A Good Rain [TRA2018]

A Good Rain [TRA2018]
[non-writer]

It seemed as though every astronomer in the world had seen the new visitor at the same time. A large glowing ball almost the size of the moon was slowly moving through the solar system toward earth. It slowed to almost a stop and began to orbit Mars, becoming a new moon. We knew it had to be under some intelligent control for it to act like this.

Several weeks later, a craft was seen coming toward earth and it settled into an orbit just above the atmosphere. It stayed in place for several days as if the inhabitants were studying the planet below. A communication was sent out through every radio and television channel. It was a greeting from the creatures who had brought the new moon to Mars.

" We are those who have just arrived in your planetary system. We have not come here to cause any harm to you or your world. Many centuries ago, our planet experienced a near miss from a larger member of our system and was ejected from its place. Since then, it has wandered through the universe. It was pulled about by the effects many galaxies and other bodies. We had adapted to living beneath its surface from our species beginning, so we were not greatly affected by the loss of our star.

As this was many centuries ago, in your time, our living resources are becoming critical. I, and those with me, are members of a group which has been dispatched to find another suitable world for our kind to inhabit. We may have found such a place in the planet which our ship now encircles. We would wish only to be good neighbors, so we have come to meet with you and assure you of our intensions. We are very different from your kind, and feel this would be the proper thing to do."

They had spoken of wanting to meet with all the leaders of our planet as a way to assure us of their totally peaceful intent after their arrival. It was not long before a meeting was set up at the United Nations Building in New York City and they were assured all the peoples of the earth would be represented there.

Meanwhile the top scientists and military leaders held several meetings of their own. Trying to figure out if there could, or would, be any means of defending the planet if the visitors displayed any aggression toward us. Of course, we had absolutely no prior information on which to base any defensive actions. We would have to wait until we met with them to gather any intelligence.

It was a warm sunny day in Manhattan, when a small craft sat down in Central Park and both the President of the United States and the Secretary General of the United Nations were on hand to greet our newly arrived neighbors. The craft was rather "saucer" shaped; being several yards across and almost twenty feet tall.

At first a crack appeared along a line where the outer disc met the upper bulge. Then a ramp, hinged along the edge, unfolded to reveal a doorway. A tall man emerged, dressed in a metallic suit and helmet. It had an ungainly stride as it approached the delegation sent to greet it.
It had not quite gotten to the delegates when it suddenly fell over. When it did the suit crashed to the ground and began to fall apart. From out of the main body, slithered a small blob of a creature. It was covered with short bristly hairs and rather resembled a blob of gelatin. Almost as quickly as this had happened two more came from the legs.

The three of the first looked toward each other, then toward the earthlings who stood before them. Stretching themselves tall and thin, they moved what appeared to be their faces to the front and near the tops of the bodies.

One spoke to the delegates saying, "I am the leader of my clan and have come to meet with the prime inhabitants of this planet. I will have them to know we are in the process of claiming and taking up habitation of the planet which we now occupy."

The President smiled and offered his hand in greetings as he introduced himself. He claimed the position of being host for the meeting, sense they stood on American soil. He then turned to the Secretary General and ask him to properly greet and recognize their guests. They all then got into various automobile as went to the U.N. Building.

All this was done under the ever watchful eyes of the military intelligence services. They were looking for any means of finding a weakness or point which they could attack if these creatures proved to be anything other than friendly. They quickly sent people to the site of the craft in order to closely examine it and its functions. As hard as they searched, they could not gain entry to the craft. Once the ramp had closed, even the crack which had first appeared along the top had vanished.

The meeting took several hours and much information was exchanged between all the parties present. It was learned that they were single celled creatures which had evolved as a silicone based life form and actually "ate" rocks as food. A dead dry planet such a Mars would be very suitable for their needs. They had developed much of their metallic materials from the waste which they excreted from their bodies and this was also the source of the energy which powered their technology. The dwindling resources of their home planet had already caused their population to decrease. This is why it had become so urgent for them to find another planet on which to live.

After the meeting had ended and the visitors were just returning to their craft, the sky became filled with many more of them. Rather than going inside his craft, the leader slithered up to the top and turned facing the crowd which had gathered to see them. The other craft had landed and an army of these creatures had suddenly emerged and the park had become over run with them.

"We have come to lay claim upon this planet and enslave all the people therein", he declared as he produced a large weapon from inside himself. "We now know your armies are no match for our superior weapons so resistance is futile. Your projectiles will simply pass through our bodies but with our ray beams we will kill anyone who does not comply with our dictates. Even your fire bombs have are to no effect on our bodies. We were born in the fires of volcanoes."

The generals knew now they had met an adversary which they could have never thought they would encounter on the field of battle. After all, how can you defeat something which is so superior you could not fight it ?

Suddenly, there were bolts of lightning flashing across the sky; followed closely by a tremendous report of thunder which shook everyone to the core. It was just this quickly, the shy open up and a deluge of rain poured down; soaking everyone as they stood motionless in fear.

It was just a quickly, the leader atop his craft, began to slip; then slide down from his position. As he did, he began to lower his ray gun. But, no! He was not lowering the weapon. It was just getting lower upon the craft. All the people present stood in the rain and watched in joyous disbelief.

The rain was melting these creature whose bodies were impervious to our fire and bullets. Their bodies, being born in volcanoes of rock and soil was melting into mud and running down upon the ground.

Rapidly becoming just more dirt to walk on.

THE END

That was well done.
Really channelled H.G Wells in my opinion, mother Earth protecting against the alien invader in an unlikely way.

a reply to: SprocketUK

Much thanks.

Just pointing out how useful advanced intell. and planning can really be. You know ... "best laid plans of mice and men" .

Don't forget to link in in the contest thread. Well done.