World Peace

“This is Stuart Gibbons of WWXT with a major news event breaking right now. Sorry to interrupt your programming but this is gigantic! The United Nations just announced it has been working on a world peace treaty for many years now. As of an hour ago every nation in the world has signed the treaty. At five P.M. eastern standard time February 11, 2025 every nation on this Earth has agreed to lay down arms ending all wars as long as the treaty is not broken. Thank you to all in the United Nations who worked diligently on reaching this truce that has never before happened in the history of our world. This is Stuart Gibbons of WWXT returning you to our regularly scheduled programming.”

Fireworks began filling the sky in every city, town, village and camp around the world. Parties sprang up with all races, colors and creeds celebrating together. Neighbors who had never spoken to each other drank and danced together as if they had been friends forever. For many weeks the celebrations continued everywhere in the free world. Communist and Socialist countries were stopped after the first night from celebrating openly but enjoyed private small parties in their own homes much longer. Governments who had been at each others throats for many generations now shook hands and even hugged each other. 

The treaty remained unbroken for over one hundred years. The United Nations was retired as the New Earth Government was formed. The world knew a peace it had never known before. Racist remarks had not been heard for many years. No more arguments over religion since the treaty strictly forbid it. Marriages between races were so common place the world was now only one race. All was perfect until the first UFO approached Earth. That began a new war between Earthlings and aliens destroying that peace Earthlings had worked so hard for and had enjoyed for so long. The first alien spaceship was soon destroyed along with all aliens aboard it but they knew more would eventually arrive.

An Earth Army was created and trained so they would be ready for the second wave of aliens. Strangely the aliens did not look too much different than the Earthlings did. If an alien were to join the Earth Army no one  would detect he was a spy. The Earth Government decided that each of their army would be marked with a symbol of Earth on the underside of their left forearm. That would distinguish a citizen of Earth while any spy could be easily detected by fellow soldiers. The symbol was drawn by army artists in a contest promising a large reward for the winner. Entries flooded the Capitol and government executives decided on the winning entry. The winning artist received a voucher for a month’s pay for the rest of his life and stipulated the amount would automatically increase with each pay raise they received. It would also go to his spouse for her lifetime in the event of his demise in battle.

The winning symbol was dispatched to every army camp around the world. A tattoo artist from the town nearest each camp was chosen to apply his work of putting the symbol on each member of the army in each camp. The tattoo artists were hired on a permanent basis to tattoo all new recruits. They were free to continue their own business in between sessions with the army as long as they did not use the armies Earth symbol. The punishment for misusing the armies symbol was death by firing squad. Every new recruit was carefully screened including a DNA test before receiving the symbol. Their background was thoroughly checked as were their parents and grandparents. If they could not prove three generations living on Earth, they were not accepted into the military.

The army was ready for the next invasion. All strategies had been worked out based on the previous invasion of the aliens. It had worked well for Earth to take the offense then so they would follow the same tactic at the first sign of the aliens. All the preparations and planning had taken many years. Men who had participated in the first invasion were now all in their graves. Few people on Earth remembered that time except from stories handed down from generation to generation. People were starting to think all the preparations and money spent were for nothing. Fewer people volunteered for the military and even fewer reenlisted. No longer did Earth’s inhabitants feel at peace. Unrest grew larger every day. 

Talk of a coup against the government slowly spread. Earth was dividing into two factions – one that supported the government and one that wanted to replace the government. Earth’s peace soon ended. War broke out between the factions. The army soon lost many people because they joined the factions. There were not enough soldiers left to fight the next alien invasion. When the spaceships landed on Earth, the aliens quickly defeated the Earthlings without leaving their ships. After the war ended, the first aliens recruited the local radio station to send an announcement over the air.

This is Stuart Gibbons, the 3rd of WWXT with a major news event breaking right now. Sorry to interrupt your programming but this is immense! Earth has been defeated by the aliens who asked me to introduce you to First Captain Jared Mitchell. Captain Mitchell, please tell us who you are and why you have come to Earth.”

“Thank you Mr. Gibbons. In 2016 Earth sent a crew on a mission to Mars. That crew never returned and  probably were assumed to be dead. In fact, the crew safely landed on Mars and we began our scheduled exploration. We found the air was lower on oxygen but it was safe enough to breath. Our bodies adapted to the lower oxygen enough we were able to take off our helmets. Gravity was less than Earths but it only enabled us to move faster and cover more distance in less time. We found a water source just as scientists believed existed. We checked the soil that had only been seen through a telescope previously and found it was capable of growing food so we planted seeds. The soil was not only capable, it grew everything much quicker and bigger than it grows on Earth. 

We were able to establish a base with materials that were shipped with our expedition. The crew seemed to pair off male and female soon after the landing and the ship’s captain was asked to perform marriages. Naturally children were born from those marriages and a full colony blossomed. Explorations and experiments captivated us  so by the time we realized how long we had been on Mars, we also discovered lifespans were much longer on the planet. The original crew should have been over a hundred years old but we were hardly older than we had been when we left Earth. Some of the original crew brought the ship we left in back to Earth but they never returned to us. We received their signal just before their ship exploded telling us you had attacked and the ship was badly damaged. That is when we set out with the ships we had developed on Mars. We have come to tell you who we are and that we are not the enemy. We are humans just like you that discovered a new home on Mars that is even better than living on Earth. We come in complete peace and hope you can live in peace with us as well. When you are ready we would be delighted to welcome some of you to join us on Mars. I ask your government officials from every nation in the United Nations to sit with us and discuss a peace agreement. Thank you Mr. Gibbons for allowing me to address my fellow men and women.”

“Captain Mitchell, there is no United Nations now. Earth has had peace since February 11, 2025. We have only one government and I believe they will soon be calling you. There you have it ladies and gentlemen. Captain Mitchell will be here in the studio for the next five hours awaiting a call from Earth’s Government. The number is 936-174-8715.  This is Stuart Gibbons, III. of WWXT returning you to our regularly scheduled programming.”

It did not take even an hour before Earth’s Government called the studio and arranged a meeting with Captain Mitchell.  The families of the original crew also called requesting to meet with their families. Information was given to the families and wonderful reunions occurred at the Mars ship. Before the sun set that day another peace treaty was signed. All Earth again settled into compete peace now that the facts were known and that peace existed with Mars as well. In the not too distance future spaceships became shuttles between the two worlds and some of Earth’s natives moved to be with their families. Other Earth citizens requested to become citizens of Mars. Those living on Mars were no longer aliens to those living  on Earth. Both planets were family now and peace was alive and well on between them.