Target Earth: Arrival/Chapter 3 - The Blue Room

Xu stood on the warm metal as he finally cast eyes on the beings who had created this craft. During the brief in which he had sat in the helicopter as it carried him up to the top surface of the massive bulk, he had pondered how the beings looked like and what their intentions were. The men already at the top were too dumbfounded to provide a description, apparently, so he was expecting something fantastic, something totally alien. Surely a being that had evolved in a completely different environment would look completely different from an earthborne thing? he thought. He braced himself for something that was potentially amazingly ugly or beyond his imagination.

What he saw, frankly, wasn't.

In fact, in his opinion, it wasn't alien at all.

Standing on the hull in front of him, in front of an open hatch, was a caucasian human man, with chiselled features and light blonde hair, dressed in a leather, jackbooted uniform, accompanied by two human figures in white armor that reminded Xu of a shower suite. Standing near him was a group of PLA personnel, looking blankly confused.

"Comrade Xu." said one of them as he stepped off the helicopter. "They seem to be speaking...English. We thought you could communicate with them."

"The thought had occured to me." snapped Xu. He then turned to the man and spoke in accented English.

"Welcome, sir, to planet Earth, on behalf of People's Republic of China. I am Xu, and I extend heartfelt greeting to you." he said, bowing.

"Indeed." said the man in a Germanic accent. "I am Arkhan Goll, of the 888th. Now that we've got introductions out of the way, could you lead me to the nearest garrison house? I need to make contact with Coruscant as soon as possible."

Xu looked blankly. Even given his mastery of English, he was barely comprehending what this man was talking about.

"Er...excuse me?"

The man sighed. "Fine. I guess you're some outland frming colony. We need supplies and machinery to repair this ship."

Now Xu could understand what they were getting at. "Ah...I am not of sufficient authority to provide that. Might I ask, though, where you are from?"

"Coruscant, where do you think? Now take me to someone who's of sufficient authority, heathen. Take me to your leader!"