The next week was a blur. The weirdest part of it was that life seemingly carried on as normal. The news and social media were dominated by the gateway for sometime, but it slowly faded into the background just like everything else. But not for Nathan. Nathan was confounded by the fact that people weren’t freaking out more about this. Aliens are real, and there is some sort of galactic empire that we’ve been “invited" to join. A clearly vastly superior civilization was at our doorstep, and his local news added “News from the Gateway." as some sort of recurring segment, like Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live. It was the most important event in human history, and we were making memes.

  Bills still had to be paid, so Nate showed up to work every day, the same as he always had. One by one, his coworkers trickled back into the office, bringing with them stories from the chaos that had gripped the country in the wake of the impact, or in reality the landing. Some had been on the East Coast when the meteor–no, the Gateway, as everyone was calling it, landed in the Atlantic. They described the eerie way it had slowed in the sky, how it hadn’t crashed, but simply arrived, as though placed there by unseen hands. Others had driven east to retrieve family members, only to end up helping them move back into ransacked homes stripped bare by looters.

  Rick, the ever-stressed manager, called an impromptu meeting in the breakroom. His usual crisp business casual attire was slightly wrinkled, and his eyes carried the weight of sleepless nights. He had productivity goals to hit, and he had to pick up the slack of his team. Long after Nate went home each night, he would get emails asking about accounts. Preparing to speak, he cleared his throat and leaned against the counter, coffee in one hand.

  “Alright, listen up, everyone." he began. “Last week was... insane. I’m not going to pretend that I know how to manage a company in a world where aliens exist.” A few chuckles rippled through the crowd, but the tension never truly left. “So, here’s the deal: no one's getting penalized for their no-call, no-shows. We all thought the world might be ending. And to those of you who did show up, well…”

  He gestured toward Nate and Janice, who stood off to the side.

  “You two went above and beyond, and we want to recognize that.” Rick handed them each a small gift bag that had a picture of two hands attempting to make a clapping motion with the words “Cause for Applause." written underneath. Inside the bag was a card, which Nate saw was a ten-dollar gift card to a local coffee shop.

  “Wow thanks, Rick!” Janice shouted in her usual overjoyed tone.

  “Yeah, thanks a lot,” Nate said deadpan.

  “Hey, it’s the thought that counts.” Rick shot back, picking up on Nate’s tone. “I had to beg finance to approve those.”

  Some of their coworkers started playfully ribbing Nate.

  “The world was ending, and your first instinct was to come to work?”

  “Man, you need better hobbies.”

  “Seriously, dude, ever thought about therapy?”

  Nate rolled his eyes but grinned. “Hey, someone had to keep the ship afloat.”

  Laughter followed, but there was an undercurrent to it, like they were all trying a little too hard to pretend that things were normal. But the truth was, nothing was normal anymore.

  That night, Nate sat in his apartment, half-listening to the news as he clicked away at a video game. His dog, Charlie, curled up beside him on the couch, snoring softly.

  On his second screen, the President stood at his podium, the weight of history pressing down on his shoulders. The usual confident, commanding presence had been replaced with something more measured and careful.

  “…and while this new reality is one that we could never have anticipated, I am optimistic that America will remain strong, no matter the outcome of the coming summit,” the President said. He paused, glancing at the teleprompter. “It will be a historic event. Nations that have not stood together in decades will meet, not as rivals, but as one planet, to determine our future.”

  Nate leaned forward slightly, pausing his game and setting his controller down.

  “But the reason I’m speaking to you tonight," the President continued, “is because I have been asked to inform you of what is to come next.” He exhaled, gripping the edges of the podium. “The Union, this governing body that spans the stars, values democracy like we do. That is how they operate. As such, they have insisted that we, the people of Earth, make this decision together.”

  A banner appeared at the bottom of the screen: GLOBAL REFERENDUM ANNOUNCED

  “A vote will be held. Not just here in the United States, but across the entire world,” the President explained. “Every citizen, regardless of nationality, socioeconomic standing, will have the chance to cast their ballot on whether Earth will accept The Union’s invitation.”

  “A global vote?” he muttered under his breath.

  He had expected closed-door negotiations. A handful of leaders debating their fate in secret. But this? This was different. This actually gave Nate some hope. An organization that finally gave a damn about what the collective choice of the people was? Not even America truly had that. We have the Electoral College where a handful of states select the outcome of the biggest election every four years. In this vote, I would truly be equal to every single person on earth. Nate thought about all the other countries that don’t even have elections and how those people must be feeling. Would they be happy? Skeptical?

