Lin Beifong, Chief of the Republic City Police Department was at her desk, trying to fight off another headache. It had been two weeks since Kuvira and her Earth Empire forces had been defeated in the Battle of Republic City. Ever since then, she had been busy round the clock supervising rescue missions for the, thankfully, few casualties in the buildings wrecked in the battle, demolished by Kuvira's giant mecha and its spirit powered superweapon.
Adding to that, was having to provide security at the wedding of Varrick and Zhu Li a week later.
She had just decided to go see a waterbender Healer about her headache when her phone rang. "What is it?" she said, annoyed.
"Call from President Raiko," said the receptionist.
By the spirits. He probably wants another crime statistics report. As if I don't have enough to worry about. "Put him through."
"Chief Beifong. I need you to come to my office immediately."
"If it's about those reports, Mr. President, I told you that they would be on your desk in the morning."
"It's not that, Chief. It's...most urgent. There is something that you need to hear. Please come at once."
Beifong sighed. She had a feeling that she would definitely need a Healer after this meeting. "On my way, Mister President."
Fifteen minutes later -
"Mr. President," Beifong said, rushing into Raiko's office, "I hope that you can appreciate how busy I've been for the past month. Kuvira's attack, the cleanup, and now I've got to contend with renewed Triad activity. With that said, what is so damned important that I have to come all the way down here to listen to?"
"About four hours ago," Raiko replied, "Radio station Voice of the Republic started receiving a transmission over the carrier wave they use for remote broadcasting pro bending matches from the Arena." He walked over to a radio set and turned it on. As it warmed up, he said, "It's preset to the same frequency. Listen..."
A voice filtered out of the radio. This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the USS Voyager, representing the United Federation of Planets. We wish to speak to the President of Republic City about a matter of the most grave importance to your world. Please contact us on this frequency.
"Where did that message come from?"
"I called the United Forces. They scanned the oceans, but they couldn't find an originating ship. They, in turn, contacted Republic University. The University finally determined that it was coming from..." He pointed at the ceiling.
"The next floor?"
"No. Much further than that. The University's Astronomy Department says that they had been studying a new object that appeared in synchronous orbit about two weeks ago. They thought that it was an asteroid. The radio signal's coming from it."
"You mean that..."
"Varrick's picture company has been putting out movers about visitors from outer space. I think that their writers may have had more foresight than we thought."
"So, Mr. President, what do you intend to do?"
"Do?" He picked up a microphone. "I'm going to answer them." He keyed the mike. "This is President Raiko of Republic City. May I speak to... Captain...Janeway, is it?"
The incoming message abruptly stopped. After few moments, the voice from the message said, "Mr. President. It is good to hear from you. I think that a few explanations are in order..."
