Just Like Us

Not Like Us, Part Two

Designated Joe saw it first. As far as Earth appearance dictates, he was Asian, and authorities alphabetically nicknamed him Joe for immediate identification on the previous visit. 

He resided at his position aboard the spacecraft as it made its way across the celestial heavens, striving to find that planet he and his people had visited a while ago. The occupants searched for the planetary body, but weren't sure where they had seen it. Joe found it. 

The visitors decided to try again in making contact with the natives. There seemed to be confusion all way around when they first appeared, simply because of a language barrier. The inhabitants of the world seemed friendly enough, perhaps a bit silly, but the travelers would strive to be more accepting. They were probably too observant the first time, trying to take it all in. 

Of them all, Joe had received the most peculiar decree. The inhabitants seemed to think it was necessary to introduce Joe to some method of merriment they engaged in, by lodging a small fragment within his body. It had quite the opposite effect and caused Joe to immobilize completely. They weren't sure if that was what the beings wanted to take place or not, but upon doing so to Joe, it seemed to give them a reason for complete and utter disarray. 

So now they had found the strange world again and the crew of the mysterious vessel returned once more to seek contact with them. Perhaps this go-around, the visitors would have learned from their mistakes. 

The crew members were assembled in a prone, levitating position, staring forward through the ship's surface which permitted only one-way viewing; they could look out, but no one could see in. They were assembled side-by-side and once they made the circle, they circulated inward, once again going all the way around and did the same, until they had achieved a spiral like design of sorts. And this was how they traveled across space. 

Nevertheless, there was still issues with maintenance aboard the craft. Any form of disparaging, menial mishap could occur. Systems hook-ups for immobile travel to take care of anatomical events, for instance. If there was a problem there, it would have to be dealt with immediately. 

The seemingly random and insignificant crew member of the lowest order would emerge from his stasis and retrieve his items to tend to the task. While everyone else seemed adorned in colorful, appealing attire to impress the aliens on planets they visited, he was dressed in drab white clothing. While he tended to a leak, a malfunction or some other mechanical issue, he kept his pale, grungy curls pulled back from his face with a makeshift clip. He spoke to no one, except if needed, to ask what the problem might be. Usually he would be told as soon as he entered the department. He would be on his knees, out of the way, making repairs. He'd observe none of the crew with his bright-blue eyes, avoiding all contact. 

Damage repaired. Now he'll just straighten up the issue and return to his post and await being needed once more. Perhaps he'd listen to some audio recordings of his mate back home while he waited, and dine on some of his favorite homemade delicacies. 

But for now, the craft made its slow descent once more toward the planet, following the same path as before. It entered over the aquatic circular shaped location once more and moved inward at a very slow pace. The same height was maintained as well, to provide familiarity with the dwellers. Already there seemed to be forms of commotion taking place among the beings, but they would simply have to wait for the craft to descend, hopefully in the same location as before. Various crafts appeared around the ship, but other than flying around them made very little effort to do much of anything else. There was static noises which the crew took to possibly mean the locals were trying to communicate, but alas, to no avail. The visitors just could not comprehend the language. 

The vessel followed the same path as before, slowly moving toward the distinctive building. They drew near, virtually to the exact same position, lowered all legs and came to a standstill. A veritable throng of spectators stood outside, about the same as previous, perhaps a bit closer this time. The platform was lowered and the crew was ready to begin their disembarking. 

As was customary, which the Earthlings did not understand, they made their way out in the same pattern, which the residents had opted to name them by letters of their own alphabet. The significance of why they emerged in this single file appearance was a mystery for those outside the ship. 

This time around, they were greeted with a peculiar chant they could not understand. 

"Amos! Bud! Cob! Dez!" 

Records were checked to see if these phrases had been mentioned during the last visit. While some of them were eventually heard, the distinction or purpose of them remained unknown. 

"Ella! Fay! Gip!"

