This isn't about us. This is about the survival of humankind.

Even though the X-3002 was a billion miles out, the flat alien's star shown bright enough to make it difficult to observe planets in close orbits. It didn't help that Angie was maintaining the ship at a high velocity to arrive at the alien's home planet as quickly as possible.

"This star is more massive than Sol and more luminous," Karl said. "I'm reading a temperature of 5670 degrees K and a luminosity of 1.09."

"There are four gas giants," George said. "I see at least five inner planets. My pick is the fourth planet. It's a little cooler than Earth but still within the habitable range."

Marty turned to the aliens. "Do you come from the fourth planet?"

"Yes," one of them replied.

"Adjust our course to orbit the fourth planet, Delphi. Reduce our velocity accordingly."

"Yes, Angie."

Marty couldn't let well alone. "How many did you take on your voyage to the ocean planet?"

"Ten of ten of ten plus five."

Marty turned to Lia. "Did he mean a thousand? Can that be right?"

"That's what it means," Lia said.

"What happened to them?" he asked the alien.

"They were consumed."

Marty's left eyebrow shot up. "Consumed? Consumed by what: fire?"

"No. They were consumed by sea creatures."

Marty turned to Lia. "Does he mean that they were eaten by something in the sea?"

"That's how I interpret it," Lia said.

Marty turned back to the alien with both eyebrows up. "Why?"

The alien didn't bat an eye, assuming he/she could. "That is our function. We transport those who are to be consumed to the sea planet."

Marty rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm getting a bad feeling in my gut about this."

"Maybe it's some form of euthanasia," George said.

"That doesn't make any sense. Why do they have to haul them a hundred light years to die? Can't they do it on their own planet?"

"It is their wish to be consumed by sea creatures," the alien said. "We do not permit deliberate death. Death must be by nature. We do not die by unnatural things."

"You don't have diseases or aging?" Marty asked.

"We do not know of disease. We must be consumed."

Marty shook his head. "I'm sorry I asked."

"I have a theory," Ferris said. "If they are asexual, they may breed spontaneously. If so, their planet could be hopelessly over populated, especially if they don't die from natural causes."

"Why don't they find new unoccupied planets? Marty said. "We've already found several on the few missions we've gone on."

"The ones with black eyes do not permit it," the alien said.

"Is he referring to the Roswell aliens?” Marty asked Lia.

"I believe so," Lia said.

"Do you have an agreement with the ones with black eyes?"

"Yes."

"If that is true then why did they attack you?"

"They did a mistake."

Marty sighed. "I think we've made a mistake. Evidently the Roswell aliens think that this galaxy belongs to them."

Nobody refuted that conclusion.

###

"We have achieved orbit, Angie."

"Thank you, Delphi."

"You are welcome, Angie."

"The planet is larger than Earth with an equatorial radius of 7310 kilometers," George said. "Land area is around fifty percent. Axial tilt is 20.7 degrees. Gravity is approximately 1.3."

"Surface temperature is around 290 K," Anne said. "The atmosphere has 21 percent oxygen with carbon dioxide of 0.019 percent, which is low. I'm not detecting any pollution."

"That doesn't make sense," Marty said. "If they've overpopulated the planet, the pollution should be high."

"That would be the case if we humans overpopulated a planet," Anne said. "Perhaps these aliens use more environmentally kinder power sources."

"I have some interesting images of the surface," George said when he switched his screen to the main screen.

"What are those?" Marty asked. "Monuments?"

"They're huge pyramid-shaped buildings at least two kilometers high."

"Wow! There must be thousands of them."

"Most of the land is covered by some sort of grain," Ferris said. "My guess is that they live in those buildings."

"What are those domed structures?"

"They're probably manufacturing facilities," George said.

Marty turned to the alien spokesperson. "May we visit your planet?"

The answer came with no hesitation. "Yes."

"Who is going?" he asked Angie.

"It's my turn, but you can go. Take Lia, Ferris and Tyler. I’ll mind the store."

