Things were quiet for awhile.

            Nobody seemed to really have anything to say. It seemed the madness of the situation was freezing everyone, trapping them in a block of social ice that silenced all of them. Other than sitting quietly, or wandering about aimlessly, nobody really did anything. The only person who seemed to be moving with any purpose was Arell, who went around her ship simply checking on things. But even after a time, she too merely sat down near the mobile home and stared off into space.

            Dr. Monica was no help to the problem either. Arell had managed to move her into a spare bedroom, which was smaller than Arell’s since it was for guest passengers, for her to stay in. Ever since, GeekZilla had not made a sound. Arell went in to check on her every now and then, but each time was the same thing: she was lying, curled up on the bed, on her side staring at the wall. She did not acknowledge or respond to Arell at any time.

            Kevin Logans was getting tired of the quiet though. He was actually in quite good spirits despite the entire situation. And why shouldn’t he be? Beautiful women of massive proportions seemed to be coming into his life more and more these days and it was fantastic. GeekZilla was a hot monster, but, after three years, Kevin had forgotten how attractive Arell was. Now that he was graced with her giant presence, he was beginning to think that she was even hotter than GeekZilla, and that was something, because, in Logans’s humble opinion, the sexy nerd was not something that was easily beaten.

            He stepped out of the mobile home, his hands shoved into his pockets, and wandered around the shelf. Arell was sitting next to the home, staring out the window. The last time she had visited Earth, she was too busy trying to conquer it and being the general enemy to really talk to. Now that she was a friend, there somethings that he really wanted to ask her about. She was life from another planet, something that Kevin had always told his very skeptical parents existed, so she was a gold mine of information.

            “Hey…uh…Arell?” Kevin spoke up suddenly when he wandered close enough to the giant woman.

            Arell turned to look at him. “Hmmmm? Oh…hello, Kevin.”

            “Yo,” Logans replied. He looked around. “So this ship of yours is really cool.”

            “Thanks,” Arell replied, simply.

            “Is it yours, or did you rent it or something?”

            “It’s mine.”

            “Cool. I’ve always wanted to be on a futuristic space ship.”

            “Oh, yeah?”

            “Yeah! I mean, everything is so advanced on this thing, that I really wish I knew what everything does.” He pointed to a panel on the wall near a doorway. “What’s that thing over there control? Does it do something like re-arrange the room, or make stuff appear?”

            “Hardly,” Arell said, smiling. “That’s the light switch.”

            “You guys have those!?” Kevin said, awed.

            “Of course we do.” Arell chuckled. “How else would we control our lights?”

            “I dunno…” Logans replied. “It just seems so…familiar. Old fashioned, I guess.”

            “Old fashioned?” She asked. “You’ll always need something to turn the lights on and off with. Even we, who do indeed have great technology, still use the humble light switch to control our lighting.”

            “Well, I mean,” Kevin explained. From behind, he heard the sound of the mobil home’s door opening. He glanced back to see Randy and Sarah walk out. “I always thought everything would be automatic in advanced societies. You know, like how your doors just slide open when you approach them, rather than you having to turn a knob and all that.”

            “The light switch has sensors that can detect when people are in the room,” Arell explained. “But you can adjust the settings so that it behaves much like your typical switch on Earth. I have it on that setting now, since it’s not designed to detect small Earthies.” Arell winked.

            “So, can this ship travel like really fast?” Kevin asked. “I mean, it has to be capable of intergalactic flight and all that for you to be here, right?”

            “Naturally,” Arell nodded. “But don’t get too excited. I won’t be taking us anywhere near that sort of speed. Not with you Earthies on board. You guys haven’t been properly trained and prepared for that sort of thing. And doing it now might cause very serious problems with your physiology…if it doesn’t outright kill you.”

            “Damn,” Kevin said. “Okay, another question. You’ve been studying us right? What kind of organs do you have that we don’t? Do you guys have like, two stomachs, or something, or…”

            “I don’t think I’d want two stomachs,” Arell replied. “I think it’d ruin my curvature. There’s no physiological difference between you and me…except for our height, obviously.”

            “Speaking of curves…” Kevin went on. “Are all women on Avakon…like…you know…hot?”

            “Kevin!” Sarah snapped. “Don’t go asking stupid questions!”

            “But don’t you want to know if there are hot guys there?” Logans replied. “You may find the dudes up there are ripped and you’ll be swooning over every one of them.”

            “I really don’t think the attractiveness of the Avakonians is something that’s important right now, Kevin…” Sarah replied, rolling her eyes.

            But Arell laughed good naturedly through their exchange.

            “Why do you ask?” She inquired, chuckling.

            “Well, I mean,” Kevin went on. “Are all the girls on your planet cute? I mean, if there’s another race of humans, I gotta know this.”

            “Are all of us?” Arell repeated, grinning. “Should I be flattered that you’re using me as a point of reference?”

            “I wouldn’t mind if you were,” Kevin replied, grinning too. “Let me ask this way; are all girls on Avakon hot like you?”

