Chapter Text
Erica heard the intercom ping. “Yes?” she asked.
“Ms. Tipper is here to see you,” her vice president, Jamie, said.
Erica sighed. “Send her in.”
Ms. Tipper was an old lady and came to see the president almost every week. Although Erica should probably send her to someone with actual experience with whatever her issue was that week (Plumber, technician, exterminator) Ms. Tipper made cookies and remembered to keep them gluten free, so she allowed it.
The door opened and Ms Tipper took a seat, setting down the cookie Tupperware. She was surprisingly fast for being over 90.
“So what seems to be the problem?” Erica asked.
“MY television has been acting strange. Static with a few weird beeps every now and then.” And yet she was still an old lady nonetheless.
“Did you call a technician?” Erica knew she really shouldn't be dealing with this, but honestly? Ever since she got back from the past it had been pretty boring.
“Yes I did actually. She said that she doesn't know what’s going on either.”
This was interesting. “What sort of beeping?” Erica asked.
Ms. Tipper mimicked the beeping noise.
Erica sighed. “Is it plugged in all the way?”
Ms. Tipper jumped up. “I’ll go check!” She ran out of the room.
'Definitely just that' Erica thought. 'C’mon Gra-Erica, don’t get your hopes up. And stop calling yourself Grace.'
She reached into her desk and pulled out some paperwork and began to sift through it, signing and declining things as she waited for Ms Tipper to come back.
Fifteen minutes later Ms Tipper walked back in. “It’s plugged in.”
Erica frowned, refiling the paperwork and standing up. ‘Really?”
Ms. Tipper nodded.
Erica pressed her intercom. “Jamie I’m going to see if I can figure this out. I don’t think anything like this has ever happened.”
Jamie’s voice replied. “Erica, are you sure you’re not just bored?”
“Maybe a little, but there's nothing to do!”
“Alright, good luck.”
Arriving at Ms. At Tipper's house, Erica promptly walked over to the television. She checked the cord. It was indeed properly plugged in. “Can you show me what you mean?”
Ms. Tipper turned on the television and it was as she had said: static and beeping. The beeping seemed rather repetitive.
Erica pulled out her phone and began to record them. “Could be Morse code.”
Ms. Tipper looked at her. “What does it say?”
“I can’t tell. I can check when I get back to my office.”
“Okay, please get back to me on this?” Ms. Tipper turned off the television.
“I will, unless it's specific information that I believe should be kept private,’ Erica said, walking out of the house.
She sighed and began the decoding process.
Hello… humans….
“Finally!” She looked at the message. “Okay, let’s see… ‘Hello humans, this is your last chance to prepare before we attack-’ oh great,” Erica muttered. “The Biglyans figured out time-travel. Either that or they’re somehow not extinct. Jamie!”
“Yes?” The red-haired woman poked her head into the room.
Erica relayed the message to her. “Set up security measure 8I-7.”
“Of course.’ Jamie rushed out of the office.
Immediately Erica relayed this information to everyone on Earth so they’d know what was coming and if they had anywhere safe to go it was recommended that they went there.”
A knock on her door alerted her attention. “Come in.” She gasped. “You… you’re-”