The strangers deduced this limerick that everyone cried was clearly important to the locals, so they must save it for future scrutiny. The record keepers were brought forth to perform this task, but there seemed to be errors in their ability to adequately comprehend certain aspects of the tune. Once the error in documentation was determined, the maintenant was summoned to rectify the matter. Meekly, he emerged from the craft and made his way to the failed devices. A minor flaw, he deduced. He was chastised for not keeping the items in a proper working manner. Sheepishly he agreed. Then all the aliens, including the maintenant, turned to look out among the inhabitants. 

They were silent and transfixed. This had not happened before, where even as they previously first emerged, there was scrambling with their security devices or mobilized dwellings or something. But now something seemed to have their undivided attention. A few of the persons murmured amongst themselves, but the majority truly seemed in awe. Everyone who had emerged from the ship so far had appeared last time. 

Except for the maintenant. One or two of the crew looked at the little man in his white uniform, wiping at his moustached face as he fiddled with his repairs, so he may return once more aboard the ship, where he belonged. 

"Look. They have clearly brought someone new with them. He must be someone they want us to meet. They had to study us first before they returned with the higher dignitaries." 

The authoritative figure motioned for the maintenant to finish his task and be on his way, as the visitors began to detect he was a distraction from the mission. Already one of the locals had drawn near, slowly and humbly. 

"We are honored to have you with us," he called out. The maintenant looked up from his work with wide blue eyes. One of the aliens instructed him to hurry and be on his way. 

"We mean you no harm. He must be their science expert or something, one of the highest ranking with whom they returned after their last visit." Two more of the beings had approached the crew on their craft. These were female. 

The maintenant hurried at his chore, then began putting his tools and substances away, so he could wait should he be needed again. 

"Please, stay with us," one of the locals called out. 

The maintenant slowly shuffled toward the back of the gathering to return to the ramp. 

"Oh, don't go," the first Earthling called out. 

The aliens looked at who they motioned to undeniably being the maintenant. The little man looked at them, rather befuddled and started to walk up the platform. One of the women called out to him, then another. He looked at them showing their teeth, uncertain of their intention. Then the man extended his hand, as close as he could get, which wasn't touching distance, but remained fixated on the maintenant. 

The frumpy little man looked about as to what to do next. 

"He seems afraid. Clearly he is not responsible for dealing with foreign beings. The others have to make certain we mean them no harm."

"Should I sing again?" 

"We want you to stay with us." 

The maintenant looked to the authority to see what it was he should do next. The high commander was determined to make contact with this world, so if for whatever reason they wished to have contact with the maintenant, if this must be the break-through, then so be it.  Perhaps the natives figured because of his low status, he would make an excellent prize for them. The authority would have to consider such a possibility if necessary. 

The maintenant looked about at his crew, who all observed him. It seemed important to the natives that he approach them, but it was not his duty. However, the authority sensed this situation had taken a peculiar turn and motioned for him to do so. The maintenant looked at the odd figures to see what they might intend on doing with him. Was he a trade of some sort? Why were they gnashing their teeth at him? He clutched a tiny flimsy strip he used in his work, in case he needed to intimidate or scare the beings away, but he didn't know if they would understand his intention. He looked about the strange world with its unseen wind devices, unfamiliar motions and noises in the distance. One of the figures slowly reached out toward his arm. He looked at her suspiciously, but then she placed her hand ever so gently on his elbow. He detected a slight motion to guide him and carefully he moved in her direction. 

Back at the platform, the alien crew observed this situation with absolute perplexity. There were several of them who would be candidates for these people to select, yet they chose this one whom they hadn't even met before. They clearly must have thought he was a prize for them. The aliens murmured among themselves as to whether or not they should try to get him back. Were they making a mistake allowing him to go so freely? They had other maintenants of various degrees, but this one seemed to just fascinate these inhabitants. 

"Look, his crew seems rather lost as to what to do next, since we have taken their leader." 

"Is he their leader or a top scientist? Well, we'll soon find out." 

"Remember last time, we thought they were a traveling entertainment troup. Obviously now they really are some highly intelligent extra-terrestrial life form having returned to bestow upon us their ruler or highest dignitary." 

Amongst the mulling group, the little maintenant looked about himself with curiosity as to what was in store for him. First he entered some sort of machinery, the panels closed and he looked about at surface motion on this world, the vehicle swerving and dodging all sorts of obstacles. He recalled some of the crew talking about a journey such as this after their previous visit, and he never imagined he himself would be undertaking such a venture on the alien world. 

