Gilligan walked cheerfully to get some berries for tonight's dessert. He whistled and his chimpanzee friend Gladys walked near him. Suddenly he stopped and looked. "Strange. I never noticed that shiny metal shape on the side of the volcano. And it's hard to tell from this far away but it looks almost as big as a pick-up truck."

He looked again "I know why I never noticed it. It wasn't there before." He paused then gulped "It wasn't there before! I'd better get the professor!"

But as he turned a strange unhuman voice called out "EARTHLING WAIT!"

He turned. Not too far away a squat orange and blue striped figure stood two and a half feet tall (about three fourths of a meter.) The shape had one head, one torso, two legs and four tentacles. As Gilligan turned to bolt the voice said "Afraid not be. Come I war in."

He calmed down a bit. English was a hard enough language for Earth foreigners, much less Martians. He said "You mean you come in peace."

"Negative. Come I war in. Later. First talk truce in."

"OK."

"I Voxx Midranked Private Rollian Army of."

"I Gilligan First Mate S. S. Minnow of. But our ship ran aground and we're stranded here. Are you stranded here too?"

"Invading the Earth. My people thinking of"

Gilligan gulped.

Voxx continued. "But ourselves test we."

"A math test?"

"Prediction make our strategists. When first strike after, advantage of surprise also after. Know capabilities of the weapons we with. And seven surviving Earthlings each one of us for."

Gilligan tried to bluff. "Well obviously you can't win then. Better luck invading the moon or perhaps the sun." After a pause he asked "Can your army survive in the sun?"

"Peace party want stay home at. War party want invade here."

"Tough call. Do your people vote, flip a coin or just go into your pods until you all decide together."

"Test we. Our most average middle ranked private humans against. Earthlings seven isolated completely. Advantage of surprise compromised. Afternoon of day next."

He paused. Gilligan noticed the alien had four silver colored antenna that were shaking.

"Your antennas are acting up. Are you okay Mid ranked Private Voxx?"

"Giggling. How do my species it."

"What's so funny?"

"And I then attack!" The antennas really began to shake. "Trust me. Funny that very."

Gilligan asked "So why tell me?"

"Isolated are you this Island on?"

"Pretty much."

"Number you how many here?"

He began to count on his fingers. "Well, there's the Skipper and the Professor and Mr. and Mrs. Howell and Ginger and Mary Ann." He let out a sigh of relief. "That's only six."

"Gilligan mate first. Did count him you?"

He thought. "No, forgot to count him me."

"Move finger another."

He extended another finger.

"Fingers-many how?" asked Voxx.

He put down each finger one by one and re-lifted it while counting. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. SEVEN!"

"Afternoon tomorrow, I attack in."

Gilligan gulped. Voxx suggested "Weapons your best. Prepare yourselves with. Now you I show mine."

Gilligan came over. Voxx pulled out what seemed to be a yellow box attached to an 11 inch bright green tube. "Ma-ma pistol."

By now Gilligan was standing next to Voxx. "A mama pistol? Do you have a dada pistol too?"

"Weapon deadly. Chimpanzee see you."

"Wait! Gladys my friend!"

"Okay. Hope tree friend not."

Voxx's gun made a noise that sounded like a loud "MA" then a softer "MA."

A dead tree 60 feet away took the shot. It fell down away from them leaving a tall jagged stump.

"A ma-ma gun." Gilligan said.

Voxx said ""Seconds five-recharge atomic."

A moment later Voxx added "And close up-tentacles four very strong."

"How strong?"

One of Voxx's tentacles seized a boulder that seemed to be about 20 pounds (about 9 kilos) and threw it in a nearby creek.

Gilligan ducked but the splash was nowhere near.

"Feature additional have pistol."

"What feature that?"

"Setting stun of. Only use targets blast one being conquered subjects from."

The ma-ma noise sounded again. Gladys fell. Gilligan ran to her. But soon she got up and hid on the other side of a tree from Voxx.

Gilligan turned to return to the huts. Voxx added "More-one thing."

Gilligan turned back. "A nice day have." Voxx said.

"You're going to attack us and you say to have a nice day?"

"Tomorrow night by, I conquering Overlord Island here. Force and politeness need I with. Rule Island most effect both with. A nice day have."

Confused, Gilligan stammered out "And a nice day to you Middle ranked Private Voxx."