The craft had landed in the middle of National City Park just before noon that day. Within 30 minutes of that landing, it became the one and only news around the world. On that day in America there were three national television networks. Some people thought I was just two and a half because ABC's operation was bare-bones at best. Even CBS had to count on its National City affiliate for words and pictures describing the amazing scene.

That day those words and pictures were coming from a young reporter named Catherine Grant. Those who knew her would simply call her cat, not to be confused with her mother who owned the TV station, and the two radio stations attached to it. Cat wasn't even the lead reporter for the station, she just happened to be the one on call when information about a strange craft heading towards National City came. So it was she, a cameraman, and a sound man who captured the site of a massive metallic dish settling down near a baseball field at the park.

Later on, when the Hooper ratings for that day's broadcasting came in, Cat's TV station with by far the most viewership. And among the sets tuned to that station was a fairly new Sylvania Halolight set in the living room of the Danvers boarding house, 2800 Benanti Street in midtown National City. The Danvers women had gathered around the set in total attention: Kara had been fascinated by the various stories in the newspapers of flying saucers and Little Green Men, as was Alex, but this was something much different. Seeing that person step out of that craft did something to both her head and her heart. The last time she felt like that was a woman named Maggie. She was one of the few female officers for the NCPD, someone who wanted to do more than simply write out traffic tickets downtown. Maggie worked the homicide division as a detective, and things are going well until the department found out about the relationship between the pair. Alex kept thinking that maybe she should have tried harder to fight society, but she couldn't. Maggie headed north to Metropolis, leaving Alex Danvers with a broken heart that couldn't be repaired.

Her mother, Eliza, decided to do something about it by fixing her eldest daughter with Maxwell Lord. Max was the stereotypical Young Man of Promise. A salesman with unique powers of persuasion, he became successful enough to purchase the company he worked for. That company now held many government contracts that Max had acquired.. On paper, a fine catch for any woman. For Max it was love...or at least lust...at first sight. For Alex, though, it was a bit less than that. Oh, they did have good times together, they kissed and made out as young lovers were supposed to. But Alex kept thinking about Maggie. They were still close friends, but the romance boat had long since sailed for the two of them. Still, Alex felt that the bonds of intimacy would be stronger if the object of affection were female. As the world crossed into the progressiveness and open-mindedness of 1950, that still would be impossible...legally or otherwise.

The female alien that she was watching on the illuminated monochrome screen. As the alien walked with an almost regal air, her black uniform clinging to every curve of her body like that new-fangled Saran Wrap that just showed up at the Alpha-Beta. She did not wear a helmet, meaning her long dark hair was allowed to flow free down her back. Dark except for a very intriguing streak of white that went down the length of her tresses. As this female moved, Alex was more fascinated than ever. In fact if she had been an Earthling, she would be the perfect girlfriend...if that was allowed.

And so the people in the house, along with the rest of America, watched with awe as two worlds quietly converged. General Samuel Lane, properly gray and grizzled (not to mention the father Lucy Lane, who was watching along with her boyfriend Winn Schott, Jr. and everyone in the Danvers home) was representing the United States. The President would have been there but the Secret Service advised against it. Considering what was about to happen in the next few moments, maybe they were right.

The alien and her metallic companion stood in front of the generals, soldiers, and dignitaries. The soldiers were ready-armed as the two visitors faced the contingent. No words were said. And maybe that was a mistake as silently, the female humanoid reached into a pocket and retrieved...no one had ever seen anything like it. It was a small silver object with flashing lights and beams, and several probe-like things protruding from the base. The alien did not make any sudden or threatening moves, and the soldiers stood motionless...except for one. A young man, apparently just out of his teens, hopped up on adrenaline, caffeine, fear, and probably the last invasion-from-Mars movie he saw yelled "WEAPON!" and fired.

The bullets hit the alien in the shoulder and she fell. It was at that moment all hell broke loose. The metallic female machine's eyes started glowing a bright blue-red. Then suddenly, powerful rays shot from those eyes. The rays found their targets: tanks, Jeeps, and other military machinery were hit, either turning into molten steel or vaporizing on contact. The machine was reacting to the attack on its master in the most destructive fashion.

The alien woman, though in great pain and now being attended to by medical personnel, saw what was happening. This was not how she envisioned this. Attacked, wounded, and now her mechanical bodyguard was wreaking havoc on the grounds of the park.

"INDIGO!" the alien yelled. "ASTRA IN-SE!" The metallic monster now turned in the direction of the alien shouting the orders. The assumption was that the monster was named Indigo and the humanoid woman was named Astra In-se. The alien screamed something in an unknown language to the robot, who then stopped attacking and stood still. The alien named Astra (she had confirmed that to the medical people) was put on the stretcher and placed in an ambulance for the trip to the nearby Naval Hospital.

And nationwide, people were watching the scene with wide-eyed wonderment and fear. And one woman, Alex Danvers, watched with anger and grief and what she saw, crying uncontrollably.

To Be Continued.


Author's notes:

This was supposed to be longer, but my brain just tired out.

Ideas are welcome. I'll take suggestions in the comments. Next time, there will be purpose stated, an escape, and the alien will meet the human that will change everything for her...and vice versa.