The excitement about the space age came to a sudden halt when the aliens arrived. Not that they actually set foot on the planet, or even so much as introduced themselves. They just sat up in their ship, and sent robots down. The robots would come down, set up a machine in an open area, and return to the ship as quickly as they'd come. No one had the slightest idea what the machines were for, or even had the courage to try to figure it out.

It was only a few months after the arrival of the ship that the liaisons began setting up shop. They'd pop up in office buildings, in shopping malls, and on street corners. Few claimed to be in direct contact with the aliens, but it was rumored that a good liaison could "have an effect." They weren't exactly well respected at first, but by the time a few years had gone by, no one made an important decision without consulting a liaison. In other words, it wasn't long before people were used to their new neighbors- - whatever they might be.

About this time, there was a certain high level government functionary who had three daughters. The elder two were certainly a cut above the average, but the youngest daughter exceeded all expectations. Her beauty, charm, and plain old good sense were the talk of the land. People came from miles around to ask her questions about every aspect of their lives. Some came just to be around her.

Now this was all well and good, except for one tiny problem. People began to consult her BEFORE they saw the liaisons. Not that the liaisons knew anything she didn't. Not a single liaison had any connection to the aliens whatsoever. But that didn't mean people shouldn't go to them for advice. At least that's what Computer thought.

There were aliens on the ship all right, but they didn't make any real decisions. They left that to Computer. Computer had decided to come to earth. Computer decided to set up machines on earth to watch the people. And Computer decided to keep quiet. Computer knew everything would go smoothly as long as people had the proper respect for the aliens. Psyche, the youngest daughter of a government official, was threatening that. People asked HER questions. Computer decided this would have to stop.

Psyche was soon famous all over the world, but she was also lonely. Her days were filled with appointments with important people. Her advice column was translated into 14 different languages. Everyone wanted to know her, but no one wanted to be friends with her.

Her parents, seeing her sad and lonely, went to see a liaison. Computer, know this would happen, had made its first contact with a person. The liaison didn't know he had been contacted, (Computer was too subtle to let that happen) but when Psyche's parents came to see him, he knew exactly what to say. "Your daughter isn't destined for human companionship. She must live out her life on the alien ship, tending for a horde of monsters captured by the aliens." Her parents were then told to take her to a certain machine in a certain part of the country at a certain time, and to leave her there.

Much to everyone's surprise, Psyche wasn't the least bit upset, or even disappointed. She agreed that she must follow her destiny and go to the appointed place. When she arrived, a voice told her to step out off a great cliff. As she did, a puff of air caught her and carried her gently up to the alien ship.

Computer told the aliens she would be coming, and gave them brief instructions. They were to take care of her, but they must hide from her.

When Psyche arrived, she was immediately overwhelmed by the beauty of the ship. She'd never seen anything like it. She spent her first few days happily exploring. Whenever she was tired she found a place to rest. Whenever she was hungry she found food. The aliens, while initially indifferent, were soon quite taken with her. They decided they could befriend her without breaking the letter of the law. They wouldn't show themselves. Whenever they wished to converse with her, they would hide behind large objects. Psyche was happy. She had friends.

At first she found their hiding game amusing, but soon she grew tired of it and begged them to show themselves. They refused. "If we are true friends our appearances won't matter. What have you to gain by seeing us?" This answer satisfied her.

Though Psyche loved her new friends she missed her family. With a little pleading she convinced the aliens to bring her family to visit. She showed them around the wonderful world she lived in and told them of her new friends. They asked her question after question, until she finally admitted she'd never seen her friends. "They could be monsters!", her sisters shouted. "They may be friendly now, but what'll happen when they're tired of their new toy?" They forced a knife on her and made her promise look at them and cut off all their heads if they should prove to be monsters.

That night, after her family had gone home, her friends returned for a late- night chat. Psyche leaped around a barrier, then froze in her tracks. Her friends were made of pure light. The aliens were deeply hurt by her betrayal. "It seems we overestimated you, Psyche. We thought we could trust you. We won't give you any punishment but a return to your home." Psyche awoke lying in front of her old home.

Computer was happy. The aliens hadn't followed its plan, but the result was the same. No one knew what Psyche had done, but everyone knew she'd messed up. Everyone went to the liaisons for advice and continued to be in awe of the aliens.

Meanwhile, Psyche was miserable. She wandered the earth, keeping herself busy cleaning the machines and making gardens around them. She missed her friends terribly. Computer wasn't happy with this at all. People might see her and decide the aliens were heartless. He had to give her a chance to redeem herself, but nothing too easy.

One day as Psyche was cleaning a machine, Computer spoke to her. "I will give you a chance to prove yourself worthy of return to the ship, but the task won't be easy. You must go to the sun and ask it to fill this box with a bit of its essence. Your dull body has damaged the aliens, and only this can cure them." Psyche was devastated. She had hoped for a chance to return, but now that she knew the requirements, she knew she didn't have a chance.

Luckily for Psyche, the aliens missed her as much as she missed them. As she lay by the machine crying, one of the aliens appeared. "We've gone to the sun, and we have what you need. Just bring this box to the peak of the mountain, step off, and you'll be returned to us." Psyche picked up the box and headed back to the cliff.

As she walked along she was positively overjoyed. She was returning to the most beautiful place she'd ever seen. Every need would be taken care of. But most of all, she was returning to her friends. She had one last fear. The aliens weren't monsters, but they might grow tire of her. Who was she? Her very presence dulled them. She had an idea. She'd take just the tiniest bit of the sun's essence from the box, and maybe they'd like her just a bit more. When she opened the box, she froze. The brilliance of the light was too much for her to bear. She would have been frozen there forever, but the aliens weren't going to let one last little mistake keep their friend away from them. They closed the box, returned her to the ship, and slowly dissolved her body until she too was made of pure light.

Computer wasn't very happy, but no one worried about that.