"Yes, Captain." Angie watched Marty and his landing team escort the aliens into the elevators.

She turned to George. "I would have loved to have seen the planet, but I’m more concerned about an attack."

"Not me," George said with a disgusted twist of his mouth. "They're probably packed into those buildings by the millions. I would estimate that there are several hundred billion of them on the planet."

She smiled at him. "And we thought we have an overpopulation problem."

He shook his head.

###

Marty plunged the Lander into the alien planet's atmosphere and leveled out at three kilometers. He marveled at how clear the atmosphere was. He could see the surface much easier than when flying above the ground on Earth because no haze or smoke obscured the view.

The alien spokesperson instructed him to land on a circular clearing near a domed structure. He did so, and he, the crew and the aliens disembarked. At first they were alone, but like cockroaches pouring out of cracks, uncountable swarms of aliens emerged and quickly surrounded him and his crew. He had to remind himself not to panic.

They were all naked. Now why would that be? Maybe the production of food is more important than clothes on an overpopulated planet. Obviously, the aliens that we rescued wore clothing only for protection. Besides, they're asexual, so what difference does it make.

The first thing that he noticed was the muscle development. It caused bulges and ridges in their flesh that changed when they moved. They were not so flat after all. Their skin was smooth and very light, almost white with just a hint of pink.

They were immersed in wall-to-wall aliens, and these aliens were packed together like sardines. It was unnerving to say the least. When Marty and his crew were escorted to a skyscraper, the aliens provided space, and they did so without any commotion.

They were taken to a chamber in which a dozen aliens were seated on stools. Were these the leaders?

"We wish to establish a dialogue between your people and our people," Tyler said through Lia's translator. "We understand that you have an agreement with the Black Eyes."

"No agreement," one of the leaders said. "They dictate."

"What do they dictate?"

"We are to go only to the ocean planet."

"Why then did they attack you?"

"We believe it a mistake. They agree not to exterminate us as they have done to others."

Marty and Tyler exchanged concerned looks.

"We are at war with the Black Eyes," Tyler said. "We do not wish to upset your agreement. We wish to offer you our help."

"What can you do?"

Tyler gestured to Ferris.

Ferris stepped forward. "We understand your problem. We have captured two of the flesh eaters from the ocean planet. If you allow us, we can introduce this species into your oceans."

"We will study your proposal. We will show you our life place and our work place."

"We do not wish to remain on your planet for a long time," Marty said. "The Black Eyes will make danger for you." He pointed to Lia and Ferris. "These two will visit your life place." He pointed to Tyler and himself. "We will visit your work place."

"It is your wish."

A group of aliens escorted the women out. Marty and Tyler followed another group to a large domed structure where they found thousands of aliens swarming like bees over a new saucer-shaped space craft. These workers wore protective clothing and used all sorts of robotic tools. Some were attaching metal panels. Others were doing wiring. Still others were fussing with engine assembly. Many other aliens were working at stations with screens that displayed all sorts of strange diagrams and symbols.

"Do your space vessels have weapons?" Marty asked.

"We do not know of weapons. Things that destroy are forbidden."

How enlightened, but reckless.

After the tour, Marty and Tyler rejoined Lia and Ferris. The aliens surrounded them but were under control.

"We thank you for your hospitality," Tyler said. "We will return later to continue our discussion."

"It is your wish."

They were escorted to the Lander where they waved before getting in. The aliens gave them space.

"We're coming up," Marty said after he established COM to the ship.

"Good," Angie said. "We're waiting."

Marty took off and casually flew into the alien stratosphere. He turned to Ferris. "How'd it go?"

She sighed. "We got a fast lesson in what these aliens are really like."

"What do you mean?"

"They're asexual alright. They breed by forming buds, essentially swellings on their bodies that ripen and break open to expel pupae. The pupae look like little four legged blobs that run around like crazy. We saw these other animals that are dog sized running around. At first I thought: what the hell do they have pets for? Well, these pets chase after the pupae and eat them."

