By: Larry Hodges.

“But why do you think aliens left a huge horse-shaped satellite in orbit?” the U.S. President asked. “Do they think we’re idiots?”

“Maybe they left behind scientific treasures,” said the starry-eyed Secretary of Education.

“Or gold, platinum, and other riches,” said the greedy Treasury Secretary.

“Or advanced weaponry,” said the warmongering Secretary of Defense.

“You idiots, haven’t you read The Odyssey?” roared the president. “The alien ambassador even lent me a copy.” He opened the book to the page bookmarked by the alien. Clouds of artificially-created viruses floated out, the president inhaled, and the aliens had complete control of him.

© 2026. Larry Hodges

Larry Hodges has over 250 short story sales and four SF novels. He’s an Odyssey Writers Workshop graduate and a ping-pong aficionado, with 27 books and over 2,300 published articles in over 200 different publications. Visit him at larryhodges.com.

Posted May 13, 2026