a taxi. There won’t be enough room in our truck for all of you, especially with your luggage.”
Owen nodded. “That’s fine. We have our own modes of transportation.”
The rumble of six different engines filled the air, sending the birds to the skies and the neighbour’s sheep running to the next paddock. Two trucks, a motorcycle, a sports car, and an ambulance (of all things) pulled into the farm’s driveway, a semi bringing up the rear. One of the trucks looked exactly like the work car Will occasionally brought home. Sarah thought the procession very odd at first, especially the ambulance and semi, but Will’s friends had all insisted on bringing their own vehicles. Will hadn’t seemed surprised.
Sarah hopped out of their old beat-up blue truck, brushing stray bits of hay from her jeans. Will followed close behind, Annabelle in his arms.
“God, it’s good to be home,” he said. Sarah shared his smile. Will’s absences, while understandable, always grated on her until he came back home safe and sound.
His friends hopped out of their respective vehicles, looking around the farm with mixed levels of appreciation, wonder, and respect. Sarah felt a small thrill of satisfaction crawl up her spine. She had worked hard on this farm ever since she was a little girl, and to see others approve of it had never failed to make her happy.
“Please excuse some of the mess inside,” she said to them. “I wasn’t really expecting guests.”
“That is fine,” Owen Price replied. Will laughed.
“They’ve seen the barracks on base! A little mess won’t make any difference at all.” Annabelle squirmed in his arms and he reluctantly put her down.
“Dad!” she cried, pulling him towards the house. “Come see what Mummy made for me! We hung it in my room and it lights up and it’s amazing and I love it!” Will laughed at her enthusiasm and chased her into the house. Behind her, Sarah could hear Aaron chuckling but when she turned around, his face had become stony, a perfect soldier. Cameron had no such qualms, however, and his grin stayed.
“Come inside,” she invited. “It’s a little cooler.”
Once in the kitchen, Sarah turned towards her unexpected guests. “Would you like coffee? Tea?” They all shook their heads. “Not even water?”
“No thank you, Mrs Lennox,” Owen said. “We have had sufficient sustenance for now.”
“Um, sure thing. And call me Sarah.”
He inclined his head, staring at her with those strange blue eyes of his. “As you wish, Sarah.”
Cameron tapped him on the shoulder, moving his hands in patterns that, with a start, Sarah guessed was ASL. A glance at his ears showed no sign of hearing aids, though.
Owen watched him for a moment, before shaking his head. “Soon, Cameron. We need to explain first.”
“Explain what?”
“Something pretty important.” Rachel shrugged. “We’ll tell you when Will gets back.”
Sarah blinked. “Right, then. Um, make yourself at home.” She turned back to the kitchen and began making a cup of coffee for Will.
He returned with Annabelle soon after, breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the kitchen. The little girl had yet to let go of her father, and both of them appeared thrilled about it.
“You’re the absolute best,” he said as she handed him the hot cup. “What would I do without you?”
“Probably crash and burn.”
He hummed his agreement around the rim of the mug.
Dr Hammer frowned from over where he sat on one of the lounge chairs. “Lennox, may I remind you that you’ve had four cups already today? The recommended daily intake is four-hundred milligrams, which means you’ve had more than enough.”
Will only shrugged. Sarah chuckled while making her own cup. Her husband and his caffeine addiction.
When their coffees (and Annabelle’s warm milk) were finished, Will turned to her with a serious look on his face. Behind him, their guests paid close attention. “I need to tell you something,” he said. “It’s to do with what I’ve been up to these past few years - ever since Qatar in ‘07, actually. It is of utmost importance that you keep this secret. Global security relies on it, and we can’t afford for the world to find out. There’s already too many rumours that we can’t seem to shut down.”
Sarah’s jaw had clenched at the mention of the time she had thought Will was dead, but then she fully realised what he had said. “Global security? What does that mean?”
“It means exactly that. Global. As in, our world. In the sense of…others.”
“Other- sorry, what? Other worlds? Is that what you’re saying?” Her breath caught in her throat and she coughed harshly. Dimly, she was aware that Dr Hammer had sat up and was watching her. A million different possibilities ran through her mind. The first was dismissed immediately, springing into her head, following all the conspiracy theories that had been circling around now more than ever. What else could he mean? ‘Earth’s sister’ or something like that? Some resource on Mars? Another image of little green men popped into her mind but she ignored it.
Will waited until her breathing returned to normal before continuing. “Yes. I am saying exactly that. And there are not only other worlds, but other life. Intelligent life.”
No way.
”And back in Qatar, they made their first known appearance to humankind.”
“Oh my God.”
This wasn’t a joke. Will wasn't kidding. When he went off the map in ‘07, that hadn’t been another country attacking, that had- that had been-
Annabelle jumped up from where she had been sitting. “Aliens are real!? That’s awesome! Mummy, did you hear? Aliens!” She pranced around the room, imitating ‘alien noises’ and whooshing her hands in the air like they were flying. Sarah could only stare at her husband, half-afraid that he had lost his mind but half-afraid that he was right.
Okay. Aliens, Will. Aliens.
Sarah steeled herself, taking a deep breath. Whatever this was, whether this was her husband going mad or actual freaking aliens, she would figure it out. Figuring out puzzles, that was something she was good at. She blinked. Hard.
“Okay.”
Now it was Will’s turn for his eyes to widen.