"Interesting form of birth control," Marty said. "If that's true then why do they go to the ocean planet to be consumed, as the alien put it?"

“It’s their method for executing criminals, or at least that’s what I believe. They took us to a giant stadium in which they allowed us to view such a disgusting spectacle.”

“They allowed you to view an execution?”

“Yes. According to the spokesperson, this individual had committed murder. They use larger animals that are about the size of mountain lions. They look more like hyenas with shorter back legs. The alien ran all over trying to avoid it, but was eventually caught and eaten alive. It was all I could do to avoid losing the contents of my stomach.”

Marty sighed. “Well, as disgusting as that is, what I found most disturbing is the statement that these Roswell aliens have exterminated entire species.”

That quelled any further discussions.

###

“We have entered normal space, Angie.”

“Thank you, Delphi. Send a message to Space Command telling them that we have arrived in the Sol system.”

“Yes, Angie.”

Marty turned around. “Where’s Ferris?”

“She’s down in the lab fooling around with an alien pupa she grabbed when she was on the planet.”

“Isn’t that dangerous? Those aliens breed like rabbits. We’ll be up to our ears in them.”

Angie gave him a silly grin. “They're not Tribbles. Besides, she claims that she has a way of suppressing the breeding function, I don’t know, I’m not the biologist.”

He turned to George. “Is Earth still there, George?”

“Yes it is, and it looks just fine.”

“Good. When that alien said that the Roswell aliens have destroyed entire species, I got a shiver up my spine.”

“Space Command is patrolling more now,” Angie said. “We shouldn’t have to worry about Earth.”

“I hope you’re right. I’ve had enough excitement for awhile.” He turned to Angie. “Can I take a break? I think I’ll go see what Ferris is up to.”

She gave him a dismissive wave, and he got up and went to the elevator. The lab was on the equipment deck next to the Med Station.

“Aren’t you afraid that you’ll open a Pandora’s box?” he said when he walked up behind her.

Ferris turned from examining the pupa. “It’s no different than the other species of life that we’ve collected.”

“Yeah, but this one results in a sentient being with a prodigious reproduction system.”

“I think that I can suppress that by the use of hormone deactivators. I’ve already isolated the chemical agent that signals the budding process.”

“Wow! I’m impressed. What are you going to do with the pupa?”

“I’m going to study the metamorphosis. I’m not sure after that. Maybe I can train it to be a member of our crew.”

Marty laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

She frowned. "No."

"Isn't experimenting with sentient life an ethics problem?"

That deepened Ferris’ frown before she relaxed to a serious hardening of her jaw. "We've advanced the science of exobiology so quickly the rules haven't caught up. I don't see anything wrong with it as long as life is respected. We've gone out of our way, even risked our lives, to treat aliens with respect. Besides, what did this individual have to look forward to: becoming food for some carnivore? Being crammed like a sardine into a two-mile high building? Or, worse yet, being eaten alive for entertainment? I may be able to afford it a dignity and purpose it could never have dreamed of having."

Marty smiled, relaxing her. "Sounds good to me."

###

"There is an incoming message from Space Command, Angie."

"Play it, Delphi."

"Yes, Angie."

"Welcome back. We have a serious problem that only you can solve. An enemy weapon is on course to Earth, and you are the closest. You have the coordinates. Good luck."

"That's just great," Marty said. "We get all the dirty jobs."

"I have it," George said before he switched a telescopic view to the main screen, on which a smooth metallic sphere appeared.

"The object is approximately six times ten to the fourth metric tons," Marty said after viewing it with his navigational scanner. "It's moving at 550 kps. I'm reading a magnetic field of over twenty Teslas. The object measures 3.5 meters in diameter."

"If that's an antimatter weapon, it will destroy Earth," Jean-Michel said.

"How far away must it be to not do so?" Marty asked.

"My rough calculations based on assumptions that I can't verify indicate that it will destroy all life if not at least a light-year distant."

"Move us to within a hundred meters of the object, Delphi."