            Arell laughed again. Sarah rolled her eyes again...but even she smiled a little. Randy had been wandering off to the side, but now he came up to them as well, a smile on his face too. Behind him, the door to the mobile home opened again, and Fred, Bradley, and Todd came out, perhaps curious as to what was going on.

            “Maybe I should just let you find that out for yourself.” Arell said, winking again.

            “Aw, don’t leave me hanging!” Kevin begged.

            “What’s going on?” Todd asked Sarah.

            “Oh, Kevin’s asking stupid questions.” She replied.

            “No, I’m not,” Logans overheard her. “This is of the utmost importance! The men of Earth have a right to know this!”

            “He’s asking if women on Avakon are attractive,” Randy explained.

            “Well…what was the verdict?” Todd asked, grinning himself.

            “I don’t think it’s fair for me to say,” Arell replied. “I’m just one out of many. I’ll just let you decide for yourselves when we get there.”

            “Well, if they’re anything like you,” Kevin said. “Then let me be the first to say that this might not be a completely bad experience.”

            “Kevin, really…” Sarah sighed.

            “Hey, flirting with a hot space girl has always been something I’ve wanted to do!” Logans said, pushing up his sunglasses.

            “Is that what I am?” Arell asked. “The ‘hot space girl’?”

            “Yep!” Kevin said. “Be proud! It’s a great honor!”

            “Oh, believe me, I’m overwhelmed,” Arell laughed. “Don’t mind me if I start crying from all the emotion.”

            “I wouldn’t dare hold it against you,” Kevin said. He paused. “So…you said we’re physically the same, right? Does that mean you guys get it on in the same way we do, right?”

            “Kevin! Seriously!?” Sarah said, shocked. She was barely heard because Arell, Fred, Todd, Kevin, and even Bradley laughed.

            “Remember, this are essential questions, Sarah,” Randy said, jokingly.

            “Yes, we do ‘get it on’ in the same way,” Arell said through some laughter. “And, since I’m sure you’ll ask, yes, we are quite good at it.”

            “Both sides?” This time Sarah was the one to ask.

            “Both sides.” Arell nodded.

            “Hey!” Todd exclaimed. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

            “N-Nothing!” Sarah said, turning red. “I was just asking!”

            “Don’t feel too bad,” Arell said. “You have to remember that my people have lived a long time. Long enough to perfect, or at least become very talented at, various things. Sex, naturally, is one of them.”

            “I don’t feel bad about anything!” Todd replied immediately.

            “Why ya so defensive, bro?” Kevin asked.

            “Shut up, Kevin!”

            “Speaking of long lives…” Bradley spoke up. “That’s another thing I’ve always wanted to know…just how old are you, Arell?”

            Arell gave him a sly look. “Now, Bradley…” She said. “I thought you Earthy Men never asked a woman her age.”

            “Well, you’re sort of a radical exception.” Peterson replied.

            “Am I?” She said. “I’m a still a woman, even though I am from Avakon. Why should I be any exception?”

            “She’s actually more woman than any of us are used to,” Kevin said. “I mean…she is…..how tall are you, Arell?”

            “Well, on your scale, I’m about five hundred and thirty five feet,” She said.

            “Are all Avakonians your size?” Todd asked. Bradley remembered him wondering something the last time Arell had visited Earth.

            “Of course,” Arell replied. “I’m actually a little taller than most Avakonian women, though. I’m about as tall as most men on Avakon.”

            “So you’re a big girl even over there!” Kevin laughed.

            “Yes, I suppose you could say that,” Arell smiled.

            “What kind of money do you guys use?” Fred asked.

            “We don’t,” Arell replied.

            “Huh…?” Bowden replied. “Then…how do you buy stuff?”

            “Technically, we don’t,” The Avakonian replied. “To put it this way, when I go to a store, if I want something, I just take it. I don’t pay for it.”

            “So…you guys just steal everything?” Fred asked.

            “No,” Arell shook her head. “I’m supposed to take it. That’s the whole point.”

            “I’m confused…” Fred said. “Where does the transaction occur here? The moment when you give the other party something for the thing you’re taking?”

            “It doesn’t exist,” Arell said.

            “So if I’m on your planet,” Fred said. “And I see a really cool yacht, like one of the real expensive ones, I can just take it and no ones gonna come screaming at me?”

            “Well…” Arell explained. “In that sort of case you’d need to sign off on it and show that you know how to operate and maintain the vehicle so that you’re not going to hurt yourself or somebody else. But, ultimately, yes.”

            “How does that work?” Fred asked. “You can’t just get something for nothing. There has to be some exchange or something, right?”

            “Not really,” Arell shook her head. “Money never quite caught on Avakon like it did on Earth. My people have always been more concerned with meeting the needs of all and any. We distribute all materials that are produced or secured equally. It’s always been an Avakon tradition to make sure that everyone is taken care of. The concept of money just never became relevant in our world.”

            “So…you’re not paid to research stuff?” Fred asked.