“‘Okay’?” Will scoffed a laugh, half offended and half relieved, probably because she hadn’t completely freaked out (outwardly, as far as he knew), and from his easy, teasing expression, she guessed it was something he had been wanting to tell her for a long time. “Honey, I just told you that there is life on other planets, and all you say is ‘okay’?”
She grinned shakily. “Oh, I didn’t say I believe you, yet.” She did though, not that she was about to admit it. And that was the bit that scared her the most.
“Tell you what.” She waved a dismissive hand into the air. “You introduce me to some aliens, and I’ll….” She threw out the first thing that she thought of. “…invite them to dinner.”
He sucked a breath in through his teeth. “Sarah, sorry, but…I already have.”
No.
No actual way.
She spun around.
The five guests were still spitting there, on her couch, in her lounge room, curiously watching, as if they were waiting for steam to start coming out of her ears. It might, yet, she decided. ‘Aaron’ had the audacity to give her a wave.
She spun back around at Will. He still had that stupid little, somewhat sheepish, shit-eating grin on his face. She could hit him, when he grinned at her like that. She really could. Instead, she just glared at him like he was a teenager home five hours after curfew. “William Lennox, we are going to talk later.” Not in front of our daughter or the guests was implied.
Oh God, the guests.
She spun on her heels once more, letting out another deep breath. She still half expected a hidden camera to be revealed somewhere, a crew of people to jump out and go ‘surprise, you’ve been pranked!’. But no, it was July, not April 1st, and it wasn’t like Will to pull pranks on things like… this.
If they were in fact aliens, they were rather human looking aliens, she decided.
“I believe that we might be in need of a... more accurate introduction?” Owen said, standing and stretching out his hand in a very human gesture. Sarah hesitated, then reached over and shook it. “My name is Optimus Prime. ‘Owen Price’ is an alias. ‘Aaron Hyde’ is known as Ironhide, Dr Hammer’s real name is Ratchet. ‘Cameron’ and ‘Rachel’ are Bumblebee and Arcee. It is a real pleasure to properly meet you, Sarah. I hope our origins don’t get in the way of a potential friendship like the one we have with your husband.”
“I’ve known these guys for almost four years now, and have fought side-by-side with them since then,” Will said. “I trust them with my life, Sarah. Sure, they may not be from Earth, but they are complicated, incredible beings who uphold honour and are truly admirable in what they do. They have been fighting their war for centuries, and never meant for themselves or their enemies to come to Earth. It just happened that way, and we’ve dealt with it the best we can.”
Sarah nodded numbly. Over anything else, she trusted her husband’s judgement. If he said that the aliens were okay, then she would respect that. A few things clicked into place as well, including rumours about what the battle at Mission City had really been. She asked as much.
“Yes, that was us,” Ironhide answered. “We were fighting the Decepticons, and their fragging piece of scrap leader, Megatron. We are known as the Autobots, led by Optimus here. There are only a few of us on Earth, most of who are here right now, and we intend humankind no harm, unlike our enemies.”
Optimus raised an eyebrow. “Watch your language around the child, Ironhide.”
“Yes, sir.” Sheepishly, Ironhide glanced at Annabelle. She simply stared back. After a moment, she tilted her head.
“Why aren’t you green?”
Bumblebee, Arcee, and Ratchet choked on their laughter. Ironhide simply cleared his throat. “What?”
“Aliens are supposed to be green,” she said with all the authority a four-year-old could muster. “If you’re an alien, you should be green.”
“Um, well, some of us are?” Ironhide looked at his team behind him for help. None of them offered any. “Mostly we’re black and grey because we’re made of metal. In human terms, we’re basically robots.”
“Just completely sentient, along with feelings and emotions,” Ratchet added.
“Hold on, you’re made of metal?” Sarah queried, mind whirling. “You look very much like a human. How does that work?” From where she was sitting, each of them looked very organic. Flesh and bone with no metal in sight. At least, apart from Arcee’s piercings.
“Oh, these aren’t our actual bodies,” explained Ratchet. “These are just Holoforms, otherwise known as holograms, in one sense. Our true forms are outside. We’re actually a little too big to fit in the house.”
“What?”
Will smiled. “Come on, we’ll show you.”
Stepping outside, Sarah searched the area for any sign of huge aliens. The open farm landscape held no sign of anything huge and metallic. She was just starting to think that they must be invisible somehow when her gaze landed on the group of vehicles parked in her yard.
She could only gasp as Will’s friends flickered and blinked out of existence, one by one, right in front of her. As they disappeared, the vehicles began to move, shift, change. Almost like reversing origami, metal and gears grinding as the vehicles unfolded and re-arranged, stretching and growing to form giant, hulking robots, blotting out the sun and casting long shadows onto the grass. Five of them, from a streamlined blue one only twice her height, (-only. How strange a thought that was-) to the semi’s enormous new form, towering over all the others. She decided the house must feel like a dollhouse to him. One’s thing for sure, they weren’t little green men.
One by one, Sarah studied each robot, spotting similar colours and features to all of the holograms that had been sitting in her living room only moments ago. It was curious, Sarah realised, that they had probably modelled their holoform after their real body.
The grey one, Ironhide, watched her with those bright blue eyes, almost like glowing camera lenses. His very-human face split into a grin, and Sarah, to her own amazement, found herself smiling back.
That mischievous grin stretched across Will’s face again. “Sarah, Annabelle, I’d like you to meet the Autobots.”
Sarah was speechless. Will watched her face carefully, before she blinked, and knew exactly what she needed to say.
“Well, I guess I owe you a dinner.”