the Refugee - 3rd Rock from the Sun fan fiction

The year was 2007, Earth time, precisely six years since the four aliens, Dick, Harry, Tommy and Sally Solomon, had sat in their beloved Rambler and sung their mission anthem, to disappear in a flash of light back to their home planet millions and trillions of light years away. A lot had changed both on Earth, and in Space, in those six short years, and the four aliens had each followed their own separate pursuits - although they did occasionally meet up with each other in their travels.

Back on Earth, the people they had known had re established their lives into a regular sort of order. Mary Albright had continued on her teaching at Pendleton University, while also becoming an avid member of several Alien Abductee and UFO sighting groups. Nina Campbell had grown tired of Mary's constant neuroses and, wearied from the six years she had spent as secretary for both Dick and Mary, she left Pendelton and became a yoga instructor first, and a self-help author second. Her bestseller "How to Survive the Office Lunatic: A Self-Help Guide for Secretaries" was nominated for three separate awards and secretaries everywhere became liberated and forthright individuals.

Officer Don Orville continued as a cop for several months after Sally left, but without her continued support and bullying he became reserved and unconfident. He carried out his dream of owning a muffin shop in Rutherford, and hired Dick's former student, Leon as a counter boy and sandwich board advertiser. The other students from Dick's class resumed Physics class with a new and (almost) human professor and all passed within a year, going on to become Rutherford's oldest graduating class. Mrs Dubcek continued making her income through renting out Rutherford's worst accomodation for the highest price, although she was unable to find tenants content to stay in the Solomon's attic - and so it remained unoccupied.

They all continued on with their lives, not quite forgetting the Solomon's, yet not quite remembering them, enjoying the peace and quiet without the chaotic unpredictability the aliens had brought with them - but still all feeling terribly, achingly, empty - as if something very important was very missing.

The aliens themselves were not unaffected by their time on Earth. At a time when their home planet was becoming more and more unfamiliar, they sometimes all felt a great desire to return to their favourite blue-and-green planet.

The Big Giant Head, the evil domineering overlord of their home planet, had become more and more evil and domineering. The residents of the home planet were becoming increasingly disillusioned with his demands and laws, but for the most part, had to accept his dominion as the Big Giant Head was all powerful, and personally sought to prosecute anyone who challenged his authority.

His wife, Vicky, a native earthling, who had, of course, been previously involved with Harry during his time on Earth, was now officially "Mrs. Big Giant Head" and had the ego to match. Her relationship with the Big Giant Head was not of love, but power, and their constant domestic disputes were frequently fuel to the fire of the Big Giant Head's iron-fisted rule of the planet. Their son, Eric Travis was now seven Earth years old, and unfortunately as children sometimes are, was inextricably caught in the middle.

Dick Solomon, being accustomed to lecturing physics during his time at Pendleton, had relinquished his role as High Commander, and became a mentor to aspiring aliens themselves working on becoming High Commanders for their own important missions. Further to this, in a completely surprising move, he became a Scout Leader for young alien children doing after-study activities. He became somewhat of a father figure to young Eric Travis who attended his Scout group and whose Big Giant Parents were often too involved in their arguments to know or care what their son was doing. Secretly, Dick still loved Mary, and if he could fly back to Earth and into her arms, he would in a second.

Tommy Solomon, who in reality was quite ancient when they were on Earth, had opted for a quiet and serene life of retirement, occasionally stopping in to see Dick for a chat and reflection on life. He had become a highly respected wizened old leader of the Big Giant Head's training facility for young soldiers and mission commanders. Unfortunately, the elderly Information Officer was, although respected, often regarded as being a touch senile and therefore, his opinions were usually received warmly and enthusiastically, then duly discarded. Although ageing, the former Information Officer was still sharp - despite his apparent docility and compliance, Tommy kept a watchful eye on everything that happened while maintaining the facade of a bumbling old man.

Sally Solomon had reverted to her masculine form and had progressed even further in her military career. Stories of her bravery, strength and fortitude swept from every corner of the Universe as she took on and conquered valiantly every mission sent her way. The three other aliens, who felt particularly close to Sally since their time on Earth, were always impressed and proud when they heard of her exploits, but also somewhat sad, as she was so often away on duty they rarely got to see her at all. Only Sally herself knew the real reason she was propelling herself into such a frantic and tumultuous pace, and even she was desperately trying to hide it from herself. Her feelings for Don had never subsided. Caught between that, and the sorry state of her home planet, Sally was sliding - and the more she fought to hold onto her rock-hard soldier exterior, the more she felt inside like a desperate emotional woman. This was a side of herself she had discovered while on Earth, which now she was frantically trying to re-bury.

Harry Solomon began the Earth mission as the transmitter - after wangling the privilege in the first place through someone who knew someone - and had returned to the home planet without much plan for his future. His life up until now had been joining the team on their numerous combined missions, and now that Dick had stepped down, Tommy was retired, and Sally was jetting around the Galaxy, he felt very much alone. Added to this, the Big Giant Head was aware of his previous romance with Vicky - Mrs Big Giant Head, and had a Big Giant Jealousy problem. Therefore, Harry was often the target of random interrogations and arrests and was often overlooked for jobs and privileges on the Home Planet. The combination of all these circumstances left Harry feeling quite lost - having discovered "feelings" while he was on Earth, he wasn't sure he wanted them. Added to this, the transmitter in his head had developed a glitch and it would randomly tune in and out of radio stations around the galaxy leaving Harry frustrated and embarrassed in front of other aliens who didn't know about his transmitter. The worse things got for Harry on the Home Planet, the more and more he wished he could go back to Earth with Dick, Tommy and Sally and everything could be like it used to.