Genetic Drift by Martin Schulte Page A

be up when you get home… I can’t wait for you to get here!”  His wife knew there was not going to be any rest tonight.  
    Marcus opened the car door as the clock approached midnight and started to focus on driving. “Baby, I’m getting into the car now, I’ll call you at the next stop.”  Marcus was unsuccessfully trying to suppress his excitement. 
    His wife responded with the same amount of happiness.  “I love you so much.”  
    Marcus smiled and replied, “I love you too, Baby.”  With the keys in the ignition, the car pulled out of the garage and continued on the road.
    The car was doing well on gas mileage but the need to take a break and stretch overcame Marcus.  After four hours of driving in silence since the radio was off and Okoye was sleeping, he turned off of the highway.  His stop in Waynesboro was going to be short but also an opportunity to call his wife.  He picked up his phone to give her a location update.
    “Baby, we just stopped in Waynesboro, only a few hours left,” Marcus said. 
    His wife didn’t reply with the same amount of excitement this time, “Oh Marcus, that’s great but have you heard about what is happening?”  Marcus had no idea what had happened and answered somewhat confused and concerned.
    “No, I haven’t heard anything,” he said.
    “The aliens, they have made some sort of contact with us,” she said.  Marcus heard her asthma pump.  “Are they going to call you back?”  Marcus hadn’t been called about the situation and he was taken by surprise that it happened the night he was coming home.  Marcus was feeling a little upset that out of all days, the aliens had decided this was the day to offer their graces to the humans below.
    “Nobody has contacted me and there is nothing that is stopping me from getting home tonight,” he said. 
    “I’m so happy that’s the case,” her delight came over the phone once again.
    “I’m getting in the car and will see you in less than three hours,” Marcus said, smiling.
    “I still can’t wait to get my arms around you. Love you, mwah ,” she replied.  Her kiss flew through the phone and touched Marcus.  The phone beeped as she hung up and Marcus got back into the car with Okoye still fast asleep.
    After 15 minutes on the road, his cell phone buzzed with an incoming call.  Baby came across as the name and a picture of his wife appeared in the background.  He continued to focus on the road and attempted to answer a second too late.   Missed Call – Baby was displayed on the phone.  Before he could redial, a second call buzzed in.  It was Baby again.  He answered this time, “Baby…”  
    His wife didn’t wait for the salutation, “Marcus, oh my God, we’re being attacked, they’re shooting at us.”  
    Marcus was in disbelief, “Calm down, they’re actually shooting at us?” He wanted to make sure he heard correctly.  
    “Oh my God, Marcus, yes, it’s coming straight for us!”  She started to scream and Marcus could hear his son waking up in the background. “Look at the sky, it’s coming down!”  Marcus quickly pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car.  
    His eyes gazed upon the stars and he noticed they were brighter and bluer than usual.  Awoken by the sudden stop, Okoye got out of the passenger seat and looked in the same direction.  Marcus could see the blue stars getting larger and more defined. “Baby, you need to get out of there… get out of there now,” his voice cracked with urgency.  
    “Marcus, I’m in the car now.”  By this point, the blue stars had turned into orbs and there were too many to count.  Two of the orbs were coming down directly to the east in synchronicity.  They approached closer and closer.  
    “Baby, how are you doing getting out of there?” he asked in eager anticipation of good news.  
    His wife was frantic, “I’m in the car and I,” the orbs got closer, “am,” the orbs got closer, “driving,”