Page 6 of The Planetary Systems Preservation Committee Decided We Needed a Nanny

“Ollie? This is Chad Dooder from Geeks for You.”

I pull my phone away from my ear because it’s shocking how annoying that guy’s voice is over the phone. “Yeah?” I ask, wondering what the fuck he’s calling me about.

“You were supposed to work today. What’s going on? Why aren’t you here?” he asks, sounding all buddy-buddy for a minute. It’s really off-putting how bad at being a human this guy is.

“I called in for the apocalypse. I told HR that I wouldn’t be back to work until there was a clear indication that the world isn’t going to end. I’m not spending my last few days sitting at a desk staring at a computer screen and listening to you pat yourself on the back. So, when the aliens let us know that we can return to business as usual, I’ll show up for a shift. Until then, I’m staying home.” I finish that little rant and hang up. I’m never going back to that place ever again. I can find a hundred jobs, and I don’t mind asking if someone wants fries with their shake. I’m good with whatever as long as there’s income and it’s livable.

“Nicely put,” the woman beside me says, laughing a little. “If you can’t call in for the apocalypse, the company you’re working for is too toxic to exist.”

“Amen to that,” I agree wholeheartedly just as my phone buzzes again. I swipe to answer. “Yes?”

“Hello, Ollie.” Lora’s smooth tone causes me to draw in a deep breath.

“Hello, Lora. You’re calling me again,” I sigh, but the dreamy quality of my own voice startles me. At what point did I decide I enjoyed getting calls from a ScaryDarkAlienVampire?

“I am. Your telephone communication system is quite advanced for your species. We are all very impressed with it.” He rattles in appreciation, and I have to say, I am getting good at interpreting those vocalizations.

“Oh, is this your actual phone number then?” I ask, making a note to save it as his contact.

“It is. What are you doing right now? You are not at your home, and I expected you to stay there for a few days after you gathered so many rations of food.” His curiosity is kind of cute even if it’s only over the phone.

“Well, I’m actually working on walking off yesterday’s binge drinking and cheese overload, but I got stopped by the construction of a massive building happening at the park I usually come to.”

He does that rattle thing again. “Indeed. We are constructing necessary infrastructure for your people today. The ward your zone is in is getting a hospital that will service the district. The ward to the east is getting a first responders depot, and the one to the north is getting an imperial aid center. After those are functional, the next step will be to build community housing in every ward, and community education centers. If you currently own the home you live in, you may be allowed to retain it for now, otherwise you will be required to move into community housing. I do not know whether you will retain your housing arrangement, but I can assure you that the community housing is always comfortable for those living in it.”

That is a lot of information, but it’s good to know they’re building useful infrastructure. “Well, I don’t own my place, so I guess I’ll find out for myself.”

“Just a moment.” He clicks a couple of times, and then returns. “I looked up the building plans for your district. The zone you currently reside in will be reappropriated for families with one to three minor offspring. Unmated people will be moved into the community center in zone seven of your ward.”

“Huh, I guess this means I should probably start packing, then. How annoying.” I don’t mind moving, it’s just that I moved into this house fully intending to stay for at least five years, and it’s only been three. Dammit.

“I will come help you,” he decides. “I will end the communication now.”

“Goodbye,” I say, but he’s already ended the call.

Looking around at the people, I announce, “It’s a hospital.”

The woman beside me eyes me, surprised. “How’d you find that out?”

“Oh, I met one of the alien overlords a few days ago, and he keeps calling me. That was him on the phone. He said they’re building infrastructure today. Hospitals, first responders depots and imperial aid buildings. They’re going to build community housing and education centers next.” I shrug, making sure my phone is locked and in my pocket in case someone wants to steal it to try to call Lora back. Though I guess if someone gets violent with me, we’ll be abducted and re-educated, so…

“How did you meet one of them?”

“Were you reeducated?”

“What are they like?”

The rapid fire questions come from the crowd, whose attention I have in full now.

“Uh… He appeared next to my car in a parking lot. I haven’t been reeducated yet, and I don’t know what they’re all like, but this one is interesting. He’s not mean, and he’s pretty transparent about what he and his people are doing.”

I don’t need to mention the instinctual fear or blood letting. I think they can find that out on their own. Any feeding that happens between me and Lora feels private. Besides, I don’t like people enough to share the intimate details of my life with anyone except Bee.

“You said they’re building a hospital here?” a gruff dude in one of those motorized wheelchairs asks, indicating the construction project.

“Yeah. This is a hospital and they’re building a depot for first responders and he said they’re building an imperial aid center to the north. Not sure what that is. He said today is infrastructure day. Next is housing, and then education. I don’t know more than that, but I’m sure we’ll all be surprised.” If there were aliens just walking about we could probably just ask any of them, and I bet my next bottle of wine that they’d tell us anything we want to know apart from how to defeat them in battle.

Actually, I wonder if they’d withhold that knowledge…