Alien Proliferation

are. Bring them to Dulce. Be prepared to have to bring in a lot more human personnel as well, just don’t know yet. I need Chuckie here, with me, also like yesterday.”
    “Handling, Commander. Anything else?”
    “I want Alpha, including Richard, and whatever portion of Airborne can move, in here. Jeff’s taking a shower, so don’t panic him, but need him, too.”
    “Done, Commander.”
    “Thanks, Gladys.” I took a deep breath. “Amy? Why didn’t you contact me before now?”
    “Uh, why should I have? I mean, you and Jeff told me you did something vague that sounded like you worked in some level of antiterrorism.”
    “Ah. Well. Um.” She had a point. Then again, Jeff and Christopher appearing out of nowhere must have been a clue. “Why did you think Jeff and Christopher were able to get to you so fast?”
    She looked at me blankly. “You know, I was so scared, I didn’t think about it. How did they?” She looked around the room. “Where, exactly, are we?”
    “Dulce Science Center. Otherwise known as the heart of the U.F.O. rumors. Hi, Amy, nice to see you.” Chuckie sauntered in. “Kitty, you look great for just giving birth.” He came over and kissed my forehead. “From the little I heard, we almost lost you.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “Good.” He kissed my forehead again, then looked at the baby. “She’s beautiful. Looks just like you.”
    “That’s what Jeff said. I don’t see it.”
    “Human genetics are dominant, but regardless, trust me, I see you.”
    “Human? Why wouldn’t the baby look human?” Amy started to sound freaked.
    Chuckie and I exchanged looks. “You handle it. I just popped out a kid. With, from what everyone tells me, complications.”
    He nodded. “Amy, you know all those conspiracy theories of mine that you and everyone else in school other than Kitty teased me about?”
    Amy blinked. “Chuck? You’re Conspiracy Chuck?”
    Chuckie and I exchanged another look. “Dude, I’m telling you, you really matured well. Your timing sucked, but, trust me, you look great.”
    “Thanks.” He turned back to Amy. “I’m Charles Reynolds, yeah. I’m also the head of the C.I.A.’s Extraterrestrial Division.”
    “Or the ETD. Which means, according to Amy, you’ve been marked for death.”
    “Oh? Interesting.” Only Chuckie would find this interesting as opposed to scary. “Who else?”
    “My mother.”
    “Kitty, why would your mother be marked for death?” Amy was bordering on hysteria. There was a lot of that going around. Maybe it was the room.
    “My mother is the head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit, or the P.T.C.U. Welcome to my world. I only entered it less than two years ago, so you’re not that far behind. Oh, almost forgot. Jeff, Christopher, and most of the people you’re going to meet shortly are all space aliens from the Alpha Centauri system. We call them A-Cs. We have a lot of them living on Earth. Positive point? They’re all totally gorgeous.”
    “Thanks. What the hell is going on?” Jeff was back, in the standard Armani fatigues. No tie—again, he was a new daddy, so going casual . Jeans. Was it too much to ask to see his butt in denim? I didn’t think so, but had only won that battle twice. In just under two years. “Why is he here?” The way he hissed the word “he” I knew he wasn’t emotionally able to block any jealousy.
    “Marked for death, like my mom, Amy’s stumbled onto her own Pelican Brief and we’re at DEFCON Worse, without benefit of DEFCON One or anything. Oh, and, Chuckie, the baby’s name is Jamie Katherine.” Mom hadn’t seemed interested before, Amy hadn’t asked—I decided to offer so I could pretend one of my nearest and dearest cared about what I’d named my child.
    “Nice. Reader must be flattered.”
    “He is.” Jeff had the sarcasm knob up to full. “Note that your name is nowhere connected to my baby.”
    “Boys.”
    Chuckie gave him a look I could only think of as snide. “Yeah. Noted, Martini. Kitty had me brought in, wasn’t my idea to come this early after she delivered. Though she looks amazing. As always.”
    “Boys, really.”
    “I’m sure. I’m sort of surprised you weren’t here while she was in labor.”
    “Guys. Boys. Menfolk.”
    “I would have been if I’d known. But, unsurprisingly, no one advised me.”
    “Boys, really, do I have to bring out the big guns again?”
    “No one advised you because what happens with Kitty is none of your damn