This was an assignment for class this semester, to write a ghost chapter based on one of our readings. So, this is not actually based off of the movie Total Recall. But it is based off of the short story, We Can Remember it for you Wholesale, and this is where the movie Total Recall came from. This is an experience Douglas had as a child.
Infestation
Douglas shuffled down the dirt road, his bare feet scuffing in the dust. The sunset illuminated the fields and scattered trees so they glowed like embers.
Every now and then Douglas sniffled, and rubbed his eyes. They felt dried out and raw from crying.
In town, a ground vehicle had hit a dog. Douglas ran up to find the creature propped on its belly with a hind leg stretched out behind it. It whimpered as Douglas cried for help. He sat with the miserable animal, petting its head.
No one came to claim the dog, but a vet showed up to take the animal away, and hopefully fix it.
That was when Douglas realized that he'd been crying the entire time.
Now, walking home, he couldn't get his mind off the poor little dog. How it had sat so still, looking up at him, as though asking why it hurt so much. How its leg had looked squashed.
Would it be okay?
His mind was so occupied that he didn't at first notice the strange sound - like flickering electricity.
Frowning, Douglas looked up at the sky, streaked with lavender and apricot from the setting sun. And his head jerked to the side as he saw movement.
Something black was outlined against the heavens. It looked like Saturn: a big floating orb with a ring around its center.
But that didn't make any sense. Why would Saturn be floating above him? And it wasn't a flying vehicle either. At least, it wasn't like any he had ever seen before. It made that strange static noise as it spun across the sky. Douglas glanced around, wanting to find someone to ask, but there was no one around.
Douglas stood, his hands falling limp to his sides as the thing passed in front of him, circled, and began to descend. It came to rest on a rise next to the road. When it touched the ground, it wobbled back and forth on its rounded bottom until it stabilized and stood upright. Though it looked like it should have rolled down the slope.
It was about as big as the vehicle that had hit the dog. And Douglas knew immediately that it was a space ship. Though not a human one. Aliens! What little boy doesn't think of meeting aliens? But now that he was standing here, alone, he wasn't quite sure what to do.
At least he didn't need to make the first move. The spaceship gave a low whoooosh sound and squeaked slightly as a hatch near the bottom opened and revealed an illuminated doorway. Douglas squinted, putting a hand in front of his face and peering through his fingers. There was a creature in the doorway. It looked something like a mouse. Or maybe a sparrow. Its head bobbed side to side, much like a bird's head might. There was something sharp about its features, unlike any mouse or sparrow Douglas had ever seen. Then without warning, it sprang out of the doorway and scampered down the rise toward Douglas.
He took a startled step back as the creature sprang once more and landed before him. The daylight was fading, but Douglas could see the alien better. The strange sharp qualities had disappeared now that it was out of the spaceship's light. It did look oddly like a mouse, though its ears were more like feathery antenna, and his head was too long. It seemed to be wearing some sort of belt with tiny equipment strapped to it.
It unhooked what looked like a very large sewing needle.
You are awfully still, the alien mouse said.
"What?" Douglas didn't see the mouse's mouth move, but he had certainly heard it speak.
Do you dare to challenge me? The mouse asked.
"Challenge you to what?"
The mouse tilted its head, bobbing it back and forth like a bird. Behind it, Douglas saw other mice creatures hopping out of the space ship and bounding off in different directions.
Challenge me for your planet.
"I don't understand what you mean. You're challenging the planet? Why?"
The mouse studied him for a few more seconds. Then he sighed and replaced the needle on his back. Ah, I see. You are a Young Thing. Well then, I'll put this simply. We are here to take control of this planet.
"Earth?"
If that's what you call it. There are countless other ships coming to land. Tens of thousands.
"But why? You want to hurt us? What did we ever do to you?"
The tilted its head back, as though looking down on Douglas, though he was no higher than the boy's ankle. Let me ask you something. If your people landed on our planet, what would they do? They took over Mars pretty fast. Would they stomp us? After all, what good are we? Small, and harmless, right? Not so. We invade so that none will hit us first. A preemptive strike.
"Wait," Douglas said, his mouth hanging open from this dialog. "You're picking on us because you're afraid that we'll come and pick on you first?"
Creatures like you don't appreciate what is small. But let me ask you this. What would you do if there were millions of us? Because of our size, we can go anywhere. We can climb through windows and vents, under doors, into your electricity grids, food storage, and bedrooms.
Douglas swallowed as he imagined dozens of them swarming his room. "I believe you."
The mouse hopped back and forth. Good. So, tell me. What are you going to do about it? Will you fetch a branch from that tree and try to crush our ship? Or maybe you will simply try to crush us with your large, flat feet. Eventually every species tries some uncoordinated attempt at crushing.
"But I don't want to crush you," Douglas said. "I already saw something get crushed today, and I think it's terrible. If you're afraid, I can look after you. Since I'm big, I can make people not crush you."
He mouse alien chattered, hopping even faster, back and forth, back and forth. You think we need you to protect us? You weren't listening at all, were you? Don't underestimate us because we're small! You're just like all the others.
"But that's not what I meant," Douglas said. "I just meant, maybe, that if you had a friend, people wouldn't think to be mean to you."
The mouse hopped so high that it came to eye level with Douglas. Hold out your hand, Young Thing.
Douglas cupped his hands and held them out. The mouse bounded into the air and landed on the makeshift platform. There. Now I can see you closer.
His head began to weave around again as he examined the boy's face. Hmmmm.
"What?" Douglas asked.
Hmmmmm. Well, I suppose it won't hurt to wait.
"Wait?"
Yes, wait. No other creature has reacted the way you just did. With… kindness, perhaps. So I will try an experiment with this kindness. I won't invade your Earth, not as long as you're alive. That way you won't have to suffer from our invasion.
He leapt from Douglas's hand and alighted on the dirt road. He released a series of chitters, and the other mice aliens appeared, returning from wherever they had hopped off to.
"Wait a minute," Douglas called as the mice hopped in through the spaceship doorway. "Does that mean that if I die, you'll come and take over the Earth?"
There was no reply. The mice continued to board their ship.
"But that's not fair!" Douglas cried. "I can't live forever! I don't want you to destroy the planet!" He took a few steps toward the ship, squinting in the light of the open doorway. It was hard to see anything, because of the darkening night, and the blinding hatch.
As he took another step, something snagged his foot and sent him sprawling in the dust.
Farewell, Young Thing. Live your life well.
He sat up, coughing and saw a small bundle in front of him. The last mouse was standing in the doorway of the spaceship, silhouetted in the light. The same mouse he'd been speaking to.
A gift for you, he said, gesturing to the bundle on the ground. It will be interesting to see how you make use of it.
"Please wait," Douglas said, pushing himself to his knees. "If you come back, could you maybe look for someone else? I'm not the only person who would be nice to you, I know it. So, please find someone after me."
The silhouette of the mouse examined him for a few minutes, and then its head seemed to give a small nod. Then he turned and bounded into the ship, the door sliding up to seal behind him.
The static sound buzzed to life and the entire thing rose into the air.
We will see, Young Thing, rang out the voice of the tiny invader. The spaceship was an inky blot against the deepening blue sky. We shall see next time whether compassion is truly present in the people of this planet. It's probably better if you never speak of this. Or perhaps you should forget completely.
The ship darted away, and Douglas watched it fade into the dark skies of night.