By Nam Sang-so

``An astronaut attempting to visit recently discovered Planet GJ1214b would land in hot water ― literally,” U.S. scientists say.

The researchers have finally identified an entirely new kind of planet. They concluded that the newly found planet has much more water than Earth and much less rock. In other words, we the earthling can believe now that there is extraterrestrial life somewhere in the universe.

The earthling’s imagination about extraterrestrial life, or life that does not originate from Earth, out there might be far more scientifically advanced than humans on Earth isn’t fictitious any more. Steven Spielberg knew it when he directed the movie “ET.”

``Are you watching the earthling’s TV again?” The mother scolded her son named Alien who was once rescued by his earthling friends Elliott and his siblings in a forest named California. ``Mom, I miss Elliott, Michael and Gertie. I’m in their hearts and they are in my heart forever,” replies Alien.

That’s what Alien told Elliot when he said goodbye before boarding the rescue ship. ``Poor baby, you’re in love with the earthlings,” pities Alien’s mother on Planet GJ1214b. Alien’s pretty sister, watching the same program observed; ``I know Daddy promised you that he’d get one of the bicycles when he visits Earth the next time. Dad shouldn’t forget to thank Gertie for the flower pot and tell her that the flower blossoms well here.” She liked the earthling’s flower and waters it every every day.

Alien now speaks fluent English and his bamboo stem like neck has grown a little longer and he has learned to wear shoes. Gertie embarrassed him on his first visit to her home. ``Is Elliot handsome, brother?” she asks. ``All earthlings are, I should say, rather ugly.

They have big heads on very short necks, long legs and much smaller eyes than ours,” Alien knows. ``Gertie must be pretty,” the girl alien is concerned. ``She wore long hair and wasn’t as pretty as you are, sis, but she was kind. I liked her,” the boy’s big eyes narrowed. ``What’s hair?” Alien ignored his sister’s question because he didn’t know the answer.

Mrs. Alien changed the TV channel when Alien’s father stepped in the room. The earthling TV is now showing a ball game. ``What’s that round object the earthlings kick around?” the girl asks. ``Oh, the earthlings like to kick, hit or throw round balls of all sizes. This one is called soccer; there is also basketball, tennis, baseball and golf. People on earth worship round balls,” the father alien explains. He knows as he is the captain of one of the spaceships of Planet GJ1214b.

``There are interesting and silly things going on Earth, let me show you,” then he switched the earth monitoring channel to “China.” They see long stone walls. ``That’s the Great Wall of China.” ``Why do they need walls?” Now Mrs. Alien is curious. ``You see, the earthlings are very greedy, cunning and hot tempered. They hate and kill each other. So they build walls around all over the place.” ``Horrible!” utter the daughter and the mother.

``Yes, they are and the earthlings have been spying on us for a long time by sending telescope loaded satellites into our space. But please don’t worry, theirs are like a toy by our standards. Let me show you one of the most foolish walls on Earth.”

The father alien showed a close up map of a country named Korea. ``That’s barbed and razor wire across the peninsula!” Alien, his sister and mother are startled. ``Yes, and look at the huge armies with their arsenals standing face to face ready to shoot each other.” ``Why do they want to kill each other?” the three asked in unison. ``That’s a good question,” said the captain, turning the earthling TV off.

The writer is a retired architect-specifications writer, who shuttles back and forth between Seoul and New Jersey. Reach him at sangsonam@gmail.com.