" Now that we are all properly introduced,” I continue, “Back to business. Why are you here?”
“Earthers need help, yes?” Janis asks.
Led adds, “We have been approved to help.”
“’Approved’?” I query. “By whom, or what?”
They seem to turn to one another and confer silently. They then respond in that odd chorus, again, “The ‘Many Worlds Collective, InterGalactic Council’ sent us.”
I sit back, a bit stunned. I mean, it’s one thing to be confronted by holograms that are not humans and not like anything on Earth. It’s quite a different thing to be told in clear terms that there are many worlds and that they are united in some way.
“Is Earth a member?”
Again, the “laughter.”
Diana responds: “Yes, but Earthers mostly don’t know about being a member, yet. Most of you don’t even know about the Collective, right? You are to refer to it as the ‘MWC.’”
I nod slowly. “Most of us?”
“Well,” explains Led, “This is not our first contact with an Earther. We’ve been here all along and we’ve had thousands of contacts over the millennia. This is just the first one you’ll be allowed to make public.”
“I will be allowed to make public?” I repeat, starting to panic a bit. I picture a media frenzy occurring right outside my rural cottage. Yikes! What is starting, here? "

― Sally Ember