In a bright room, a hospital nurse in poke-dot scrubs and blue bottoms was checking the vitals of a baby girl. She was African-American with beautiful dark skin and a button nose, and she was sleeping with a cute smile. Her pink mattress was on a waist-high bed with metal rails, and advanced holographic vital signs were brightly emitting her current weight, height, and heart rate.
She walked to her mother next to her and was also sleeping. She was also African-American, slender, and had her weaved hair in a bright, multicolored headband. Her wife was passed out next to her. She was white and stout. She had just gotten back from deployment when her wife went into labor. Now she lay slumped over her bed, holding her hand.
On the holographic wall, a news reporter was in a field. He was holding his left hand to his ear and holding a microphone in the other. The weather was beginning to get cloudy. Thunder and lightning erupted; he was given a weather report when the storm came in.
"Yes, Adam, it is very dangerous here. We suggest everyone stay home if possible,” he said. “It has started to rain now, and we hear lightning, so we’ll take it back to you in the studio, Adam”.
The Holo cut to the report in the studio, where a lengthy gentleman was properly seated. His smile was full of white teeth, and his big, rimmed glasses were elegantly placed. His suit was black with a violet tie.
“So that’s it for the weather. Coming up, how two teens broke into a shopping mall and stole over $33,000 worth of merchandise”. She said, “They were quickly apprehended by two android cops that were being tested to identify the suspects and detain them without any harm to either”.
The baby in the bed began to cry; her mother woke up, and the windows lightly let in the morning light.
“Hey Linda, how are you"? Tammy asked her wife in bed. She leaned in and kissed her. “So I’m going to grab a coffee and give you time to feed Grace”.
"Oh, can you get an orange juice”. Asking before turning her body towards her daughter and picking her up. “And don’t forget my oatmeal”.
Tammy was 6’0 and had her hair in a jelled bun. She still had her fatigues on and her tan boots marching down the hallway. She entered the hospital cafeteria and asked for oatmeal. She went to the coffee station and prepared two coffees, both black and one with two tons of sugar. In reality, it was only three spoons, but to her, it might as well have been the entire bag. She placed both coffees on the yellow tray and got in line to pay for the food. She gave the attendant two dollars and eighty-five cents and walked away.
…..
In the same hospital, Sara was breast-feeding Alex. She had talked to Linda and her wife late last night when they had come in. She was immediately rushed to the delivery room. After they both had delivered their babies, she called the nurse to see which room Linda was in. When she told her, she called and began to talk. Tammy wheeled Linda in, and the three of them began to talk almost through the night. The nurse had said that everyone should get some sleep, and they left.
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Sara was flipping through the holo display to see what news stations were on. She got to BNN and saw a short, older man with puffy white hair and a white beard.
"This was just in the hotel that the President of Rio was staying at. It’s believed that two people with possible ties to the liberation group were found next to the room the president was staying in. They recovered what looked to be two suitcases filled with stolen explosives from Cuban military bases”. They changed his view, and he said, “It is uncertain at this time; the group has not taken responsibility for the bombing, but many are quick to say that it was”.
She changed the station again and saw another incident in Peru where a temple was bombed by fanatical religious figures. They said they blew up the temple because they had been told to cleanse the earth. She shook her head and thought, What had the world come to? She liked that temple; her and her husband had gone there for vacation; he bent down on one knee and proposed.
Now the spot was a small creator. Two people had been guarding the temple. Their bodies had burned in the blast, but there was a log of them working that night. She looked down, and Alex was sleeping. She tucked her breasts in her gown and continued to watch the news feed.
“In more impressive news, IASA has discovered the existence of what can now be certain: an extraterrestrial craft has indeed landed on the surface of Mars”. The female Philippine reporter said, “IASA has stated that they have sent a crew to go and meet; they are expected to arrive in 3 months. The crew has begun their cryo-sleep; they are testing a new piece of technology that we’ll be using to travel across space”.
Sara began to change the channel again, and Linda was wheeled in by a nurse. She was holding Grace, and she was fast asleep in her arms. The nurse left, and the two started talking.
“Hey Sara Did you hear back from John? Did he say if he was able to put out the fire at the factory”? I asked Linda, “Did you see the report? We are no longer alone in the world”.
“I saw something like that; I wouldn’t put too much stock into that stuff; it’s probably just a space rock”. Sara joked, “Or it could be a satellite that crashed to the surface of Mars”.
"True, but it’s still exciting”. She said it back.
“Do you know how long you and little cute Grace are set to go home”? Sara asked, “I have to stay for another day or two”.
"Yeah, they said I could go home as soon as three p.m. today”. Said Linda.
“That must be nice? Now all I have to do is stay sane until I get out, but with what’s happening on TV, I don’t think I want to go”. Sara said.
Tammy walked in holding two coffees and an oatmeal. She had wondered the hallways looking for Linda. She sighed with heavy relief. Walking to both women, she placed the coffee on Sara’s table and gave Linda her oatmeal. She took the baby and held her.
“Thank you, honey, I was really hungry”. Linda said as she ate her first bite. “So did you put two sugars in the coffee”?
"Yeah, I put your poison in there. I don't know how you drink it, but yes”. Replied Tammy.
The holo news was still playing when it caught everyone’s attention. The female report had a grave face.
“Breaking news: the unknown spacecraft has taken off and is heading to Earth”. The blond-fit reporter continued, “The spacecraft has taken off and appears to be heading towards Earth. We are unsure if they want to greet themselves and make their presence known, but we will stand by”.
The three women all looked at one another, and then they looked at their children and hugged one another. The doctor who had delivered Sara’s baby stepped in; she was about the same height as Sara, who stood at 5’7 and had her hair tied in the back with an elastic band.
“So Sara Oh, and ladies, your doctor is looking for you. You can see him in the nurses station”. Said the doctor. The women left, and Sara was left with the doctor, who continued to say, “So we are going to keep you and the baby for now; we will call John to let him know and just rest. We are going to send the non-emergency care patients. So the hospital is going to be a bit quiet. But we are no longer alone”.
The doctor closed the door, and she continued to listen to the holographic projector that was installed like a simple wall projector. Except for this shot of a blue beam at a clone box on the other side of the wall, the beam would fall down, and the field of view would warp the light and make the wall look like the image could expand forever. She used the small black remote to switch the live feed to a full-room view. The walls switch to those of the Kjerag mountain range in Norway. She and her husband loved to travel, and she thought that if they were here, then this would feel like traveling.