As he arrived at the observatory for his shift, Harry Danielson paused briefly to glance at the radio-telescope turning its metal ear to the skies, before walking through the entrance.
"Morning Harry," the watchman greeted him.
"Morning Reed," Harry answered with a light-heartedness he didn't feel.
For Harry knew something his colleagues ignored: Alien beings walked among them, having taken human form to hide in plain sight. Alien beings, who intended to take over the Earth. Alien beings, who'd stop at nothing to keep their presence hidden. Danger was omnipresent. The slightest lapse of attention could mean countless deaths, starting with Harry's own. Yet he'd never have backed away –the future was at stake. Someday, it would be over at last, and he'd know peace and safety again. Someday.
And for now, this hidden war had led him to take a job at the observatory. A week earlier, the radio-telescope had picked unexplained signals from a nearby star. The astronomers were still reviewing the data and trying to confirm them, but Harry knew all too well what it meant; and like always, the aliens would make sure the human world remained oblivious to their existence. Sooner or later, an opportunity would present itself for them to tweak the results and pass the signals as a glitch. Harry had to be present when it did.
Harry spent his lunch break with his colleagues between silence and banalities, listening about their personal lives, laughing at their jokes, but never giving much of himself. In this undercover war for the planet, trust was impossible. Everyone was a potential enemy. Such a life was exhausting, but what choice was there? It was a fight for survival against a powerful and deadly foe. As hard as circumstances were, Harry took comfort in knowing he was doing what was right, for the sake of his entire kind.
A young woman popped her head in the canteen. "Hey Harry?" she called out, waving to attract his attention. "You're being asked for at the gate."
For a moment, Harry froze. What? Was it a trap? Even if it wasn't, danger could lurk in the most innocent of events.
"Sorry, duty calls," he apologised jokingly to the rest of the table, standing up.
At the observatory's entrance, his landlady was waiting. "Mr Danielson, I'm really sorry to bother you during your lunch. My father's had a car accident, and I'll be staying with him for at least a few days. Can you look after the house in my absence?" she asked, handing him her keys.
Harry let out his breath, the former tension leaving him a bit limp. Just the mundane realities of human life, then. Nothing to fear. "Sure, no problem," he nodded as he took the keys. "I hope he'll be alright."
Harry wasn't the only newcomer at the observatory: There was this man asking questions and nosing around. Who he was and what he wanted, Harry could only guess. But of course, he knew for certain it was no coincidence.
This was beyond worrying; Harry had to keep an eye on the stranger without risking his life and to stay a step ahead of him. The best chance for the aliens was to replace actual readings with carefully curated ones showing random similar signals all over the universe; conversely, a human defender should take the real ones and bring copies to a safe place.
By now, Harry had found out where the records were kept. He couldn't let the suspicious man get there before him. He had to act tonight.