“The president has called an emergency press conference,please stay tuned.”
Hearing the door lock click, Poppy glanced over to see whoit was.
Pixie dropped her bag on the floor and flopped down on thecouch next to Poppy.
“What’s going on? I heard the emergency broadcast noise inmy car and had to turn off the radio before my ears started bleeding.”
“I don’t know yet. Apparently the president’s called anemergency broadcast.”
Both women hushed as the president walked onto the screen totake his place at the podium.
“My fellow Americans, negotiations have concluded with thePhaeton Warrior race. After speaking to their council of leaders, we havelearned that the Phaeton race has been surviving by using cloning.Unfortunately the science that they have used has resulted in a low femalebirth rate. For their species to survive, they have been searching on otherplanets for potential mates.
“The State Department has decided to initiate a ‘mate match’for single female volunteers to apply for what we are referring to as the‘Bridal Pact’. In exchange for these volunteers, we will be able to use thePhaetons’ medical advancements to save American lives. We will have access to anew fuel source that will all but eliminate our need for oil, both foreign anddomestic. And we will also have the protection of their military from otherspecies that may discover Earth.
“This is not a draft. It is completely voluntary. Women whoapply will be compensated for filling out an application and signing thecontract. We want to assure you that your safety and the safety of yoursisters, daughters and friends will be our number-one concern. We are workingon a profiling system with national dating sites and the Phaeton Council tomake matches, similar to what many of you have used in the past to findcompanions. As of right now this is only open to women who fall within certaincriteria but might be expanded after an initial trial period passes.
“Please keep an open mind and know that the safety of ourcitizens and country is our top priority. Women wishing to volunteer or obtainmore information can contact their local Intake Centers, which will be listedby state following this news conference or found atbridal-pact-dot-state-department-dot-gov. This is an exciting time for ourcountry and its people.”
Poppy and Pixie were totally silent for about two secondsafter the speech ended. Almost in unison they turned toward each other withtheir mouths open.
“Holy fuck,” Poppy whispered, unable to believe what she’dhad heard.
“Yeah. Holy fuck,” Pixie couldn’t help but repeat after hersister.
“They want women!” Poppy was still having trouble wrappingher mind around it.
They both jumped with a startled scream when the front dooropened and Brian ran in.
“Did I miss it?” he panted out between breaths.
“Where the hell have you been?” Pixie asked, holding onehand to her heart as if making sure it was still beating.
“I went for a jog and lost track of time.” Bending over tocatch his breath, he continued, “The guy down the road yelled at me from his porchthat the president was speaking and I needed to get home, so I hauled assback.” Wiping sweat off his face, he waited for the women to say something.
“Well?” he prodded when they were silent.
“They want women,” Poppy blurted out.
Brian raised his eyebrows in confusion, sat down next to herand threw an arm over her shoulder. “What?”
Finding the remote that had fallen in between the cushions,Poppy hit the rewind button. After the entire speech had been replayed, theyall sat in silence, staring at the TV.
Poppy took the silence as a chance to let the possibilitiesrun through her head.
So many diseases could be eradicated. The US wouldn’t haveto fight for oil anymore. Alternative energy sources to stop climate change. Somany possibilities…and they wanted women in return.
Poppy was brought out of her thinking when Pixie nudged hershoulder.
“Hey, did you hear me?”
Shaking her head at her sister, she waited for Pixie torepeat herself.
“I asked, do you think they’ve been taking women all alongand those tinfoil crazies were telling the truth?”
“It sounds as if they are searching for ways to reproduce. Ican’t see that abducting a sixty-year-old lady would work and guessing her ageat sixty is me being kind. How many women do you think are going to apply?”Pixie wondered.
“Who in their right mind would apply?” Brian laughed outloud at the thought.
“Brian, did you not hear what he said? They have the abilityto cure cancer. New energy sources that we could use. The possibilities areendless.”
“They’re going to get a bunch of crazy people applying andthat’s all.”
When Poppy made a face at him, he teased her, “What, Poppy,are you going to apply for the Bridal Pact?”
“Well, why wouldn’t I?”
When Pixie choked on the drink she’d been taking from herwater bottle, Poppy patted her on the back and kept talking directly to Brian.
“I could apply if I wanted to. In fact, it doesn’t soundlike a bad idea the more I think about it.”
“Now, hold on right there. Everyone needs to calm down.Poppy, you’re not applying. Brian, shut up and stop egging her on.” Pixie stoodup from between them on the couch and moved toward the kitchen.
Poppy started thinking out loud. “I have a shitty job. Ihave an even shittier apartment. My car has over two hundred thousand miles onit. My savings account consists of five hundred dollars minus whatever I spentthe other day at Mega Mart. I haven’t had a boyfriend, or even a date for thatmatter, in the last six months. What’s stopping me?”
Poppy blinked at how fast her sister was able to move tostand in front of her.
“Pops, are you serious? You’d apply to marry one of them?”
Pixie’s anxious face had Poppy automatically wanting toreassure her she was just joking. Instead she decided to answer her truthfully.“I don’t know. Maybe.”
Pixie lowered herself to sit on the coffee table in front ofPoppy. After they’d been eyeballing each other for a moment, Pixie broke thedeadlock. She grinned at Poppy and waggled her eyebrows. “What if they have twodicks?
Seeing that her sister was trying to distract her withhumor, she went with it and smiled back. “The more the merrier?”
Both
