Second census

In Short

This science fiction story follows three suburban friends—Jim Rainford, Ed Fitzgerald, and the mercurial Maitland Browne—as they confront an alien visitor posing as a government official. What begins as a strange neighborhood mystery quickly spirals into a revelation about the hidden origins of their own children and the extraterrestrial heritage of their entire community. Through brisk pacing and a sense of mounting wonder, the narrative explores the unsettling possibility that we are not who we think we are, leaving the reader to question the very fabric of their own domestic reality.

The Story

The story opens on a frantic note: Jim Rainford is reeling from the news that his wife, Tessie, is expecting quintuplets. His commute home, piloted by the reckless and brilliant physicist Maitland Browne, sets the stage for a world of advanced technology and uneasy social dynamics. Upon arriving home, Jim receives a panicked call from his neighbor, Ed Fitzgerald. Ed has been visited by a bizarre census taker who asked intrusive questions about world affairs before stumbling away in a drunken daze.

When the census taker arrives at Jim’s door, he is unnervingly calm and possesses impossible knowledge, including the exact sex of the unborn quintuplets—information not even Jim knows. After the stranger vanishes with supernatural speed, Jim discovers a sheaf of papers in his wake, printed in an alien script on a star chart depicting the galaxy as viewed from Alpha Centauri. Realizing the man is not human, Jim and Ed race to warn Browne, hoping his technical prowess can help them trap the intruder.

At Browne’s sprawling home, the three men confront the alien, Hirm Sulay. Despite their efforts to contain him, Hirm proves difficult to corner until Browne uses an experimental "psionic" chair to trap him. Once restrained, Hirm reveals the shocking truth: he is a refugee from an interstellar war between Alpha and Beta Centauri. To protect their offspring from the conflict, his people have been surreptitiously placing their children into human homes for generations. The "quintuplets" Jim expects are actually a mix of human and alien infants, and even the local doctor is a disguised member of Hirm’s race.

The revelation hits closer to home than the three men expect. Hirm identifies Jim, Ed, and even the "speedster" Maitland Browne as being of their blood, explaining that their perceived natural abilities—like Browne’s reflexes or Fitzgerald’s intense focus—are actually innate traits of their hidden heritage. The story concludes with the trio grappling with this new identity. Rather than feeling like victims of a cosmic prank, they are energized by the prospect of joining the war. Jim prepares to tell his wife the truth, determined to follow his friends into the conflict to aid their newfound kin.

How It Unfolds

The commute home Jim struggles with the chaotic flying of Maitland Browne, whose reckless piloting is matched only by his obsession with provoking the stoic Ed Fitzgerald. The tension of the flight is cut through by Jim’s personal news of his wife’s quintuplets, setting a tone of domestic transition.

The odd visitor Fitzgerald reports a strange encounter with a census taker who seemed intoxicated by the density of human thought. When this same figure arrives at Jim’s door, the mystery deepens through the alien’s use of high-tech equipment and his impossible knowledge of Jim’s private life.

The discovery of the map Left with an alien document featuring a star chart from Alpha Centauri, Jim realizes the threat is not local but interstellar. He and Fitzgerald rush to the most capable man they know—Browne—to devise a plan to capture the visitor.

The interrogation and revelation After a high-speed chase through Browne’s automated home, they manage to restrain Hirm Sulay in a psionic trap. The confession that follows shatters their worldview, confirming that they are part of a hidden population of refugees.

The call to action The story ends on a note of sudden transformation, as the three friends accept their alien heritage. They pivot from bewildered suburbanites to active participants in an intergalactic war, eager to apply their latent abilities to the cause.

The People

Jim Rainford is the narrative anchor, a man who prides himself on his grasp of cybernetics and his domestic stability. He is initially motivated by confusion and protective instincts toward his wife, Tessie. By the end, his curiosity and sense of belonging to a "hidden" group lead him to embrace a radical new purpose.

Maitland Browne is the group’s catalyst. As a brilliant physicist and a compulsive joker, he views the world as a lab to be manipulated. His arrogance and technical mastery make him the only one capable of trapping the intruder, yet he is clearly searching for something more than physics. He finds his true calling when he discovers his own reflexes are a sign of his alien lineage.

Ed Fitzgerald serves as the group’s "imperturbable" core. His ability to remain calm even during atomic accidents marks him as a man of great internal discipline. Like the others, his supposed "normality" is unmasked as something far more exotic.

Hirm Sulay is the alien "census taker," though his true mission is the recruitment of his own kind. Caught between the desperation of a losing war and the physical toll of navigating human society, he acts as the bridge between the mundane world and the cosmic conflict that defines the story’s conclusion.

In Its Own Voice

"Quintuplets alone would be bad enough, without a census taker who could count them in advance!"

Jim laments the uncanny knowledge the visitor possesses regarding his wife's impending birth.

"Your school system isn't exacting enough; you all think of too many things at once."

Hirm Sulay explains why the human mind, with its cluttered focus, is difficult for him to navigate.

"Each of you is of our blood."

Hirm reveals to the three friends that their unique personalities and talents are actually characteristics of his own extraterrestrial race.

What It's Really About

At its heart, this story explores the concept of identity and the "hidden self." It asks whether our natural talents—our specific ways of thinking or reacting—are simply the result of our environment or signs of a much deeper, ancestral origin. The narrative also touches on the burden of knowledge; once the characters learn the truth, they can no longer participate in their old lives. It moves from a mystery about government interference to a story about the immigrant experience, where the "newcomers" have been here all along, hiding in the safety of the suburbs, waiting for a war to call them home.

Why Read It Today

This story offers a brisk, imaginative take on the "alien among us" trope that rewards those who enjoy mid-century science fiction. It moves with a frantic, punchy energy that mirrors the high-speed chases and quick-fire dialogue of the characters. Readers who appreciate the 1950s aesthetic—where solar-powered houses and "visifones" were the height of speculative technology—will find a charming sense of period optimism here.

However, the reader should be prepared for its limitations. The prose is utilitarian and sometimes relies on tropes of the era, such as the "staggering" alien or the somewhat dismissive attitudes toward the wives, who largely exist as background motivations for the men. There is no deep character development for the female figures, and the pacing is so relentless that it occasionally skips over the emotional gravity of the revelations. Yet, for those looking for a quick, thought-provoking read that feels like a classic "Twilight Zone" episode or a sharp short story from the golden age of magazines, it provides a satisfying, swift descent into the unknown. What sticks with you is the final, unsettling realization: the ordinary neighbor standing next to you might have a secret as vast as the stars themselves.