  The President went on, “Should the vote pass, Earth will formally become a member planet of The Union, gaining full voting rights, representation, and protections. Should the vote fail, The Union has stated that they will leave and take the gateway, the promises of their technology and knowledge, and their protections with them.”

  Nate felt a strange knot forming in his stomach again at the sound of that word again. Protections?

  “As you heard during their message, like everyone else did at the same time, The Union is open to immigration from any human that would like to enter before the global vote is held. The Union ambassadors have told myself and the other world leaders that there are truly no strings attached and that your citizenship will not be any less to any other member planet should the Earth choose not to join. To that end, I cannot promise you anything; I don't know what you will find on the other side of the gateway. I do not know what life will be like. I do not know if you would be able to come home if we closed the door behind you. Should you choose to go, America will not prevent you from doing so. I will have more information for you once the leadership conference has concluded at the UN later this week. God bless you and God bless America.”

  ***

  A few days later, Nate found himself sitting at his parents’ dining table, an untouched plate of food in front of him.

  “Aliens." His Father grunted, shaking his head. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

  “It’s still surreal." his Mom admitted, wiping her hands on a napkin. “Global democracy? It’s hard to wrap my head around.” She picked up her plate and placed it on the floor for Charlie to lap up.

  Feeling nervous, Nate finally spoke up. “So… how do you think you’re gonna vote?”

  His parents exchanged glances. His Dad leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “Your Mother and I? You know, we’ve lived a good life. We want to leave this world a better place for you than we found it. This isn’t about us. This is about your generation. You’re the ones who have to live in this new reality.”

  His Mom nodded and with a solemn tone she added; “I think we’re leaning towards yes. If nothing else, I’d rather see the world move forward than get left behind. Look at what's happened, the clear technological difference between us and them. It's like frickin magic.”

  Nate absorbed their words, but before he could respond, the TV volume increased as the UN summit broadcast began.

  The camera panned across a chamber filled with every world leader imaginable. The room was packed. Nations that had not had decent diplomatic relations in years now sat in the same room together, united by the gravity of the moment. At the podium stood two figures, the same two from the original message. The Union liaisons.

  “Greetings, leaders of Earth." the woman began, her voice calm and composed. “We stand before you today because your planet has reached a crossroads.”

  “We chose the UN as the place for this great meeting as it is the only place that represents one of the earth's greatest opportunities, to unify humanity's mission, and it is the closest thing you have to how the Union operates.”

  The man stepped forward. “The Union values democracy, and for a decision of this magnitude, it is not enough for a few to decide for the many. Your citizens will have a voice.”

  Murmurs rippled through the room. The liaisons continued, outlining how the vote would work, what joining The Union entailed, and what Earth would gain or lose depending on the outcome.

  “The Unification vote requires every person to have a voice. As such, the citizens of Earth will vote on a couple of measures. The first vote, in a yes or no fashion. “Will the Earth join The Union as a member planet, which offers full voting rights, representation, and protection?”

  The next vote will be on conformity. “Do you vote for the Earth to reorganize its planetary governmental structure to reflect that of The Union?”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The Union ambassadors then took time to explain what would happen in a yes vote. Ultimately, Earth would go through a transitional period.

  “First, Earth would adopt The Union Charter as a primary governing document. This is similar to the constitutions many of your nations have adopted throughout their history. It contains things such as basic rights, a unified global government structure and more.”

  Then, the presentation shifted.

  “This next part," the woman said, “may be more difficult to accept.”

  She raised a hand, and before their eyes, fire blossomed from her palm. The audience gasped. She clenched her fist, extinguishing the flame, and nodded toward her partner. He lifted his arm, and his entire forearm turned to solid stone.

  “This is the power of Arcane Gems." she explained. “Every living being carries a soul. Every soul can attune to a cosmic power, and with this attunement, a person can access forces beyond what you have ever known.”

  Nate’s breath caught in his throat.

  “The reason your world has never seen this before," the man added, “is because The Union placed a dimensional lock on your planet long ago.”

  The revelation sent the entire chamber into chaos. Leaders shouted over one another. Questions fired in rapid succession.

  One of the ambassadors raised their hand to calm the crowd. “This lock was placed with your best interest at heart.”

  The other ambassador began to speak. “You may ask why? The honest answer is that the magic that comes from arcane gems is so powerful that we have seen planet after planet, species after species wiped out soon after its discovery. The Union passed a measure that once we find sentient life on a planet and have assessed that they have not already discovered Arcane Gems, we must lock the planet from advancement until they are deemed sufficiently evolved to handle its knowledge and use.”