            “Nope.”

            “Then why do it? What’s the point?”

            “Because I’m genuinely interested in life on other planets, of course.” Arell replied, as if it should have been obvious. “Why else would I do it?”

            “Well, hey, I’m genuinely interested other planets too,” Bowden said. “But, ignoring the current situation, I couldn’t previously afford to get on a rocket and fly to the moon or Mars.”

            “That’s a shame,” Arell frowned. “The universe is really a beautiful place to travel through. I’m not a special case, every Avakonian has the ability to travel to Earth if they wanted to. The only reason they haven’t all of these years is because the researchers usually observe and learn about them first. That way, when we want to contact them, we know their language, their culture, and everything else. It makes communicating with them so much easier.”

            “Have you discovered other intelligent life?” Sarah asked. Bradley already knew the answer to this.

            “Well, yes, in some sense,” Arell replied. “No other life on planets are as advanced as Avakon, or even Earth. Not to say that they’re unintelligent, they’re just primitive. But, ever since we’ve contacted them, a lot of them have shown to be quite intelligent and creative. We often try to educate them, so that they can better survive and thrive in their own environment. Then, they…”

            “That’s funny…I don’t remember YOU being so damn supportive.”

            It was Colonel Stark. He’d come out of the mobile home and was now standing behind Bradley and the group, staring at Arell hard.

            “A few things come to mind when I think of you, alien woman,” He said, bitterly. “And, let me tell ya, none of them are caring, loving, and supportive. They’re more like arrogant, destructive, and downright evil.”

            Bradley tensed. He felt some of the others do so as well. While they had, just a few seconds ago, actually had a very pleasant conversation with their giant hostess…it was true that the very same woman had threatened each and every one of them at least once during her last visit to their planet. Peterson especially, who remembered the time he had spent on this ship previously. It had not been, at all, a pleasant experience, one that had been full of torment and ridicule and fear.

            “I admit that the case of Earth was…unfortunately very different.” Arell said, returning Stark’s glare.

            “Good,” Stark said. “Then you admit that your people are a bunch of controlling shits that ought to leave other planets alone, instead of threatening to destroy them when they don’t behave the right way.”

            “You don’t understand…” Arell began.

            “Oh, I think it’s you who doesn’t understand.” Stark interrupted. “We wouldn’t be here on this ship right now if you and your kind just stayed the hell on Avakon and me and my kind stayed on Earth. Both of us in our place, just leaving the other one alone. Everything’d be fine.”

            “The humans of Avakon don’t simply forget about other humans,” Arell said. “Like it or not, you’re a human, and therefore, connected to us. I…”

            “I’m not connected to you goons,” The Colonel shook his head. “So by some unfathomable coincidence, we happen to look alike. Just like on your planet, there were apes. And then, after some time humans evolved. That doesn’t mean that we’re related. It just means that life just evolved in similar ways on both of our planets, you half-wit.”

            “Regardless of our separation,” Arell replied. “We are, undoubtedly, the same species. We are anatomically the same in every which way, other than height and longevity of life. You Earthies are considered an extended part of our family, if you will, and like it or not, you will be treated as such.”

            “And that’s where the bullshit piles up,” Stark said. “What if we don’t want to be treated like one of you? Who are you to make that call, huh? We don’t treat you guys like one of us? We don’t subject you to our laws and ways of life. If we did…well, let me just say, alien woman, you wouldn’t be alive right now. We’d have put your sorry ass down a long time ago, and rightly so because of all the innocent people you murdered out of cold blood.”

            “I know what I did!” Arell snapped, causing Sarah and the others to retreat behind Bradley, who was also shaking at the knees. “I don’t need you to remind me! I…”

            “Don’t you start getting all worked up, you oversized bitch!” The Colonel snapped back. “You’re a monster, a hypocrite, a liar, and a murderer, and that’s ALL you ever will be! You may not realize this, but I’m not scared of you!  Do to me what you will, but you ain’t gonna shut me up unless you break me in half!”

            “Well them maybe I ought to and BE DONE WITH IT!” Arell yelled. Her face and gone red and her eyes were lit up with pure fury. She reached forward to grab Colonel Stark…

            …and then she quickly withdrew her hand, a soft, startled gasp emitting from her. She grabbed her hand with the other and held it against her chest, a wide, terrified look coming into her eyes. Her gaze went to Bradley, and all of those who were cowering in fear behind him.

            Arell began to slide away from them, but went too far and fell out of her chair, hitting the floor with a hard thump that shook the shelve the Earthies were standing on. She quickly got to her feet and backed away from Bradley and the others, breathing heavily.

            Then, all at once she began to sob. And once the tears started to flow she turned and hurried out of the room, burying her face in her hands.

            Bradley stood where he was for a moment, breathing heavy himself. When he finally realized the situation wasn’t going to escalate further, he turned around. He saw Stark standing where he was, his arms folded across his chest staring at where Arell had gone. The Colonel remained where he was for a moment, then shook his head and walked back to the Mobile Home.