Chapter One
A/N: This is one of the most personal fics I've ever done. I can relate to being expected to know the rules even though you have no idea what the "rules" are.
STANWOOD, IOWA
Tom Palmer stood on his back porch, looking out over the 200 acres of corn spread out before him.
Mother Nature had been merciful this year. After the disaster that was last year's harvest, the corn appeared to be doing well. A field of bright green corn stalks stood at attention before Tom.
All at once, a bright orange ball of fire fell from the sky …
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE
DAYTON, OHIO
"Hello?" Irene answered.
"Aunt Irene? It's Annika," said Seven into her smartphone. She was sitting in a coffee shop that was located inside the base hospital at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
"How are you?" Irene asked.
"Are you sitting down?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Seven replied. "It's just that … you now have a grand-nephew."
"You're PREGNANT?"
"No … "
"Did you adopt?"
"No … "
"I … don't understand," said Irene, a note of confusion in her voice.
"Chronologically, he's twenty-two."
"What on EARTH are you TALKING about?" Aunt Irene exclaimed, exasperated.
"You know that Borg cube that crashed in Iowa … the one that's been in the news?"
"Yes … "
"The pilot … is my son."