  “If you join The Union, all of our knowledge regarding Arcane Gems, Magic, and Attunement will be yours. If you do not join us, we will share some guiding principles in hopes that you do not destroy yourselves. But we will leave, and we will take the rest of our knowledge with us.”

  The screen cut to black.

  Nate turned to his parents, his voice hollow. “So, uh… do I still have to go to church even though it seems like God might not be real anymore?”

  His Mom let out an indignant gasp. “Nathan, you get back here right now!”

  But Nate was already halfway up the stairs, grinning as he dodged the pillow his Mother hurled after him. For the first time since all this began, he felt something close to excitement.

  The vote came quicker than expected. Within just a week, polling kiosks were set up at town halls and other central locations, especially in rural areas where traditional voting infrastructure was limited. These stations provided yet another glimpse into the reality of the Union, its technology, its presence, and its authority.

  Flying dark green vehicles hovered above cities and countrysides alike, their sound nearly imperceptible. "Peace Keepers." in unassuming yet strangely authoritative uniforms stood by, their mere presence enough to make it clear that any act of hostility would be swiftly handled. And indeed, in certain corners of rural America people had tried to attack them. The response was immediate but measured. The Peace Keepers employed non lethal containment weaponry that immobilized aggressors without causing harm.

  For those who had actually listened to the Union’s ambassadors, who had paid attention to their world leaders and the unfolding reality of first contact, there was little fear. Skepticism, sure. Uncertainty, of course. But the real panic and paranoia festered in online echo chambers, where conspiracy theories spiraled out of control. The Union was an invading force. The Union was a trick. The Union was the “Antichrist.", some claimed. None of it mattered. The vote was happening.

  The Union Ambassadors appeared on nearly every major news outlet, conducting interviews night after night. Their responses were consistent and deliberate. They patiently explained the intricacies of the proposed global government structure, emphasizing that the Union itself had no hand in the election beyond offering procedural guidance. They assured the public that the voting process was entirely in the hands of Earth’s governments. They also clarified the purpose of the Peace Keepers flying around far from an occupying force; they were deployed to assist underserved and remote communities in accessing the vote.

  The Union Charter was made available online. Political analysts were on every talk show, news program, podcast and so ongoing through it with a fine-tooth comb. Surprisingly it had a lot of similarities to the US Constitution but added so much more. Laws that we had been fighting about for decades had been there for centuries. Rights we hadn't even thought of yet and others because Earth wasn't a spacefaring people yet had been there from the beginning. Every analyst, news anchor, politician all had one thing to say, and that it was a testament to The Union that the document and the Union itself had lasted for hundreds of years.

  Every government agreed to a week-long voting period making it long enough to ensure everyone had a chance to participate, but brief enough to maintain global urgency. Companies adjusted schedules, schools canceled classes, and essential services arranged shifts accordingly. When the day arrived, Nate went by himself to a local polling station. He barely had to wait a minute before a kiosk opened up. He wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

  Maybe people were avoiding the vote. Maybe they were scared. Or maybe it really was just as simple as answering two questions. Stepping into the booth, he looked at the screen.

  “Will Earth join The Union as a member planet, granting full voting rights, representation, and protection?”

  Nathan pressed the “Yes." button.

  “Will Earth reorganize its planetary government to reflect The Union’s democratic structure?”

  Nathan again pressed “Yes.".

  Pressing the button caused a pit to form in his stomach. He wasn’t sure why. Was this the right choice? Was he dooming Earth to subjugation? Or was this the beginning of a new era of enlightenment? As Nate left the polling station, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Shockingly, it was his sister, Yoli.

  “Hey, Yoli.”

  “Hey, turd." Her voice was light despite the weight of the day. “Did you vote? What’d you pick?”

  “Yeah, I did. Voted yes on both.”

  “Good. Same here.” She paused. “Actually, I’m calling to let you know I’m getting on a boat tomorrow. I’m going through the gateway.”

  Nate nearly tripped over his own feet walking back to his car. “What? Seriously?”

  “Yeah. I want to be one of the first doctors trained in alien medicine and bring it back here.”

  Of course. Yoli had to drop the fact that she was a doctor yet again. But to be fair, she was kind of a big deal. She researched and treated brain cancers at a prestigious hospital in New York City. Something Nate had always quietly admired but never said aloud.

  “Are you gonna go through?” She asked.

  Nate hesitated. “Yeah…maybe, I don't know.”

  “Why not now?”

  He exhaled sharply. “I don’t know. What about Mom and Dad? My job? Charlie?”