The vehicle just as quickly came to a halt, and the panels moved once more. The maintenant observed several of the persons make their way through the open panel, so he followed. All sorts of plant life and liquid were extended to him which he graciously accepted. 

"Should we show him the old folks home? That was all those other aliens seemed impressed with last time." 

"No, I sense this time, it will be different. We won't hurry him to rock concerts or anything this go around, but he does seem more responsive. There's a local band set up to perform nearby for him. We'll see how he responds."

All the bustling about him, attempts to get him to consume oddly spiced products. The little figure seemed to enjoy the attention for once in his life. There seemed to be weapons of some sort being tested in the distance that was met with their approval. He looked upon the peculiar devices, then concluded they weren't weapons, they seemed to instruments for measuring sound distances, he decided. The objects produced various noises, it seemed, to meet with the locals approval in strange ways. He drew nearer to the sound detectors and for some reason, this met with the approval of those around him. 

"He likes the blues! Yea, this one is definitely different." 

Were they poisoning him with their concoctions. They were taking bites from the items as if to show him no harm would be done, but he seemed to be enjoying himself far too easily. Or maybe enjoyment was what it was all about. Seemed to be for these beings. He couldn't ponder things such as they were preparing him to be the fatted calf, but there were so many of these aliens, all seemingly glad to see him for whatever reason, again he could not grasp. He just seemed to be welcomed. They wanted him with them. He was getting the strange sensation that he belonged. 

Back at the craft, the crew looked about puzzled and confused by these events. 

"How is the ruler doing? Yea? Yea. Okay, the rest of the lot seems concerned. Maybe you should start bringing him back. None of them seem interested in wandering about this time. Maybe they are holding down their fort until he comes back. Who knows what sort of weaponry they might have on this ship. So see if you can start bringing him back. If he's enjoying himself, that's good. He can put in a good word with his homeland then." 

The aliens watched as a bustling group made its way closer to them, and in their midst was the maintenant. He was smiling, adorned with colorful items like plants, clutching all sorts of little trinkets. 

The authority stepped forward and asked the maintenant what knowledge he had gleamed from this experience, in this short amount of time. He informed them he had seen military devices that produced loud, deafening noises, but other than that seemed to do nothing else, but the sound sent the locals into a helpless, frantic frenzy in which they couldn't control themselves. 

"We'll call this one Ceasar!" an Earthling shouted, but the maintenant seemed as if he had enough. He turned and looked at the inhabitants with their strange notions of defense, but he didn't care to see any more. He knew where someone like him belonged; in his small workshop aboard the vessel. Before he left, as it seemed customary, he bared his teeth to the natives in a rather frightening manner. They did the same in return with noises of repitition of sorts. 

The maintenant made his way up the platform, and the humans seemed to be saluting him in all kinds of ways and giving forth with song in the likes of 'whoo' and such. 

Once the maintenant had entered the ship, the crowd looked to the aliens who in turn looked to the crowd. They seemed as lost as ever as to what the Earthlings wanted or expected, so they decided they must leave. Once again, they began boarding in the same pattern. Previously, there had been no salutes of any kind when the crew left, and now they received the same. Some of the beings even began walking away as the aliens boarded the ship, seemingly completely disinterested in them. 

And last was little Zee. She looked at these beings, those who remained before her, and saw no concern or interest in them. She decided she would do as earlier, and bared her teeth. She didn't get the same reaction as the mainentant had. She stared at them a bit, then decided she was through and made her way up the ramp. 

The ramp was brought up, as were the legs, and the craft departed as before, yet once again, this time, many of the locals had fled the scene. 

On board, the crew looked through the two-way paneling and noticed how different it was from before; they all but fought through the wind and dust pushing at them, but this time, they did no such thing. 

The authority figure, Amos, as it was, looked puzzingly at the natives as the craft lifted off. Twice now, they had attempted contact, and twice now, they seemed confused by the reaction. 

Amos deduced that it was apparent they may have been greatly in error in thinking the Earthlings were just like us.