Roy looked out the circular window at the sky. It was almost completely black, like a piece of paper colored with black marker, and the stars were those little spots the artist missed. It amazed Roy, how this beautiful picture went by, while all the people back on Earth never saw this, never experienced it. He looked out at them, those people that were missing this, stuck on such a beautiful planet that they would never see, not like this. They might see pictures, sure, but they would never know it, know this. But Roy could, and he would never forget it, this wondrous and awe-inspiring moment.
“Roy, come on, it’s time to begin our search.”
Roy, sighed, turned around, and followed Mark, his fellow astronaut. He got to the front of the ship and sat in his seat, not excited but ready to work. He pressed buttons, switched levers, and prepared to find the Martians that were scheduled to be there.
Roy and Mark had been sent into space because of some mysterious message that NASA had received through one of Earth’s satellites. The message, once decoded, said that Earth was the subject of “The First Martian Outreach,” a program which had been started by Mars in an attempt to get to know its neighbor planets. It had given the exact time, down to the millionth of a second, and coordinates, to the billionth of a centimeter, of a meeting the Martians wanted to have with us, Earth.
Earth had, of course, accepted. How could they say no? And that was why NASA had sent out a spaceship, which is why Roy and Mark were in space. And Roy was bored. He was really, really bored. He didn't believe that nonsense about an 'alien message.'
He tried to start a conversation. “So, uh, how are your kids?” Roy asked to Mark.
“Oh, they’re fine. Actually, my youngest, not a year old, had such a bad-smelling diaper the other day that the smoke alarm went off! At least, that's what my wife said. I've hardly had the chance to talk to her lately."
They were talking, which Roy was glad of, but they almost missed it. Roy barely noticed it, out of the corner of his eye. It was a little flash of something, like metal when light hits it. And then all at once, it was right in front of them. The entire front window was filled with it; A spaceship.
“Doog gnineve, nemeltneg.” A strange voice came over the speakers, impossible to understand. “Ho, esucxe em, I lliw ylno ekat a tnemom.” A hiss filled the room, then stopped. “Like I said, good evening.”