  Yoli sighed, as if she had expected this response. “Look, we don’t talk much. We’re different people, I know. But this? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hell, a once-in-human-history opportunity. You’ve seen the ambassadors use actual magic like in the stories and shows you and Dad always watched. Not to mention the flying cars. It’s insane.”

  She paused before continuing.

  “I know we’ve always fought, and you’ve got this weird thing about me being a doctor blah blah blah but this is it, Nate. This is your chance. You always say you feel stuck. You are stuck. You’ve been in the same dead-end job for years, doing the same thing every day. Now the universe is opening up, and you’re gonna stay in Denver?”

  Nate had no response.

  “I was gonna surprise my boyfriend with the trip." she added. “But he broke up with me over it. Said I was crazy for wanting to go. So now I have an extra ticket.”

  Her voice softened. “The boat boards tomorrow night. It’s actually a really fancy cruise ship. I got a big suite so there’s plenty of room for you. If you decide to come, meet me at Pier 39. If not… I’ll call you when I get back.”

  The call ended, leaving Nate standing there, phone in hand, heart pounding. She was right. He and Yoli were very different. She took risks. Big, wild, seemingly reckless risks and somehow, they always worked out for her.

  Nate never took risks. He had picked a safe degree at a cheap and practical college close to home. He had traveled, sure, but only within his comfort zone of places that only spoke English, ate normal food, and were fully developed.

  His entire life had been structured around control and predictability. Nate turned thirty last year which made Yoli’s words hit hard. He was approaching the middle of his life span and what had he done? He could clear the email queue pretty quick. He made enough for a one-bedroom apartment for him and his dog. He had practically no dating life about which his Mother hounded him relentlessly. Nate was missing all the checkpoints that so many of those in his age group seemed to have no problem hitting. People were having kids, owned homes, and went on vacations to exotic places. He was in Denver, alone, with a decent salary, and he didn't even ski.

  Going through the gateway was the opposite of control. It would be the biggest risk he had ever taken. It was stepping into a reality he knew nothing about. There was only one person he could talk to.

  Later at his parents' house, the scene was familiar. Mom was in the kitchen, whipping up some kind of meal. Mom’s love language was cooking, you could usually always find her in the kitchen cooking a meal, or making some kind of treat for someone going through something. Dad was in the living room, flipping channels absentmindedly.

  Nate sat down in Mom’s recliner. “Did you know Yoli’s going through the gateway?”

  His Dad barely reacted. “Yeah. She called me yesterday, asked what I thought.”

  “What’d you tell her?” Nate unphased at his Dad’s non reaction.

  “I told her to trust her gut. It’s served her well this far.”

  Nate swallowed hard. “She asked me to go with her.”

  That got his Dad’s attention. He practically threw the remote at the coffee table, and his Father turned to face him fully.

  “Son." he said, his voice steady. “If you get in the car right now, I’ll drive you to the airport and pay for your ticket myself.”

  Nate blinked. “What?” Taken back by how fast and direct his Dad’s response was.

  “I love you, but you need to go. You need to do something unknown for once in your life. Your whole life, you’ve chosen the easiest thing. But this?” He gestured vaguely at the television, where news coverage of the vote played. “This is a real adventure. The kind we used to read about in books. The kind we used to watch in movies. It’s happening right now.”

  Nate felt his throat tighten. “What about you and Mom? Charlie?”

  “I’ll take care of my baby.” his Mom called from the kitchen. Charlie was sitting at her feet watching her work.

  His Dad leaned in. “It’s time to go, son.”

  Nate's Dad got up from his chair to get his shoes on. Nate walked over to his Mother and she gave him a big hug.

  “Baby you are going to do great. There is something amazing out there for you, don't quit, and don't worry about your Charlie boy. He’ll be fine.”

  Nate got down on the floor and Charlie immediately came over to press his head into Nate’s chest. It was his way of giving a hug. Nate took his head in both hands looking at his scrunched face.

  “I'll be back for you. Once I get settled. I'll come back and bring you over there.”

  Hours later, Nate stood at the security checkpoint at the Denver International Airport. His Dad had not only driven him but had bought him a first-class ticket to New York, just as he said.

  At the gate, his Father pulled him into a bear hug. “Look after your sister. She’s tough, but she hides her pain well. And don’t worry about us, we're not that old. We’ll be here when you get back.”

  Nate could barely speak. “Thanks, Dad.”

  Nate’s Dad embraced him in a tight hug only a loving Father could give. “You’re gonna do great, my boy.”

  Nathan walked toward the checkpoint, his Dad’s words echoed in his head.

  “It’s time to go.”

  But as he cleared security he did look back, just once, raising a hand in farewell before walking to his gate.