copyright Jan Marler Morrill
Traitor.
That’s been my nickname for six months now. Hey, I’m just a fruit seller, making a living. Maybe even a profit.
“Morning,” I say to the first alien. Twenty are lined up behind him. He slings his rifle, holds up twelve fingers, and I bag up a dozen oranges in exchange for a glowing cube which I guess is money. I’ve got 518 so far.
Later when the aliens all die, scientists discover that the Vitamin C was slowly poisoning them. Suddenly I’m a hero.
The government is really curious about those glowing cubes.
Now the real profit comes.
The Green-Walled Tower 
July 6th, 2016 at 7:38 am
Hey, it’s as likely as water…
July 6th, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Yeah, probably more so, in fact. Of course if Signs had taken place in a orange juice factory…
July 6th, 2016 at 7:38 am
Well that was certainly quirky and weird
July 6th, 2016 at 9:37 pm
I’ll take that as a compliment. 🙂 That sums up a lot of my writing.
July 6th, 2016 at 7:41 am
Die by C. I like it.
July 6th, 2016 at 9:36 pm
Thanks. Ironically, Vitamin A and E can be toxic in high enough doses, but never C. At least for us. There’s no telling about aliens.
July 7th, 2016 at 8:39 am
It’s either that, or Slim Whitman’s music
July 6th, 2016 at 7:57 am
Dear David,
I feel for the aliens. I can’t have onions or garlic because they don’t like me. I have to wonder what the glowing cube are. Fascinating Heinleinish story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
July 6th, 2016 at 9:36 pm
Rochelle,
no matter how tempted you are, don’t poison yourself on onions and garlic. We’d miss you too much. Maybe the glowing cubes will make an appearance in a later story. I doubt it, but you never know. 🙂
July 6th, 2016 at 8:56 am
Lol, a special kind of hero. Loved it!
July 6th, 2016 at 9:34 pm
Very special. An opportunistic one. 🙂
July 6th, 2016 at 9:00 am
Oo, what a fascinating idea packed into that little story, I love it! I’m surprised the aliens didn’t figure out earlier that the oranges were killing them. Not too bright, despite their advanced technology. Or maybe it was like a drug and they just couldn’t help themselves. Now I’m deadly curious about those glowing cubes!
July 6th, 2016 at 9:34 pm
I’m thinking it was like a drug to them, hence all of them lined up to get them. As for the cubes, I have no idea myself. Hopefully he can get a bundle for them.
July 6th, 2016 at 10:29 pm
It occurs to me that what the glowing cubes turn out to do depends on whether this world is more like Doctor Who or Star Trek Next Generation. 😉 Either way, he’s probably better off selling them for a bundle before the experts figure it out.
July 6th, 2016 at 11:24 am
Word of advise from an off world ear. Get rid of the cubes A.S.P. Saw them in Apple today, deadly😉
July 6th, 2016 at 9:33 pm
Hmm, sounds like the aliens might have the last laugh after all, when all our computers are infected with interstellar malware. 🙂
July 6th, 2016 at 3:24 pm
This reminds me of War of the Worlds… vitamin C, I wonder if you knew or was just lucky.
July 6th, 2016 at 9:32 pm
I think it was just lucky, but if so, it was a lucky coincidence.
July 7th, 2016 at 2:16 am
good one!
July 7th, 2016 at 3:04 am
Now I’m wondering whether the glowing cubes aren’t radioactive or containing something to wipe out the human race. Aliens you know… can’t trust ’em. Good one.
July 7th, 2016 at 5:02 am
I agree with Sandra. Maybe it is tit for tat. Then it would be poetic justice!
July 7th, 2016 at 5:32 pm
This guys is living a charmed life. I nominate him for President. I like him better than the two who are running.
July 8th, 2016 at 7:50 am
As clever as ever David! Am with those calling for chucking the cubes!😱
July 8th, 2016 at 8:03 am
The cubes are probably radioactive and he now has a month to live! Great story.
July 8th, 2016 at 4:42 pm
I love this, but I’m also a bit sorry for these civilized Aliens, rifles or not. They stand in line, they ask for the produce and then they pay… Lucky narrator, he’ll be rich.
July 9th, 2016 at 2:23 am
Very clever! Both the story and the fruit seller. And the author, of course 😀
July 9th, 2016 at 4:15 pm
What a fun twist. The merchant seems to be on the right side of being a traitor.
July 10th, 2016 at 5:29 pm
Dave, this knocked it out of the park! Good satisfying ending with terrific set-up. One of your best!
July 10th, 2016 at 5:39 pm
This guy is quite the entrepreneur!
July 12th, 2016 at 12:07 am
You can’t trust anything that comes in a cube. I bet it’s glows. Great story, David. I love the weirdness.
July 13th, 2016 at 3:50 am
That was great, David. I laughed out loud when you mentioned Slim Whitman’s music. “Mars Attacks” was one of my son’s favorite movies and I’ve seen it a number of times. It’ll go well as long as the cubes don’t slowly poison us or aren’t spying devices being used by aliens on a mother ship or the home planet. Both good and hilarious writing. 😀 — Suzanne
September 16th, 2017 at 5:35 am
I love the way things turn around at the end, like in “when fame sucks”. The best i have read till now… but there are so many more left to read…. 🙂
September 17th, 2017 at 7:55 pm
Thank you. You’re so kind. 🙂