Second census

"Second Census" by John Victor Peterson is a science fiction story that throws an ordinary man into extraordinary circumstances. Jim Rainford's life takes a sharp turn when he discovers his wife is carrying quintuplets and, soon after, encounters unusual census-takers who are revealed to be aliens. Facing the shock of interstellar contact, Jim, along with his friend Ed Fitzgerald and a brilliant physicist named Maitland Browne, gets caught up in the aliens' search for lost children from their own species, who are needed for an interstellar war. As they navigate the bizarre and complex situation, they grapple with questions of identity, family, and the potential impact of relationships with beings from another world, all while trying to maintain some sense of normalcy in their daily lives. The novel combines adventure, humor, and the wonder of science fiction.