"Yes, Angie."

Marty looked at her. "You have a plan, don't you?"

"It's suicidal, but there is no other way. We can't divert the weapon's course because it's moving too fast, and even if we could, it will be too late. We have to pull it into the hangar and jump a parsec, shove it out and jump again to get out of the way."

"Yeah, that might work, but somebody is going to have to secure the damn thing or it will get smashed around during the jump."

She looked down and sighed. "I know."

Marty stood up. "Jean-Michel, how good of shape are you in?"

His eyes exuded pride. "I am the top player in my Racquet Ball club."

"You're the one." Marty turned to Angie. "We'll need hyperbaric chambers."

"You'll have them." She offered a weak smile.

He could see through her smile to the concern that was etched into her face. All he could offer in return was a weak smile. "Okay, Jean-Michel, let's grab those emergency oxygen bottles. We'll run to the hangar deck. It won't get all of the nitrogen out of us, but it will help."

When they arrived on the hangar deck, Marty and Jean-Michel went to a room that stored space suits, weapons and miscellaneous gear.

"How are we going to restrain the weapon?" Jean-Michel asked. "Especially since it has a strong magnetic field about it."

"I was thinking about that. We have those round plastic mounts for our water tanks, which are roughly the same size as the bomb. We'll have to hand guide the bomb into it and swing the restraining arms up manually."

Jean-Michel nodded. They finished getting into their suits with the aid of robotic arms and then entered the hangar, moved one of the plastic tank base units into the middle of the hangar and fastened it down. They then attached cables from poles to their suits, closed the face shields of their helmets and pressurized their suits.

"We're ready, Angie." He turned to Jean-Michel. "Hang on. It's going to get windy."

The pumps thumped into action to suck the air out of the hangar. Winds of over a hundred miles an hour strained the cables securing the two men to their tethers. The hangar door slowly rose to reveal the alien weapon of mass destruction. As the glistening ball slowly moved toward the hangar opening, Marty and Jean-Michel released their tethers so that they could hand guide the bomb into the plastic base. As soon as they swung the restraining arms up, Angie had Delphi close the hangar and prepare for jump.

"Hang on you two. We're going to jump."

Marty reattached his tether. "We're ready."

The jump was particularly disturbing standing in a space suit next to an alien antimatter bomb that could destroy everything within several million miles. Even worse, Marty felt intense pain in the joints of his arms and legs and a burning in his chest, the result of the nitrogen in his blood trying to escape into the lower pressure of his suit. Oh well, if the bomb detonated now he wouldn't feel a thing.

When the ship entered normal space, Marty had trouble getting his bearings. He saw that Jean-Michel was in worse shape. Marty shuffled over to him and helped him up off the hangar floor.

"I know it hurts, but we have to get this damn thing out of here."

With Herculean effort, the two men pulled the restraining arms down and moved the bomb to the hangar opening. They gave it a final shove before collapsing to the floor. As soon as the hangar door was shut, Angie had Delphi jump the ship.

When the jump was completed, Angie had Delphi pressurize the hangar and Onuki, Ferris, George and Tyler got Marty and Jean-Michel out of their suits and into hyperbaric chambers to prevent any more damage from decompression sickness.

"Turn us back, Delphi. Make a nice big arc so that we avoid the weapon's calculated position."

"Yes, Angie."

After waiting for several minutes in anxiety, Angie switched her screen to the Med Station. “How are they?” she asked Onuki.

“Martin is awake and doing well. Jean-Michel is unconscious, but his vitals are stable.”

“Thank you. Let me know if there are any changes.”

“I will, Commander.”

She switched the view back to outside space and sobbed. The rest of the crew understood. They were suffering from posttraumatic distress themselves.

“Will we see the explosion,” Uma asked.

“No, Uma,” George said. “The light from it would require approximately four years to arrive here.”

“We are ready to jump, Angie.”

“Execute, Delphi.”

“Yes, Angie.”

Nobody said anything. They knew that home was at the other end of a singularity.